History of Citroën Motor Cars / Automobiles

• 8.5.2. Citroën

• Citroën was founded in 1919 by Andre Citroën and by June that year it had started to produce its first car; the 1,327 cc Type A.

• In 1919 the company produced 2,810 vehicles. A decade later annual production had increased to 102,891.
  
  

• Citroën became bankrupt in 1934 and was taken over by the Michelin Tire Company.

• In 1934 Citroën introduced the 1,303 cc Traction Avant, the world’s first mass produced front wheel drive car. When production of the Traction Avant ceased in 1957 approx. 760,000 had been built.

• During the 1930s Citroën decided to develop a small car, which became known as the TPV (Très Petite Voiture). By 1939 it was ready to start  production.

• With the start of World War 2 in 1939 production of the TPV was put on hold and many of the prototypes were either hidden or distroyed.

• During World War 2 Citroën’s annual vehicle production dropped from 69,575 in 1939 to only 2,318 in 1944. 

• Production of the TPV, also called the 2CV, started in 1948. When production finally ceased in 1990 over 3.8 million had been made, making the car the company’s top selling model.
  
  

• The DS model was introducted in 1955, the first production car equipped with disk brakes and self-levelling suspension. Nearly 1.5 million were produced between 1955 and 1974.

• In 1963 Citroën took over the French car maker Panhard and in 1968 the Italian car maker Maserati. Between 1970 and 1975, when Maserati was sold to DeTomaso, nearly 13,000 Citroën Masserati SM models had been produced.

• In 1974 Citroën went bankrupt. This led to the merger with Peugeot, forming “PSA Peugeot Citroën” in 1975. 

• Other Citroën models produced between 1960 and 1990 include the Ami 6 and 8, the Dyane, ID, GS and CX.

• In 1999 Citroën's annual vehicle production exceeded 1 million for the first time.

• Models produced in 2007 include the C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 and C8 range, the Berlingo and Xsara Picasso.