Citroën

France, 1919 to date

(1) SA André Citroën, Paris, 1919 – 1968

(2) Citroën A, Paris, 1968 to date

André Citroën, a former chief engineer of Mors, started his own gear-making firm in 1913, a fact commemorated by the ‘herring-bone bevel’ emblem used on all Citroën cars. He put his knowledge of American mass-production methods to good effect in 1919, when, in association with Jules Salomon (already responsible for Le Zèbre and later to be behind the Rosengart), he evolved two Citroën designs. The bigger of these, a sleeve-valve 4-litre, was taken over by Gabriel Voisin, but the 1.3-litre 4-cylinder Citroën Type-A was put into production in a factory previously used by Mors. This was a straightforward sv machine with disc wheels, cone clutch, fully electrical equipment, left hand drive and central change for the 3-speed gearbox. By the end of 1919 it was selling for 7950fr in France and £500 in England. 10.000 Citroën cars were made in 1921.    

The need for expansion was soon to lead to the acquisition of Clément-Bayard. At this time, Citroën was developing the half-track system evolved by M. Kégresse, former manager of Tsar Nicholas II’s garage. This was mainly applied to commercial and military vehicles, but the smaller Kégresse versions were adaptations of Citroën’s private-car chassis, and among their exploits was the first successful crossing of the Sahara by Citroën motor car in 1922 – 1923. The 1922 Citroën range included an improved Citroën Type-B of 1½-litres, and the 856cc Citroën 5CV with cloverleaf bodywork, detachable head, quarter-elliptic springing all round, a foot transmission brake and coil ignition. Though neither a brisk goer nor a brisk stopper, it was indestructible and remained in production until 1925, in which year Noel Westwood used on to drive all round Australia in a Citroën. 15.000 Citroëns had been sold by 1924, when 250 cars a day were being turned out and Opel were marketing what amounted to a copy of the Citroën 5CV under the name of Laubfrosch. 1925 saw the advent of cheap all-steel saloon bodies made under Budd patents; this angular tout acier model sold in England for £325, or only £100 more than the standard tourer. Though a modernized derivative of the Citroën 5CV was to reappear in 1929 as the Sima-Standard, Citroën themselves concentrated in 1926 on the Citroën 12hp type, now enlarged to over 1½-litres, and given a flat radiator, 4-wheel brakes, and semi-elliptic springs. Cars were lso being assembled outside France. The British factory at Slough was opened in 1926, and was followed by others in Italy and Germany. In 1934 Gräf u. Stift of Vienna also built cars under Citroën licence. Of these only Slough survived the 1930s, British built Citroëns continuing to appear until 1965. 

The Citroën company was now firmly established with Peugeot and Renault as one of France’s ‘big three’. In 1928 the saloons became more streamlined – they were also cheaper, the Citroën 12/24hp costing £220. Production in 1929 was 100.000 vehicles; new for that season was the 2.4-litre 6 cylinder Citroën C6, a conventional sv machine with 3-speed box, coil ignition, servo brakes and gravity feed. The 4-cylinder Citroën C4 cars were enlarged to 1.6 litres and had a similar specification. These two basic Citroën types were continued to 1932, when the company offered a new 1½-litre Citroën Ten among with the bigger Citroën Four and Citroën Six. These cars had low-pressure tyres, box-section frames, ‘Floating Power’ engine mountings under Chrysler licence and synchromesh gearboxes. The Citroën Ten cost £198 and the bigger cars were available in long-wheelbase form with seven-seater coachwork. Under the sponsorship of the Yacco Oil company the 10hp Citroën ‘Petite Rosalie’ successfully undertook a herculean programme of long-distance record work, in the course of which 187.500 miles were covered at 58mph and 128 International Class and 43 World Records were acquired. These Citroën models formed part of the range until 1936, acquiring four forward speeds in 1934, but they were overshadowed by yet another Citroën revolution, the first Citroën 7CV traction avant which appeared in that year. This had front-wheel drive, an ohv wet-liner engine, unitary construction of chassis and body, and all-round torsionbar independent suspension. The 3-speed synchromesh gearbox had dashboard change and production engines had a capacity of 1.6-litres. This design formed the backbone of Citroën’s range until 1955, and was not withdrawn until July 1957, by which time 708.339 4-cylinder Citroën traction-avant cars had been built and the car’s appeal was largely founded on its now ‘traditional’ styling.

