100 years of Citroën

André Citroën was a brilliant marketer and facilitator, but not such a good businessman.

He made the world a better place by creating a company that over the past century has produced an array of brilliant – and not so brilliant – cars and concepts. As we celebrate the company's 100th anniversary, we take a look at some of the many highs, as well as a few of the lows from Citroën's history:

André Citroën

The man who founded Citroën was born in Paris in 1878, but André Citroën wasn't a designer or an engineer and he didn't like driving. His strength lay in providing a working environment in which gifted designers and engineers could flourish.

The Citroën logo

André Citroën founded a workshop in 1902 which developed into a gear cutting business. It went from strength to strength having perfected the manufacture of double-helical gears which were quiet and efficient. By 1913 Citroën had opened a factory on the Quai de Grenelle in Paris and it was these gears which inspired Citroën to adopt the famous double-chevron logo when he launched his first car in 1919.

Citroën's empire expands

In 1914 André Citroën joined the French army as a captain. A lack of ammunition led to him suggesting to his superiors that he would be more valuable to the war effort by making shells rather than fighting. His proposal was seized upon and Citroën bought 65 acres of land next to his gear cutting factory, to build a new production facility. His new venture employed 12,000 people making 55,000 shells each day; total production during the war reached 28 million.

Citroën Type A (1919)

The end of hostilities in November 1918 meant Citroën's factory was suddenly redundant, so he decided to turn to making cars. Since 1908 Citroën had been a director of luxury car company Mors, but Citroën's own company would make affordable cars for the masses. The first model was the 1327cc Type A, launched in 1919 and offered with three body styles. Within two weeks of its debut 16,000 orders had been taken.

Citroën 5CV (1922)

In 1921 the Type B superseded the Type A, then in 1922 the 856cc 5CV Type C was launched. Incredibly robust and reliable, the Type C came in cabriolet, van and open-bodied two-seater tourer forms. Because it was usually painted yellow it was nicknamed the Petite Citron, or Little Lemon.

Citroën-Kegresse Autochenille (1922)

Adolphe Kegresse was a gifted French engineer who in 1920 approached André Citroën with a view to creating a go-anywhere vehicle. Citroën loved the idea and in 1922 the Citroën-Kegresse Autochenille was introduced. It became the first vehicle to traverse the Sahara Desert as part of a 22-day, 2000-mile trip from Algiers to Timbuctoo.

Lighting up Paris (1925)

André Citroën knew all about the value of publicity and in 1925 he rented three sides of the Eiffel Tower to promote his brand. He had 250,000 light bulbs and 370 miles of wiring fitted to the Tower which advertised Citroën until 1934. Each of the letters was 92 feet high, so there was no chance of failing to get the message.

Citroën AC6 (1928)

Less than a decade after Citroën started building cars, in 1928 he introduced his first six-cylinder model, the AC6. It came in 16 different body styles and with its 2442cc engine it was inspired by American models of the time.

Citroën leads the way

By the end of the 1920s annual Citroën production was running at 100,000 units and almost half a million cars had already found owners. At this point Citroën was the largest and most successful car maker in Europe, with 30,000 employees and a 5000-strong network of agents across France. Citroën also had four overseas factories along with 10 subsidiary sales companies.

Boom turns to bust

The Wall Street Crash of October 1929 affected Citroën's fortunes and the company's products were looking increasingly oudated by the early 1930s. Something radical was needed to turn things around and that's what Citroën resorted to. He decided to create a cutting-edge family car with front-wheel drive and unitary construction – the Traction Avant.

Citroën Traction Avant (1934)

Several car makers had previously introduced front-wheel drive models, including Tracta, Cord, Ruxton, DKW and Adler. But these were all niche companies; Citroën wanted to take the technology mainstream with the Traction Avant of 1934. The advanced design of this four-door saloon meant a lower centre of gravity, less weight, greater stability and reduced complexity.

The death of André Citroën (1935)

In 1933 Citroën had decided to extend and modernise his Quai de Javel factory, but with typical over-optimism he tried to do too much too quickly and his company ended up going bust in December 1934, resulting in a take over by Michelin, Citroën's biggest creditor. This took its toll on André Citroën and in January 1935 he was admitted to hospital with an incurable stomach tumour; he died on 3 July 1935, aged just 56.

