Citroen France: The Citroen is a leading French automobile manufacturer company Ltd established since 1919 by Andre Citroen. Its headquartered located in Saint-Ouen, France. In 1934, the firm established its reputation for innovative technology with the “Traction Avant”. In 2009, the company celebrated its 90th anniversary with a celebration on 3 October.
Established
1919; 98 years ago
Headquarters
Saint-Ouen, France
It produced the world’s first hydro pneumatic self-leveling suspension system since 1954 then, in 1955, the revolutionary DS, the first mass making car with modern disc brakes and, in 1967, it announced of its several models, swiveling headlights that allowed for better splash on crook roads and these automobiles have received various international and national level awards, including three European Car of the Year.
With a successful history in motorsport, it is the only automobile manufacturer to have won three different official championships from the International Automobile Federation, the World Rally Raid Championship five times, the World Rally Championship eight times and the World Touring Car Championship. Citroen has been selling vehicles in China since 1984 mainly by the Dongfeng Peugeot-Citroen joint venture, which today represents a wide market for the brand. When PSA Peugeot Citroen ran into severe financial difficulties in 2014, the Dongfeng Motor Corporation took an ownership share.
History
in February 1917 Citroen contacted with another engineer, “Jules Salomon”, who already had a satiety image within the French automotive sector as the creator, in 1909, of a little car called Le Zebre. From 1921 to 1937, Citroen created half-track vehicles for off-road and military uses, using the Kegresse track system. In the 1920s, the U.S. Army purchased several Citroen-Kegresse vehicles for assessment followed by a license to produce them. This resulted in the Army Ordnance Department construct a model in 1939. In December 1942, it went into production with the M2 Half Track Car and M3 Half-track versions.
Traction Avant and Michelin ownership
The “Traction Avant” is a car that guides to the mass production of three revolutionary features that are still in use presently a unitary body with no separate frame, four wheel independent suspension and front-wheel drive. Whereas for many decades, the large majority of motor cars were equal in consideration to the Ford Model T-a body bolted upon a ladder frame which held all the mechanical elements of the car, a solid rear axle that strongly linked with the rear wheels and rear wheel drive. Citroen commissioned the American Budd Company to create models in 1934, which developed into the 7 fiscal horsepower 32 hp (24 kW) Traction Avant.
The current decade
Between 2003–2010, Citroen produced the C3 Pluriel, an uncommon convertible with signal to the 1948–1990 2CV model, both in body style (such as the bonnet) and in its all-round practicality. It celebrated its history of modernity when it opened a museum of its many significant vehicles in 2001. The “Conservatoire” with 300 cars, with the severe relapse in European auto sales after 2009. Worldwide sales of vehicles declined from 1,460,373 in 2010 to 1,435,688 in 2011, with 961,156 of these sold in Europe.
Awards
Citroen was identified in the 1999 Car of the Century contest as creating the third most powerful car of the 20th century, the Citroen DS, which trailed only the Ford Model T and BMC Mini. So, Citroen has produced three winners of the 50-year-old European Car of the Year award, and many rated second or third place.
1. Citroen GS (1971)
2. Citroen CX (1975)
3. Citroen XM (1990)
Also, Citroen has produced one winner of the United States Motor Trend Car of the Year award-the original Car of the Year designation, which began in 1949. This especially significant because this award used to only given to cars designed and built in the United States.
1. Citroen SM (1972)
The Citroen has manufactured eight Auto Europa winners in 28 years, in 1987. Auto Europa the prize awarded by the jury of the Italian Union of Automotive Journalists (UIGA). That annually celebrates the best car produced at least at 10,000 units in the 27 countries of the European Union they are Citroen XM (1990), Citroen ZX (1992), Citroen Xantia (1994), Citroen Xsara Picasso (2001), Citroen C5 (2002), Citroen C3 (2003), Citroen C4 (2005) and Citroen DS4 (2012).
Citroen Racing
Citroen Racing, before famous as Citroen Sport and before that as Citroen Competitions, is the team liable for Citroen’s sporting activities. So, it is a successful winning competitor in the World Rally Championship and in the World Touring Car Championship.
Logo
The origin of the logo may be traced back to a trip made by the 22-year-old Andre Citroen to Lodz city, Poland, where he discovered an innovative design for a chevron-shaped gear used in milling. Mechanically a gear with helical teeth produces an axial force. By adding a second helical gear in opposition, this force is canceled. The two chevrons of the logo represent the intermeshing contact of the two. The new logo was designed by Landor Associates a 3D metallic variation of the double chevron logo accompanied by a new font for the Citroen name and the new slogan “Creative Technology”. A TV campaign reminiscing over 90 years of Citroen was commissioned to announce the new identity to the public. The new look is currently being rolled out to dealers globally and is expected to take three to five years.