A 3.8-litre fwd V8 was shown at the 1934 Paris Salon, but early the following year André Citroën found himself in serious financial difficulties and was forced to sell out to the Michelin interests. Meanwhile an alternative 1.9-litre engine had been applied to the Citroën traction avant and by mid-1935 three additional types were available: the Citroën 11 légère (Sports 12 or light 15) which shared a hull with the 7CV, and the Citroën 11 normale (Big 15), made in two wheelbase lengths, 10ft 1½in and 10ft 9in, the latter for seven-seaters. In 1936 Francois Lecot drove a Citroën 7CV 400.000 kilometers in 12 months. The 1937 fwd Citroëns had rack-and-pinion steering, rear-wheel drive cars were still made with the 11CV engine and (for a short while) the option of a diesel power unit. The 1939 range ws rounded out with a 2.9-litre 15CV 6-cylinder fwd car on regular lines, which sold in England for £328 and just before World War 2 downdraught carburetors were standardized. 1939 models of Georges Irat, Rosengart, and smaller Chenard-Walckers used 11CV mechanical components as a basis for their cars, to be followed in 1947 by D.B.

After the war the Citroën 7CV was dropped, but production of the other fwd models was resumed, cars for the French market being supplied only in matt black. In 1949, however, the fruits of ten years of experimentation were seen in another evolutionary Citroën, the Boulanger-designed Citroën 2CV. Like its bigger sisters, it had fwd and unitary construction, but it also had interlinked coil suspension, a 4-speed all-synchromesh and all-indirect gearbox with geared-up top and quick detachable bonnet, doors and front wings for easy maintenance. Power came from a 375cc 9bhp ohv flat-twin and the corrugated grey finish attracted unkind comparisons with garden sheds. Supply, however, never caught up with demand: Citroën production jumped from 48.177 in 1950 to 78.199 in 1951 as the Citroën 2CV got into its stride. 1955 cars had 425cc, 12bhp, and centrifugal clutches, and in 1958 came tous terrains model with twin engines and 4-wheel drive. The Slough factory offered the Bijou variants in 1960 with a fiberglass coupé body, but at £695 it was hardly competitive. By July, 1966, 2.574.642 2CVs had been sold.

The full-sized Citroën cars of 1953 came with built-out boots and heaters as standard equipment, and a year later the Citroën Six was available with self-levelling hydropneumatic suspension. This led to the Citroën DS19 introduced at the 1955 shows, on which the only old features were the fwd and the long-stroke 4-cylinder engine, now up-rated to 65bhp. The self-levelling suspension was joined by power assistance for the brakes (disc front and rum rear), steering and gear-change. There were 4 forward speeds, the roof section was of reinforced plastic, and the single-spoke steering wheel found on Humbers of half a century before was revived. It was expensive (£1726 in England) and complicated, and a year later a simplified Citroën ID19 version retained the advanced springing but eliminated the power assistance. It was £140 less than the DS in France and Citroën sales rose to 206.138 cars. 1954 had seen the first association between the company and Panhard, which was to lead to a full integration within the next decade, while Cooper in England used Citroën gearboxes on their racing cars from 1956 onward. A Citroën won the 1959 Monte Carlo Rally.

A development of the 2CV was the Citroën Ami-6 flat-twin of 1961, a curious-looking little 4-door saloon which took some time to find acceptance. In 1965 short-stroke engines were at long last adopted for the more expensive 4-cylinder cars, though it was not until 1967 that the basic 1934-1935 unit was dropped from the ID. The most expensive 1967 Citroën model was the 2.2-litre 108bhp Citroën DS21; it acquired a swiveling 4-headlamp installation in 1968 and could be had wih fuel injection in 1971. The Citroën Dyane of 1968 filled a gap in the range: it was a more refined 2CV available either with the latter’s uprated 435cc unit or with the 602cc Ami motor. An open jeep-type version, the Citroën Méhari, arrived a year later. But meanwhile during 1968 Citroën had acquired Italian affiliations, first entering into an agreement with Maserati and then negotiating (against General de Gaulle’s wishes) with Fiat. As a result the Italian giant acquired a 15 per cent stake in the Citroën company and their new French ally undertook the distribution of Autobianchi products in France. In 1969 there was an experimental batch of 500 M35 coupés using 49bhp Wankel engines in Ami-type structures, but a year later came the result of the Maserati alliance, in the shape of the Citroën SM sports coupé, powered by a 2.7-litre 4ohc V6 engine developing 170bhp. This, of course, drove the front wheels via a 5-speed all-synchromesh gearbox; other features were power steering and disc brakes, and a 6-headlamp layout. With a price of 51.800 francs and a top speed of 137mph it was the fastest and most expensive Citroën ever, and it helped boost the marque’s flagging reputation in rallies. Their only major performance (a near miss in the 1968 London-Sydney Marathon apart) had been a 1-2-3 victory in the 1969 Moroccan event, but the Citroën SM won again in Morocco in 1971.