Extending the Traction Avant range

The Traction Avant was introduced in April 1934 with a 1303cc four-cylinder engine. Styled by Italian designer Flaminio Bertoni the car looked sensational with its wide track, a lack of running boards and a sharply sloped grille. Within a year the 1.3-litre engine had been swapped for a 1628cc unit. There was also a 1911cc option and from 1938 a 2866cc six-cylinder powerplant was available.

Citroën Traction Avant Commerciale (1939)

We tend to think of the hatchback as an invention of the 1960s, especially with the arrival of the Renault 16 in 1965. But it was Citroën that introduced the first production hatch as early as 1939, with an edition of the Traction Avant called the Commerciale. Offering the ultimate in practicality, for those who wanted more style there was also a two-door Traction Avant roadster.

Citroën 2CV prototype (1936)

Soon after the Traction Avant had been introduced, in 1936 Citroën decided to create a people's car. The brief was to come up with an economy car that could carry two people, 50kg (110 lb) of potatoes, a box of eggs across a ploughed field without breaking any, and be capable of 86mpg. The result was the 2CV, billed as 'four wheels under an umbrella'. As you can see from this picture, the prototypes were unbelievably basic.

Citroën HY (1947)

They all seem to have been converted to mobile coffee shops and burger vans, but originally the HY (or H van) was intended to provide cheap, rugged carrying capacity. The bodywork was made of thin corrugated steel that was supposed to be light and strong; it was even lighter once rust had set in. Up to 1981 a whopping 473,289 H vans were built.

Citroën 2CV (1948)

Hidden away from German occupiers during World War 2, the 2CV re-emerged after the war's end. The original aluminium-bodied prototypes were ridiculously basic; as the previous picture shows, they featured just one headlight. But this was the original production 2CV as first seen at the 1948 Paris motor show. Under the bonnet was a 375cc air-cooled two-cylinder engine which was strong but provided very little performance. Soon after came a 425cc engine, then in 1970 a 602cc unit was introduced.

Citroën DS (1955)

André Citroën may have been long gone, but his spirit lived on in the wildy designed DS of 1955. Even now the car looks futuristic; when it was unveiled at the 1955 Paris motor show it caused a sensation, with 12,000 orders received on the first day. The car didn't just look futuristic though; the clutch, brakes, suspension and steering were controlled hydro-pneumatically. Incredibly, the basic shape of the DS had been settled upon as early as 1945.

Citroën ID (1955)

Not everyone could afford a DS and some loved the design but were suspicious of the high-tech hydro-pneumatics. Citroën's answer was the ID, a more affordable DS with a cheaper interior, conventional brakes and steering, plus less chrome trim. Later would come convertible and estate versions of the DS, which could carry up to seven people.

Citroën C-10 (1955)

Citroën wasn't afraid to push the boundaries as the DS showed, but even this looked vaguely normal compared with some of the design studies that the company indulged in, during the mid-1950s. A series of concepts was dreamed up by engineer André Lefebvre, including this C-10 which used 2CV running gear but with the aerodynamics of a drop of water. Nicknamed La Coccinelle (Ladybird), the car is still owned by Citroën .

Citroën 2CV Sahara (1958)

Why just engineer a four-wheel drive car when you can instead build a vehicle with an engine at each end? That was Citroën's reasoning with the 2CV Sahara of 1958. Capable of running with just the front engine or both combined, the 50:50 weight distribution, light weight and excellent traction meant the Sahara had exceptional climbing ability in the deserts that it was designed to attack.

Between 1966 and 1971 just 693 Saharas were built and it's reckoned that only 25 or so survive.

Citroën Bijou (1959)

British buyers were wary of the quirky 2CV and as Citroën had a factory in Slough just west of London, it was in an ideal position to create something specifically for the UK market. The result was the Bijou, launched in 1959. Styled by Lotus Elite designer Patrick Kirwan-Taylor, the Bijou was a 2CV rebodied in glassfibre but it was heavy, ugly, slow and costly. Somehow, over five years Citroën still managed to shift 207 of them.

Citroën Citroneta (1959)

Here's one that you probably haven't seen before; a three-box 2CV built by Citroën Chile between 1959 and 1969, called the Citroneta. The first cars featured just two doors, an exposed spare wheel and a pick-up body; later models got four doors and a boot.

Citroën C60 (1960)

The Ami 6 was only ever intended to be a temporary stop-gap to fill the void between the 2CV and the DS. Citroën planned to create something more long-term and the C60 was it – until the project was canned in 1963. Power would have come from 1.1 or 1.4-litre air-cooled flat-four engines, but it wasn't to be.

