Auto Express – August 07, 2019

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk 7August2019 23

Citroen’scentenary INSIDE STORY

constructionandindependentsuspension.Morethan

700,000wereproducedwithinaproductionrunspanning

from1934to1957,duringwhichseveralbodystylesandan

inline-sixenginewereslowlyintroducedtosupplantthe

car’sever-evolvingfour-cylinderengineline-up.

WhiletheTractionAvantwaspopular,itwasacostlycar

bothtodevelopandproduce,andoneofthereasonswhy

theoriginalCitroencompanywastodeclarebankruptcyin

late1934.Thismarkedtheendofthefirm’sindependent

erawhencreditorsMichelintookcontrol.

AndreCitroendiednotlongafter,inJuly1935,agedjust

57.Buttheethosheestablishedwouldliveonthroughout

thecomingdecades,andunderdifferentownership.

TurningthewheeloftheTractionAvantin2019reveals

justwhyitwassuch apopularmodel:bythestandardsof

thetimethismusthavebeenveryeasytodrive,with

controlsthatreallydefythecar’sage.

Thisisacompanywithanincrediblydiversehistory,

however,andinnovationhasneverfocussedpurelyonbig,

expensivecars.That’swhythe2CVstillstandsoutasthe

definitiveCitroenforpetrolheadstheworldover.

We allknowthetalesofsecretwartimeprototypes,

farmerscrossingfieldswithoutbreakingeggsanda

riotousBondcameoinForYourEyesOnly.Almostfour

millionofCitroen’smostutilitarianofcarshittheroads

duringa42-yearproductionrun,whichranfrom1948

to1990,andthere’sjusttoomuchhistorytocoverhere.

That’swithoutevenconsideringthespin-offs.

Howdoesitfeeltodrivein2019?Asanevent,the2CV

isasfunasyou’dexpect,andtheagriculturalpatterofthe

“Therewas aUNreport thatsaid by 2050,68

per cent of us acrossthe world will liveincities.

That’swhy we did the AMI Oneconcept”

LINDAJACKSONCitroen chiefexecutive

STAR TURN Ourman Brodie gotthe chanceto
getbehind the wheel of some of the 100 carsthat
made up the Citroen centenary parade in Paris