For 1971 another gap was bridged with an answer to Peugeot and Renault: the 1015cc Citroën GS. This had an air-cooled ohv light-alloy flat-4 engine, and all-disc brakes, those at the front being inboard. A station wagon followed in 1972, when fully automatic gearboxes and fuel injection were available on the big 4-cylinder saloons, and the twins continued in Citroën 2CV Dyane, Méhari and Ami forms. Even more powerful DS Citroëns were offered in 1973, outputs of the new 2.3-litre engines being 115bhp in carburetor form, or 130bhp with fuel injection: the latter was standardized on the SM. At the same time the Citroën GS was made available with automatic transmission, and the option of a 1200cc engine. The 2-cylinder Citroën cars were ssembled or manufacturerd in eight countries, and Citroën D-series models produced in South-Africa and Yugoslavia. In the latter country Citroën cars are marketed under the Tomos name.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; MCS

The information is written with the greatest of care. However, if you have any suggested amendments please contact us at office@prewarcar.com

Morris

GB, 1913 to date

(1) W.R.M. Motors Ltd, Cowley, Oxford, 1913 – 1919

(2) Morris Motors Ltd, Cowley, Oxford, 1919 – 1970

(3) Austin-Morris Division, British Leyland Motor Corp Ltd, Cowley, Oxford, 1970 to date

W.R. Morris (later Lord Nuffield), an Oxford cycle and motor agent, launched his Morris-Oxford light car in 1913. This Morris car was made from proprietary parts, the engine being a 1-litre T-head four by White and Poppe. At £175 the Morris car was one of the best of the true light cars (as opposed to cyclecars) and over 1.000 Morris cars had been sold by the end of 1914. A larger model, the famous Morris Cowley, arrived on the scene in 1915; this Morris car was assembled from American components, the engine being by Continental. After World War 1 Morris cars marketed two 1½-litre L-head sv fours, with power units by Hotchkiss of Coventry; the Morris Cowley differed from the Morris Oxford mainly in its more austere equipment and the absence of a starter. In an inflationary climate, Morris cars was brave enough to reduce the prices of its Morris cars(a Morris Cowley two-seater cost £465 in October 1920, £299.10s a year later, and £225 in October 1922) and ensured a steady flow of Morris carproduction by acquiring his suppliers, such as Hotchkiss, Wrigley (transmissions) and Hollick and Pratt (bodies).

The Morris ‘bullnoses’ were soon best-sellers backed by a nation-wide service organization of Morris cars, and in 1925 Morris outsold all his competitors with 54.000 Morris cars. From 1924 to 1926 the staple Morris cars were the 1½-litre Morris Cowley and the 1.8-litre Morris Oxford, both with 3-speed gearboxes and the wet-plate clutches which persisted on some Morris carmodels right up to 1939. The Morris Oxford acquired front wheel brakes in 1925, and they were available as an option on Morris Cowleys a year later. 1927 Morris cars produced the flat radiator and also a venture into the export market with the unsuccessful Empire Oxford Morris car of 2½-litres, which had a 4-speed box and worm drive. Equally unsuccessful was a plan to market Gallicized Morris cars built in the Léon Bollée plant at Le Mans.