Citroën Ami (1961)

The 2CV may have been brilliant, but only the French wanted to buy them. Citroën's answer was the Ami 6, a rebodied 2CV built in steel. Introduced in 1961 the Ami was meant to be much more mainstream than the Bijou and sure enough the Ami sold like hot cakes – in France. Powered by a 602cc engine, the Ami 6's reverse-rake rear window went in a redesign in 1969 with the arrival of the Ami 8.

Citroën Dyane (1967)

By the late 1960s the 2CV was getting long in the tooth so Citroën decided it was time to come up with a successor. However, while the Dyane looked a little more conventional from the front, the rest of the bodyshell looked identical. The 2CV's chassis was carried over and a hatchback was added; buyers could choose from 425cc or 602cc engines. Production lasted until 1985 – the final 2CV was made five years later after no fewer than 3,873,294 had been built.

The DS gets a facelift (1967)

If the original DS had wowed the crowds in 1955, when it was facelifted in 1967 it looked even more futuristic. There were now faired-in headlights which on some models turned with the steering. The DS remained in production in this form until 1975, by which point fuel injection had also been introduced.

Citroën Mehari (1968)

It's amazing how many cars the 2CV sired and in 1968 came Citroën's next spin-off – the Mehari. It was France's version of the Mini Moke and it used the 2CV's running gear, including the 602cc engine. A plastic bodyshell helped keep weight down and as well as the standard road-going passenger version there was a 4x4 edition and a van.

Citroën M35 (1969)

In the late 1960s and early 1970s car makers jumped on to the Wankel bandwagon, thinking the rotary engine was the future. Even Rolls-Royce considered rotary power. Citroën joined in the party with the M35, an Ami-derived coupé with a rotary engine. Although 267 M35s were built between 1969 and 1971 it was never classed as a production car; instead they were all prototypes lent to loyal Citroën customers for long-term evaluation.

Citroën GS (1970)

When Citroën introduced a new small car in 1970 it was typically aerodynamic and high-tech, with its self-levelling hydro-pneumatic suspension. The Citroen GS was initially fitted with a 1015cc flat-four engine, but by 1972 there was a 1222cc unit available in estate or saloon forms. An update in 1979 brought a hatchback and a name change to GSA; now these cars are virtually extinct.

Citroën SM (1970)

Maserati had been swallowed up by Citroën in 1968, which led to the SM being released in 1970. Using the hydro-pneumatic systems from the DS in a daring hatchback bodyshell, the SM was Citroën's interpretation of the modern grand tourer, complete with a Maserati 2.7-litre V6.

Having initially done well in the US, it fell foul of new regulations that meant it had to be withdrawn. The car also proved unreliable and when Peugeot took over Citroën in 1975 to form the PSA Group, the SM was the first car to be dropped.

Citroën Birotor (1973)

Citroën came up with a rotary-powered GS called the Birotor, with 847 made between 1973 and 1975. Realising that the Birotor would never be reliable, Citroën bought back as many cars as it could to destroy them, but a handful survive.

Citroën CX (1974)

In 1974 the Citroën CX was introduced, its name derived from the French for aerodynamic efficiency (Cx in French, Cd in English). Once again there was self-levelling hydro-pneumatic suspension, joined by self-centring hydraulic steering, an avant garde interior and a concave rear window that was claimed to be self cleaning. More than a million Citroën CXs were made between 1974 and 1991, but most rusted away long ago.

Citroën LN (1976)

Peugeot took over Citroën in 1975 and it insisted that the two brands would retain their individuality. But within a year the LN had been introduced – a Peugeot 104 with a 2CV 602cc flat-twin engine. The LN was reserved for French buyers only, but a 652cc version was launched for export in 1978. Called the LNA, it would take until 1983 to get to the UK – where a handful of cars were sold over the next two years.

Citroën Visa (1978)

In the early 1970s Citroen was working on a replacement for the Ami and it came up with the Prototype Y, a seemingly still-born three-door hatch designed to fit between the 2CV and GS. However, this was developed into a five-door hatch which was introduced in 1978 as the Visa. Offered with petrol or diesel engines, the Visa remained in production until 1988, with a cabriolet also offered along the way, as well as the C15 van which survived right the way up to 2005.

