Lance Cole - Citroën: The Complete Story

CITRON

THE COMPLETE STORY

LANCE COLE

THE CROWOOD PRESS

First published in 2014 by

The Crowood Press Ltd

Ramsbury, Marlborough

Wiltshire SN8 2HR

www.crowood.com

This e-book first published in 2014

Lance Cole 2014

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 84797 660 4

Photography by the author with additional photography by C. David Conway, Franklin Rugg, Pierre Jammes, Martijn van Well.
Archive images from Citron Communications photographers and Conservatoire Citron.
Citron cars artwork by Russell Wallis.
Frontispiece: DS Pallas The grand legend.

ALSO BY THE AUTHOR

Saab Cars, the Complete Story

Saab 99 and 900, the Complete Story

Vickers VC10

Secrets of the Spitfire

Long Haul

Heavies

Jetliners

The New Illustrated Encyclopaedia of the Automobile

DEDICATION

For my children, EMILY and JACK , as always.

Also for my Citron DS-owning grandfather, TOM GODDEN (RAF). And in memory of the late INNES IRELAND , who was instrumental in launching my writing career, and who taught me to drink single malt with nothing added.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGED and helped by many people in this new view of Citron, and my biggest thanks and admiration go to the following: C. David Conway, John Sobey, Clive Hamilton Gould, Patrick Rugg, Reg Winstone, Citron Communications/Conservatoire. Other key contributors, notably for access to cars and photographs, include Franklin Rugg, Brian Cass, Darrin Brownhill, Richard Biddulph, Vintage and Prestige Cars. Pierre Jammes of DsinAsia.com, Julian Marsh, Graham H. Wilson, the Reverend Mike Johnson. Mark Furneaux Pioneer Automobiles. Clarke and Rodway. Brian Drummond, and members of the Citron Car Club in the UK. Wouter Jansen in The Netherlands, Roger Brioult, Dirk Walter, Steve Berry, Sander Aalderink: Brittany Ferries.

The wonderful artwork featured in the chapter openers is by auto designer Russell Wallis.

Much of the photography in this book, including the cover, is my own, but other significant contributions come from David Conway (2CV and others), Franklin Rugg (selected BX and CX), Pierre Jammes (DS in Asia), Martijn van Well (Ami, DS USA spec), Simeon Criddle (Eclectic Cars), Dan Stuart (GS Break), Eoin Sloan and the Citron Archive photographers: Nicholas Zwickel, Patrick Legros, Jerome Lejeune, Laurent Nivalle via Citron Communications agreement.

There have been numerous books published on Citron, and many authors have cross-referenced others. The bibliography credits all the sources dating from 1911, and I have consulted many people and publications; however, I wish to specifically identify and thank the following as respected supplementary references: C. David Conway; Roger Brioult and his LHistoire et les Secrets de son Bureau dEtudes; Bertoni 30 Ans de Style Citron by Fabien Sabats and Leonardo Bertoni; Andr Lefebvre and the cars he created for Voisin and Citron by Gijsbert-Paul Berk; My 1000 Cars by Gabriel Voisin; English Reference Edition and Gerin both by Reg Winstone. Acknowledgement must also go to Julian Marsh and his Citronet website, which makes so much information available to all Citronistes.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

The 2013 Cactus Concept hints at a new model design from Citron. Note the newly revised chevron motif and DS-inspired floating roof and stylized C-pillar. All pointers to a new shape for a new model expected onto the market in 2014.

CITRON: A DESIGN PHILOSOPHY THAT CREATED CARS

Why are Citrons designed as they are? Surely despite all the claims, Citrons are just cars like any others? The answers to such questions are that Citron design is unique, and no, the Citron is not just a car like any other.

There are other questions about the why and how, and not just the when of Citron. What does old Citron now mean, what mental picture does the phrase engender? Once it meant a Traction Avant, and to a wider audience it means a DS or 2CV, but to some, old Citron might now mean something else entirely. Beyond the world of the DS and 2CV there is a whole new generation of Citron enthusiasts who have little experience of these icons: Citronism to such people means a CX, GS, BX, XM or C6 or DS3. So would it not be better if Citronism also meant the more recent cars, as well as the cars from Citrons deeper past?

Some Citron enthusiasts dismiss so-called lesser Citrons, and a few are contemptuous of anything produced after the Peugeot takeover of Citron. Yet surely Citrons are not just classic cars they are new, current production cars, too. Therefore, amidst many books on the marque, this text is an attempt to reframe a sometimes tribal debate amid Citronistes and to provide a new reference point for a wider readership who, like me, are fascinated as to the why of Citron old or new.

Citron has been the subject of many words, but some commentators have followed the fashion to see certain examples of the Citron marque in isolation, however splendid. Could it be that a differing analysis might reveal new or obscured strands of the Citron helix? Creating a book that crosses boundaries and tries to blend various aspects of Citronism is not easy, but herein is an attempt to weave history with the atmosphere of Citron. The reader seeking every single production, ownership, or restoration detail of a specific Citron model will need to consult the individual books that cater solely for each model respectively. Herein, the narrative highlights key design aspects, their causes and effects, and the creators of such facets of the cars.

The Citroniste must ask difficult questions. For example, will the gorgeously sculpted C6 of