Meanwhile Cecil Kimber had produced the first of the Morris-Oxford-based MG sports cars, and a new name had been born. Morris had made a few six-cylinder Morris cars in the early 1920s, but his first serious attempt in this direction with Morris cars was a 2½-litre ohc model for 1928, the engine of this Morris car inspired by the Wolseley 16/45, a make which had come under Morris control the previous year. 1929 saw another ohc Morris car, the 847cc Morris Minor at £125. Never a best-seller, the Morris car none the less served as the basis for MG’s Midget. The 1930 6-cylinder Morris cars had hydraulic brakes, extended down the range until they were universal by 1934 on all Morris cars, and in 1931 Morris managed to offer a simplified sv two-seater version of the Morris Minor for £100. The early 1930s proved very difficult for the Morris car company, which had no obvious best-seller and too many different models of Morris cars. Sliding roofs and electric fuel pumps by the Morris-owned S.U. concern were innovations for 1932 and 1933 Morris cars pioneered the semaphore-type traffic indicator in Britain. That year Morris cars sv 1.3-litre Morris Ten-Four came out as an answer to Austin’s Ten and Hillman’s Minx. All 1934 Morris cars had synchromesh and the bigger sixes the added refinement of a free wheel.

The best-seller Morris car came at last in 1935 with the 918cc sv Series I Morris Eight, which retailed at £132.10s for a fully-equipped Morris car saloon and helped reach their first million Morris cars by the summer of 1939. In a bigger category were the Series II Morris carmodels with modern styling, 3-speed gearboxes, and built-in jacking systems, ranging from a revised Morris Ten-Four up to a 3½-litre 6-cylinder Morris Twenty-Five at £280. These Morris cars were contemporary with the Series I, though introduced some months after that Morris car. All 1938 Morris cars except for the Morris Eight had push-rod ohv engines (already applied to Wolseley and MG). Later that year Riley was absorbed into the Nuffield Morris car empire. Two 1939 winners were a revised Series E 8hp with a 4-speed gearbox and headlamps faired into the wings of the Morris car, and the 1.140cc ohv Series M Ten, which introduced integral construction to Cowley and this Morris car was made after World War 2 by Hindusthan in India.

Only the 8 and 10 Morris cars were made in the first post-war years, the first really new Morris car for ten years being the 1949 Morris cars designed by Alex Issigonis. Of these the MM series Morris Minor used the old 8hp sv engine, but boasted integral construction, rack-and-pinion steering and torsion-bar independent front suspension and set a new standard in popular car handling. A million of the basic design Morris cars had been sold by January 1961. Its companion Morris carmodels, also chassisless, and with independent front suspension were a new sv 1½-litre Morris Oxford and the 2.2-litre ohc Morris MS Type Six.

The amalgamation of Nuffield and Austin to form the British Motor Corporation in 1952 resulted in a gradual process of rationalization. First the Morris Minor went over to Austin’s 803cc ohv A30 engine in 1953. The Series II Oxford Morris car and its less powerful companion, the Morris Cowley, of 1954 had Morris hulls, but their engines were also ohv Austins. In 1955 the Morris carrange was completed by a new Isis using the 2.6-litre BMC 6-cylinder unit – this Morris car was discontinued in 1958. In the late 1950s some Morris cars were made and sold in Australia under the Morris car name which were in fact more closely akin to other makes in the BMC group. The 6-cylinder Morris Marshall was really an Austin A105, while both the Major and its Austin counterpart, the Lancer, were based on the Wolseley 1500.

With the arrival of the Farina-styled 1½-litre Morris car saloons in 1959, differences between Austin and Morris cars had been reduced to house colours and radiator emblems. The front-wheel-drive Mini (1960) was shared between the two makes and though its bigger stablemate, the 1100 of 1963 with Hydrolastic suspension, was initially a Nuffield monopoly Morris car, the inevitable Austin variant followed a year later. In the case of the third front-wheel-drive model, the 1800, Austin were ahead of Morris cars in introducing it by nearly eighteen months. The 1968 Morris car range comprised the fwd Mini, 1100/1300, and 1800 as well as the conventional 1.600cc Oxford and the indestructible Morris Minor 1000, now with 1.098cc engine and still selling close on 60.000 Morris cars a year. This sole survivor of independent Morris car design did not disappear until the end of 1970. Minis became a separate make that year. From 1971 Morris car versions of the 1100 and 1300 disappeared; the name was reserved for the Marina, an orthodox rear-wheel-driven family saloon with Minor 1000 front suspension, semi-elliptics at the rear, and drum brakes on the simpler variant Morris cars. Push-rod 1.300cc and 1.800cc B.L.M.C. 4-cylinder engines were used, and the original 2-door coupé and 4-door saloon were joined by a station wagon Morris car in 1973. The largest fwd cars were still available with Morris car badges – there was a version of the 6-cylinder 2200 in 1972.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; MCS

The information is written with the greatest of care. However, if you have any suggested amendments please contact us at office@prewarcar.com