Citroën Karin (1980)

Most early Citroën concept cars were really prototypes or test beds – or they were created by third-party companies. During the 1980s and 1990s, a different concept car was unveiled pretty much every year, starting with the rather triangular Karin of 1980. Designed by Trevor Fiore (born 1937), the Karin featured flush glazing, faired-in wheels and three seats – the centre one of which was for the driver.

Citroën BX (1982)

Although some parts were shared with contemporary Peugeots (most notably the engines and transmissions), the BX was still typically Citroën with its angular bodywork, much of which was made of plastic. Hatchback and estate variants were offered, with more than 2.3 million BXs produced between 1982 and 1994.

Citroën Activa (1988)

It may have been a concept car but the Citroën Activa was actually a fully functioning test bed for technologies such as drive-by-wire four-wheel steering and computer-controlled suspension. Power came from a fuel injected 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine, there was permanent four-wheel drive and each pair of wheels could be turned through 30 degrees by servo motors.

Citroën XM (1989)

Taking over where the CX left off, the XM was the next chapter in the luxury Citroën story. Like its predecessor, the XM came in hatchback or estate configurations with petrol or diesel engines. Based on the same floorpan as the Peugeot 605, the XM was sleek and innovative but it wasn't an easy car to sell, and in a 12-year production run just 333,405 were made.

Citroën Citela (1991)

Citroën hoped its Citela EV could be the city car of the future – with four seats, a 70mph top speed and a 130-mile range. While other manufacturers had touted expensive or heavy battery solutions, Citroën had everything sewn up with its nickel-hydride units.

All it needed was the co-operation of the electricity companies and urban environments could be transformed with fleets of electric vehicles. Sadly, the electricity companies didn’t want to get involved though…

Citroën Saxo (1996)

After the LN debacle, PSA avoided falling into the trap of badge engineering. But by the mid-1990s PSA relented and it stuck a double-chevron badge onto the Peugeot 106 to create the Citroën Saxo. Despite less cohesive looks the Saxo sold well, things helped by a decent chassis and an array of petrol and diesel engines – plus low prices too.

Citroën Xsara Picasso (1999)

The Xsara Picasso didn't really push the boundaries in any way, but it was an important vehicle for Citroën as it was as close as the company got to a global car. It was made in Europe, Asia, Africa and South America and by the time the final one had been made, production totalled more than 1.7 million.

Citroën Osmose (2000)

Citroën reckoned its Osmose was “a bold concept which paints a vision of user-friendly vehicle design leading to a new form of relationship between pedestrians and motorists, while addressing the broader issue of responsible car use”. What that boiled down to was a car with challenging looks that was designed for picking up hitch-hikers. So not only did the Osmose fail aesthetically, but it was also doomed to fail because hitch-hiking was already out of fashion.

Citroën C3 (2002)

Closely related to the Peugeot 207, the original Citroën C3 was unexceptional in every way. But it's worth including here just so we can mention the innovative but horrendous C3 Pluriel that arrived in 2003.

Offering convertible, pick-up and hatch configurations in one, the Pluriel was so badly built that when we approached an official dealer to help with a used buying guide a few years ago, they pleaded with us to drop the idea.

Citroën C-Crosser (2002)

Citroën seemed to be obsessed with cars that could transform from one shape or configuration to another. Here was a vehicle which could morph from a six-seater people carrier to a ‘semi-roadster’ (whatever that is) or pick-up. Useful maybe, but when it looks like this it’s pretty obvious Citroën was on a hiding to nothing.

Citroën C2 (2003)

Realising that its smaller cars were especially popular with younger drivers, in 2003 Citroën introduced a car designed especially for this demographic. With its sporty three-door styling the C2 was easy to upgrade, performed well in Euro NCAP crash tests and as well as ultra-cheap poverty-spec editions there were also sporty models for those with a bit more cash.

Citroën C1 (2005)

The original C1 was another important model for Citroën as it marked the start of a new collaboration between PSA and Toyota, resulting in three different models all essentially the same aside from detail differences. It was a successful project too; by the time the second-generation C1 arrived in 2014, a hefty 780,000 examples of the original C1 had been sold around the world.

Citroën C-Metisse (2005)

In the 1990s and noughties, many of Citroën's concept cars previewed production models – but not this one. The C-Metisse was a four-seater four-door coupé with a diesel-electric hybrid powertrain and it looked sensational.

Citroën C6 (2005)

In many markets Citroën has struggled to sell luxury cars and that was certainly the case with its final attempt at a large executive model, the C6. Typically futuristic and innovative, the C6 was blighted by reliability issues and horrific depreciation which is why just 1000 or so were sold in the UK in a seven-year production run.

