Citroën is a French manufacturer created in 1919 by André Citroën. In 1935,
Michelin took control of Citroën and in 1975, Peugeot bought Citroën creating
the PSA group.
Why Chevrons ?
While on a trip in Poland in 1900, André Citroën
discovered the V-cut teeth gears used in flour mills.
In 1912, he created a gear manufacturing company
and used the inverted double V as his logo.
His reputation and fortune being based on this
company, he kept this logo when creating his new
automotive company in 1919.
Who is André Citroën ?
The founder of the Citroën brand was born
February 5, 1878 in Paris. After studying at the
École Polytechnique and buying a patent in
Poland, he created a gear factory in Paris.
From 1908 to 1914, he helped the French car
company Mors bounce back thanks to great
organizing skills and other expertise he earned during his stay at Ford’s in the United
States in 1912.
In 1914, he was mobilized as a lieutenant of artillery and, faced the lack of ammunition,
built a huge munitions factory of 13,000 workers on quai de Javel in Paris to support
the French army.
At the end of the war, he decided to convert his factory to manufacture new popular
cars.
In 1919, he introduced the Citroën Type A.
How has Citroën made its
mark on 100 years of cars ?
The brand has always been known for its cutting-edge technologies and has repeatedly
revolutionized the automotive industry world.
In 1919, Type A is the first mass-produced car in Europe.
In 1934, the Avant Traction came with drive wheels on the front axle.
The iconic 2 CV was sold over 5,100,000 copies between 1948 and 1990.
The DS presented in 1955 offered a revolutionary design and many technical innovations
including hydro pneumatic suspension.
In 2019, for its 100 years, Citroën has planned to create different events. These would
include presenting 2 concept cars (announced by Citroën in October 2018) as well as
the “Rassemblement du Siècle” (Citroën Centenary Celebration) in July, in Ferté-Vidame,
Citroën’s historical testing site.
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