Innovation is a hallmark of automotive design, creating stunning cars that grab the attention of the most discerning customer. André Citroën, which produces aerodynamic automobiles that overcome the barriers of taste and originality, entered the automotive market in France in 1919. Initially, it focused on functionality in championships. Citroën is a leader in the manufacture of eye-catching cars.
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Living in France in the 19th century, the name Citroën is derived from the Dutch name “Limoenman”, which means “man of the lime”. Although the name evokes a citrus fruit, the high-quality cars designed and manufactured by Citroën are far from lemons. The amazing automobiles have developed a loyal fan base around the world.
André-Gustave Citroën “born in Paris on February 5, 1878, the son of Levie Citroën, a diamond merchant of Dutch Jewish descent, and Amalie Kleinmann, a Jew of Polish descent,” said Julian Marsh in “A Brief History of Citroën,” page 1. ,” in Citroënet. André, the youngest son of five children; His father died when the boy was only six years old and his mother died when he was about 21 years old.
Citroën, talented in technology, graduated from the Ecole Polytechnique in 1900 and then began his year of compulsory military service. Assigned to the 31st Regiment at Le Mans, Citroën was second lieutenant of artillery. Eager to work on his own business ideas, the A soldier visited the nearby Amédée Bollée automobile factory. The French automaker made “a Type 30/40 six-cylinder gasoline luxury car, which was later considered a serious rival to the Rolls-Royce,” wrote John Reynolds in “Andre Citroën: The Man and the Automobile. “(Alan Sutton Publishing Limited, 1996).
Setting up his own engineering company in 1905, André Citroën
While visiting his family in Poland, Citroën observed an employee manufacturing a set of gears with a unique herringbone structure. The gears ran smoothly and with less noise. Citroën was enthusiastic. He bought the man’s patent for a small payment and set up a factory to produce the steel parts. The symbol of the chevron-shaped gears has become Citroën’s corporate logo.
In 1913, Citroën married 21-year-old Giorgina Bingen, a complicated young woman who was almost less than his age. At its factory near the Seine, Citroën presents its first car. The Citroën Type A was racing at 65 km/h. (60 km/h) with a 10 hp engine. Just over 24,000 units were produced. At the Paris factory from June 1919 to December 1921, the popular four-metre-long Citroën vehicle weighed 810 kilograms. The factory’s staff produced about a hundred cars a day.
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Making history in Europe, Citroën used series production to build its first vehicle, earning it the nickname “Henry Ford of France”. A rare occurrence at the time, the vehicle “was fully equipped with tires, headlights and even an automatic start, in a position to hit the road,” Reynolds said. Subsequently, the vehicle was introduced in several styles with the same chassis, engine, and transmission. The Citroën Type A was the first European vehicle to have the idler fixed on the left side. Napoleon had dictated that the idler be on the right side, Reynolds noted, “so that the driver or chauffeur could see the edge of the rough roads. “
During World War I, the production of automobiles for military purposes was discontinued. Among others, the Citroën and Renault factories produced munitions. Before long, Citroën made a proposal to help the French government meet the growing demand for projectiles. With government support, he built a factory from scratch, brought in machinery, and hired personnel to manufacture munitions. It was new territory for Citroën and it prospered. By the end of the war, the factory had produced 23 million shells; The entrepreneur returned to car production.
Citroën didn’t design the cars itself; He hired talented engineers. Bold and colorful, he was a brilliant marketer. He unveiled his next car with panache at the 1921 Paris Motor Show. Above the city and the Eiffel Tower, an airplane pilot scrawled “Citroën” in giant letters in the sky. .
The spectacular exhibition continued with Citroën’s next vehicle, a half-track model that made headlines in 1922 while crossing the Sahara Desert. Within two years, the company was manufacturing 50,000 vehicles a year.
New models rolled off Citroën’s meeting lines. “To avoid punitive import taxes on its products,” Citroën “has set up factories in Belgium, Great Britain, Germany and Italy,” according to Citroënet. Demolishing its French factory in 1933, Citroën built a new factory on the site, “without affecting production”, while “developing a revolutionary new car, the Traction Avant”.
A pioneer of fashion, Citroën has created a network of dealerships in France to house its company’s vehicles. Concerned about the well-being of his workers, he organized “medical and dental services, as well as a gym in his factories,” Citroënet explains. It also provided child care for employees’ young children.
Falling ill, Citroën was diagnosed with abdominal cancer and the operation failed. While battling the disease, the company struggled after the debut of the Traction Avant with low sales. Citroën filed for bankruptcy. The colossal tire company Michelin takes over the operations.
André Citroën did not live long enough to witness the remarkable resurgence of his company. The 56-year-old died in Paris, France, on July 3, 1935. Citroën is survived by his wife and four children. The Daily Telegraph’s obituary described him in glowing terms, Reynolds said. “Thanks to his skills, he managed to make his hitherto unknown call almost as well known as any other in Europe. . . No company is too big for André Citroën. “
Under the leadership of Pierre Jules Boulanger, Citroën continued its efforts to rebuild itself and reconquer the market. Designed out of the ordinary, Citroën cars are futuristic, with modernisations such as hydropneumatic suspension systems.
During World War II, the Nazis took over France and demanded the closure of Citroën’s production line, which was replaced by German car assembly. Boulanger did not cooperate. He courageously supported the sabotage of Nazi trucks by reducing workers’ output. He also approved re-notching the dipsticks to make it look like there’s enough oil, but the actual point is too low. The enemy engines soon agotaron. de oil and jammed.
Over the next few decades, the Citroën company underwent changes in production and ownership. Boulanger died in a twist of fate for the automobile and the company was restructured. Citroën joined forces with Fiat and then bought the Maserati company. In the 1970s, the company merged with Peugeot. . The merit of pioneering design is lost in the redesign.
Elegant Citroën models made an impression on Canadian roads in the 1960s and 1970s with the creation of Citroën Canada in Montreal, Quebec. Sales didn’t support the effort.
In 2021, Citroën joined Stellantis. The manufacturer is the European EV market and its sales are constantly evolving, and the so-called Citroën is still alive.
Susanna McLeod lives in Kingston.
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