Citroën Cruise Crosser (2007)

Think of all the six-wheeled production cars ever made and you’ve got a pretty short list. Now think of the six-wheeled show cars that never went anywhere and it’s a list of almost all of them. From the Panther Six to the Wolfrace Sonic, all went down in history as lemons – and Citroen, with the help of Swiss oddball Franco Sbarro decided to add to the tally with the Cruise Crosser.

Not to be confused with Citroen’s own in-house lemon the C-Crosser concept, the Cruise Crosser was a six-wheeled leviathan on a road to nowhere.

Citroën C5 Airscape (2007)

Here's a concept that doesn't look too far removed from reality; a C5 convertible with seating for four and superb lines whether the roof was up or down. But the C5 Airscape would have had to go up against posh four-seat convertibles and as Vauxhall/Opel found out with the Cascada, the German premium brands have got that segment nicely sewn up.

Citroën GT (2008)

Citroën may have been rediscovering the art of good car design around the time the GT was born – but none of its showroom offerings had anything like the drama of this amazing concept. Whereas most cars featured in computer games were based on real models, this one happened the other way round; an amazing hypercar was featured in Gran Turismo 5 and Citroën just had to build it.

While the company produced the GT only as a concept, Citroën spoke of producing six roadgoing examples at around $2 million apiece. But we're still waiting.

Citroën Hypnos (2008)

Citroën was at it again, trying to blend multiple segments in one car. The Hypnos was intended to offer the best bits of an SUV, a coupé and a saloon and it certainly looked pretty sensational. Featuring PSA's diesel-electric Hybrid4 powertrain the Hypnos promised ample performance and decent parsimony in one package – but within weeks the global recession hit…

Citroën DS3 (2009)

After the 2008 recession the writing was on the wall for mid-market car makers such as Citroën. It had to adapt or die by going downmarket with no-frills cars or upmarket with more premium models. It chose the latter course by introducing the DS3, which in 2015 was the first car in Citroën's new sub-brand, DS.

Sharply styled, fun to drive and competitively priced the DS3 was Citroën's answer to the Mini and like that car, the French option was offered in hatchback or convertible forms.

Citroën REVOLTe (2009)

The unfortunately named REVOLTe concept aimed to take the small car well and truly into the 21st century. It was a hybrid supermini that could have run in electric mode for town driving, would it have made production. With a design inspired by the 2CV, the REVOLTe was also luxurious, compact and capable of whisking three people from A to B.

Citroën C3 Picasso (2009)

Citroën seemingly discovered decent build quality and funky (rather than contrived) design in 2009, because alongside the DS3 was this great-looking mini-MPV. We loved it so much that after much consideration we declared that "we know of no better all-rounder in this sector". We hadn't been able to brand a Citroën as class leading for a while – and it was great to be able to do so once more.

Citroën C-Zero (2010)

Citroën has made a lot of good decisions in recent years, but collaborating with Mitsubishi to rebadge its i-MiEV to sell it as the C-Zero wasn't one of them. Woefully outclassed by rivals such as the Nissan Leaf and Renault Zoe, the C-Zero was virtually unsaleable with its high list price, short range and slow charging times.

Citroën Survolt (2010)

Citroën's sequel to the hybrid REVOLTe was the all-electric Survolt and this was the epitome of what a concept car should be all about – dispensing with the boring stuff like usability, affordability or whether there was a ready market. This compact electric sports car was just 3.85m long and packed a 300bhp punch to give a 160mph top speed, the ability to dismiss the 0-62mph sprint in under five seconds, while the range was pegged at around 120 miles.

Citroën Tubik (2011)

According to Citroën, the brief for the Tubik was "to rethink the transport of several persons with their luggage, their hardware, on a voyage where the travel is more important than the destination". The result was a vehicle inspired by Citroën's legendary H Van, capable of seating nine and fitted with PSA's diesel-electric Hybrid4 powertrain in 160bhp form. It was bonkers but we liked it.

Citroën e-Mehari (2015)

We're finishing with a Citroën that might have passed you by if you're based outside France, as the e-Mehari wasn't exported and few seem to have found buyers. Launched in 2015, this electric fun car was fitted with a 68bhp electric motor and a battery pack that could supposedly take the car for up to 124 miles. Like all of the best Citroëns it was a bit bonkers and with a price tag of 27,000 euros, so was the price.