Brand histories
The History of the Citroën Brand
Autopapyrus
The high point for Citroën was the arrival of the innovative front-wheel-drive Traction Avant, built from 1934 to 1956.
Founded in 1919, Citroën set out to mass-produce affordable cars. The first Citroën, powered by a 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine, quickly became a hit as an inexpensive, simple and easy-to-drive car. When building its second model, Citroën adopted Henry Ford's methods, and the new car performed well even on bumpy country roads. By 1933, almost all Paris taxis were Citroëns.
In 1923, Citroën released a limited run of sporty cars called the "300 B2 Caddy." In those years this good-looking three-seater was in high demand, and today it is a prized piece in the collection of any serious vintage car enthusiast.
By the summer of 1924, the Javel plant was turning out more than 250 cars a day. Over time the factory grounds grew to cover an area comparable to the entire 15th arrondissement of Paris. Citroën branches opened one after another in Denmark, Switzerland, Belgium, England, Italy and the Netherlands. An important innovation of those years was the all-steel car body, first tried by Citroën.
The comfortable production models B12 and B14, along with the AC4 and AC6 built on their basis, sold like hotcakes and brought the company unqualified success. In 1931, the luxurious and, for its time, ultra-modern Citroën Grand Luxe shook up the market.
From 1934, a difficult time began for the company because of the Great Depression. Although Citroën's models were successful and sold in various versions until 1957, too much money had been spent on developing and advertising them. As a result, the company slowly but surely fell under the control of the Michelin group. From that point, the era of front-wheel-drive cars began.
In 1955, at the Paris Motor Show, the public met the DS, a reliable, roomy and safe car that quickly became popular with people from all walks of life, including General Charles de Gaulle himself. This "cult" car was driven by Fantômas and Inspector Juve in the films.
In 1976, Citroën became an independent subsidiary of the Peugeot group while keeping its own brand. Citroën engineers worked tirelessly on new developments. In 1989, for example, a third-generation suspension was introduced that adapts to the road surface and driving style. In 1993, the Citroën Xantia appeared, and its design proved decisive for the later development of Citroën's overall style.
The all-wheel-drive Citroën Berlingo, launched in 1996 as a light leisure van, became very popular.
Today the best-known and best-selling family is the Xsara, which debuted in 1997 and was significantly updated around the turn of the century. Another Citroën hit was the original 2000 model called the Xsara Picasso. That same year the Citroën C5 was introduced, replacing the popular Xantia at the top of the lineup. Another novelty was the convertible multipurpose Citroën Pluriel Concept, first shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
In 2002, Citroën joined the fierce competition in the sedan and compact car market that had gripped European automakers. The company offered a new model, the Citroën C3.
Despite the abundance of offerings from many players in the car market, Citroën never let itself get lost among them and always held a worthy place. That is probably just what French engineer André Citroën wanted when he founded the French car brand in 1919, and with it, helped launch his country's auto industry.
Founded in 1919, Citroën set out to mass-produce affordable cars. The first Citroën, powered by a 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine, quickly became a hit as an inexpensive, simple and easy-to-drive car. When building its second model, Citroën adopted Henry Ford's methods, and the new car performed well even on bumpy country roads. By 1933, almost all Paris taxis were Citroëns.
In 1923, Citroën released a limited run of sporty cars called the "300 B2 Caddy." In those years this good-looking three-seater was in high demand, and today it is a prized piece in the collection of any serious vintage car enthusiast.
By the summer of 1924, the Javel plant was turning out more than 250 cars a day. Over time the factory grounds grew to cover an area comparable to the entire 15th arrondissement of Paris. Citroën branches opened one after another in Denmark, Switzerland, Belgium, England, Italy and the Netherlands. An important innovation of those years was the all-steel car body, first tried by Citroën.
The comfortable production models B12 and B14, along with the AC4 and AC6 built on their basis, sold like hotcakes and brought the company unqualified success. In 1931, the luxurious and, for its time, ultra-modern Citroën Grand Luxe shook up the market.
From 1934, a difficult time began for the company because of the Great Depression. Although Citroën's models were successful and sold in various versions until 1957, too much money had been spent on developing and advertising them. As a result, the company slowly but surely fell under the control of the Michelin group. From that point, the era of front-wheel-drive cars began.
In 1955, at the Paris Motor Show, the public met the DS, a reliable, roomy and safe car that quickly became popular with people from all walks of life, including General Charles de Gaulle himself. This "cult" car was driven by Fantômas and Inspector Juve in the films.
In 1976, Citroën became an independent subsidiary of the Peugeot group while keeping its own brand. Citroën engineers worked tirelessly on new developments. In 1989, for example, a third-generation suspension was introduced that adapts to the road surface and driving style. In 1993, the Citroën Xantia appeared, and its design proved decisive for the later development of Citroën's overall style.
The all-wheel-drive Citroën Berlingo, launched in 1996 as a light leisure van, became very popular.
Today the best-known and best-selling family is the Xsara, which debuted in 1997 and was significantly updated around the turn of the century. Another Citroën hit was the original 2000 model called the Xsara Picasso. That same year the Citroën C5 was introduced, replacing the popular Xantia at the top of the lineup. Another novelty was the convertible multipurpose Citroën Pluriel Concept, first shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
In 2002, Citroën joined the fierce competition in the sedan and compact car market that had gripped European automakers. The company offered a new model, the Citroën C3.
Despite the abundance of offerings from many players in the car market, Citroën never let itself get lost among them and always held a worthy place. That is probably just what French engineer André Citroën wanted when he founded the French car brand in 1919, and with it, helped launch his country's auto industry.
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