Citroën

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Automobiles CITROËN
Company typeSubsidiary of Stellantis
HeadquartersSaint-Ouen, Seine-Saint-Denis, France[1]
ProductsAutomobiles
Production output
1,302,900[2] (2009)
ParentStellantis
WebsiteCitroën.com
The Citroën Traction Avant, a classic car of the 1940s
Modern Citroëns at a Garage in Harrogate in 2020

Citroën is automobile manufacturer based in France. André-Gustave Citroën started the company in 1919 and it became the first mass-production automobile company outside the USA.[4] Citroën was the first to create a sales and services network that goes with the automobile.[5]

Innovations

Citroën were innovators in automobile design. Their Traction Avant (pictured) had the first mass production of three revolutionary features that are still in use today. They are: a unitary body with no separate frame, four-wheel independent suspension, and front-wheel drive.

Later on, in the 1950s, Citroën developed a remarkable type of suspension. A high-pressure hydraulic system was used in over 9 million Citroën cars. They included the DS, SM, GS, CX, BX, XM, Xantia, C5, and C6. Self-levelling is the principal benefit – the car kept a constant ride height above the road. It adjusted to the passenger and cargo load, and gave a very soft suspension. This type of suspension smooths out road irregularities without disturbing the occupants.[6] It is often compared to riding on a 'magic carpet' for this reason.[7]

Models

Citroën Media

References

  1. "Saint-Ouen retrouve son fleuve, la Seine Archived 2008-09-30 at the Wayback Machine." l'Humanité. 28 October 2006. Retrieved on 3 February 2010. "La mort lente des petites entreprises, la délocalisation des plus importantes ont transformé Saint-Ouen. Il ne reste en centre-ville que l’usine Citroën.."
  2. PSA Peugeot Citroën - Key Figures. Retrieved 2011-06-17.
  3. The Company. citroen.com. Retrieved 2007-09-19.
  4. NSN. Retrieved 2011-06-17.
  5. Citroënmania.com. Retrieved 2011-06-17.
  6. http://www.autotraderclassics.com/car-article/Topless+Goddess+_+Citroen+DS+Décapotable-44136.xhtml
  7. Citroen XM (1989 - 2000). Honest John.