Auto Express – August 07, 2019

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk 7August2019 25

Citroen’scentenary INSIDE STORY

totheircars,”sheexplains.“TherewasarecentUN

reportthatsaidby2050,68percentofusacrossthe

worldwillliveincities.That’swhywedidtheAMIOne

concept.Docustomersinthefuturewanttoown

vehicles?Leasevehicles?Sharevehicles?

“Themodelwillchange.TheecosystemthatsupportsAMI

Oneisthatyoucanhaveitforfiveminutes,fivehours,five

days,fivemonthsorfiveyears,similartobuyingorleasing.”

Citroen’stinylittleAMIOneurbanrunaroundconcept

isrightattheveryfrontofthecentenaryparade,alongside

itslong-range19_19counterpart.Thepositioningofthese

twovehiclesattheheadoftheprocessionthroughParis’

streetsisnocoincidence–andwhataprocessionitis.

OverseeingproceedingsisXavierCrespin,managing

directorofL’AventurePeugeotCitroenDS.He’sthe

gatekeepertothebrand’shistory,safeguardingaCitroen

heritagefleetandcollectors’associationthatisaround700

carsstrong.Whilethefirm’snewestconceptcarsleadfrom

thefront,Crespin’scurationisaproperstrollthroughthe

archives,andnoeraorusecasehasbeenleftbehind.

Thebrand’srichmotorsportheritageisonshowinforce

here,too,alongsidetheusualsuspectsandevensomeof

thelessimportantorsuccessfulmilestonesinCitroen’s

history.It’sacompanywithnothingtohide,andhopefully,

plentytoshowusinthenext100years.

XavierCrespin managesthe heritage

aspectofPSA’sbrands, lookingafter

the group’srespectiveand enormous

fleetsofclassicroad andracing cars.

Naturally,he’sbeenbusyduring

Citroen’scentenarycelebrations

Q.Arethereanycarsmissing from the

70 0car-strong CitroenConservatoire?

A.Westill havesome missing links. It’s

impossibletohaveall the significantcars.

Therearesomevery special SMswedon’t

have.Wedon’t havethe SM withfour doors,

Wedon’t havethe SMconvertible. Butwe

arenotacapitalistic organisation.Weare

notlookingatowning,wejustwanttoknow

who has whatandtoknowthese people.

It’sfrustrating whenwelosecontact.

Q.Wasthe processofnarrowing down

the paradeto100 carsquitedifficult?

A.Yes. First,wemanagedtoget17recent

cars. 43ofthese 100 carsarefrom the Citroen

Conservatoire, and 40 arebroughtfrom

private collectors. SoIhavetosaythank

youtothem. It’sanicepresentationof

whatmakes the classiccommunity.

Q.Doyouhaveapersonalfavourite?

A.TractionAvantismyfavourite.For

me, it’sanincredible, modern carforthe

forties. It’savery earlyexampleofwhat

makes carsenjoyabletodrive.

Q.Doyouthink thatthe 2CVisthe

mosticonic Citroenevermade?

A.Intermsofthe numberoffans,yes.

2CVisthe mostcollected car inraw

numbers.Thereisaphenomenon and

community behind it. Itwasarevolution.

Q.Isit difficult maintainingalarge

motorsport fleetalongside theroad cars?

A.Yes.Theyarevery sensitivecars.Idon’t

trytostart anyofthe motorsport carswithout

massivetechnical support because itcould

be dangerous.Wearevery careful with them.

“TheTractionAvantismy

favourite.It’san incredible,

modern carfortheforties”

Managing director,L’Aventure

PeugeotCitroen DS

Q&A

XAVIER CRESPIN

SMILE PLEASE

Citroenfansof

all agestook the

chancetogetup

closetolotsof

classic models,

including the

Visa from the

seventiesand

eighties

BACKTOTHE FUTURE

Twentiesfashions and Citroen’searly

models rubbed shoulderswith this

year’sAMIOneconcept(below,bottom)

SPORTING

HERITAGE

Citroen’ssuccessful

motorsport history

wasnotforgotten