Comotor stopped building the Wankel engine 50 years ago

TEXTApril 5, 2025 · 3 min

Bruno von Rotz, automatically translated

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Daniel Reinhard3 Photos

Citroën GS Birotor (1974) - the Comotor Wankel engine is installed transversely

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Citroën GS Birotor (1974) - you can hardly see anything of the Comotor Wankel engine because of all the hydraulics and electrics

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Citroën GS Birotor (1974) - the serial number Comotor

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Citroën M35 (1970) - View into the engine compartment with the Wankel from Comotor

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Citroen GS Birotor (1973) - the twin-rotor engine from Comotor

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Citroën M35 (1970) - the Wankel engine - view from the gearbox

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Citroën M35 (1970) - Wankel engine - in rotation 2

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Citroën M35 (1970) - Wankel engine - in rotation 4

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Citroën M35 (1970) - the resemblance to the Ami 8 is clear from the front

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Citroën M35 (1970) - the coupé rear was independent

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Citroen GS Birotor (1973) - the indicated widening looks good on the GS

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Citroen GS Birotor (1973) - with the exception of the doors and roof, hardly any sheet metal parts are taken from the normal GS

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Citroen GS Birotor (1973) - many differences to the normal GS recognizable in the see-through drawing

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Citroën GS Birotor (1974) - vor lauter Hydraulik und Elektrik sieht man kaum etwas vom Wankelmotor von Comotor

Citroën GS Birotor (1974) - die Seriennummer Comotor

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Citroën M35 (1970) - Blick in den Motorraum mit dem Wankel von Comotor

Citroen GS Birotor (1973) - der Zweischeibenwankelmotor von Comotor

Citroën M35 (1970) - der Wankelmotor - Sicht vom Getriebe her

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Citroën M35 (1970) - Wankelmotor - in Drehung 2

It was on April 10, 1975, when the Automobil Revue announced that Comotor would cease production. Comotor was the first European Wankel engine factory, located in Altforweiler near Saarlouis and jointly founded by Citroën and the VW subsidiary NSU Auto Union. At the time, an unknown small shareholder still held around four percent of the share capital.

Citroën GS Birotor (1974) - the serial number Comotor

The twin-disc Wankel engine for the Citroën GS Birotor was manufactured in Altforweiler. As this did not sell as well as hoped, production had to be scaled back. Apparently, the new Citroën owner Peugeot also stepped on the brakes at the time.

Citroen GS Birotor (1973) - the twin-rotor engine from Comotor

Archiv Automobil Revue

Plans to install the twin-disc Wankel engine with fuel injection and 150 hp in the top-of-the-range CX model also failed to materialize, as did other ideas. The energy crisis and the focus on economical engines put an end to the joint venture.

Although in April 1975 it was still intended to continue the research work with a fuselage team of 30 to 50 people, the end came for Comotor in 1977.

Until 1975, the Comotor Wankel engines had been used in small numbers in the Citroën M35 and Citroën GS Birotor models.