A century of Citroen

Everyone loves an anniversary -- 2019 represented ten years for Motorclassica and 100 for Citroen, a brand as well known for its quirks as its engineering nous..

No surprise, then, that the most French of car brands was a featured marque at the ground-breaking Melbourne classic car showcase,

With the assistance of the Citroen Car Club of Victoria here are our favourite examples of Citroen eccentricity, Motorclassica-style…

Citroen really hit its stride in the 1930s, when the Traction Avant arrived.

Seen as an industry trail blazer, the Traction Avant combined the traction and packaging advantages of front-wheel drive with a monocoque chassis, as well as four-wheel independent suspension for superior ride and handling. It was the first mass-produced vehicle to boast this combination.

A boxy, four-door sedan with suicide doors, the initial Traction Avants were powered by a tiny 1.3-litre, four-cylinder engine connected to a column-shifted three-speed manual transmission.

Allowing for a WW2 production halt, the Traction Avant was a stayer, finally saying goodbye in 1957.

“I found this when I was in the outback, off-roading. I had been looking for something post-WW2 with a wooden dash and leather seats,” the owner of this black 1953 model, Eric Bishop, told carsales.

“We pulled up at a station in the middle of nowhere, and this was poking out of a farm shed, between bulldozers and crud. It had been under a tarp for 20 years and used as a dog kennel, but it was for sale.

“The desert had sand blasted the paint off, but there was no rust. It was a UK-built car, so had the wood trims and leather seats I was after. After 30 minutes, a new battery and fresh fuel, it fired up after two decades… I bought it on the spot.”

Owned for the last eight years, but restored over five, the Traction Avant has covered only 3500 miles since restoration.

“Compared to something like a Model T Ford, this must have felt like a spaceship,” Eric says.

During the 1930s, the French government was looking to mobilise the nation, and Citroen had near-finalised its 2CV to do just this -- then WW2 broke out.

Thus the 2CV finally debuting in 1948. Again front-wheel drive, the 2CV was designed for farm life, increasing the country’s efficiency by replacing horses with cheap motorised transport.

Legend has it the 2CVs brief was near-impossible to achieve: it needed to carry four passengers plus 50kg of cargo at speed over rough surfaces (think paddocks and cobble-stone roads), while also being very cheap to purchase and run.

Initially, the air-cooled flat-twin engine displaced only 375cc and generated 6.5kW, but over time this grew to 602cc over a quite remarkable production run.

French production wound up in 1988, with Portuguese assembly carrying on another two years. By the time the last 2CV rolled off the line, over 3.8 million examples had been produced.

Ted Cross’s blue and white 2CV is from the last year of French production (1987) and is a gem, with only 44,000 miles from new. It’s only used for special events such as Motorclassica.

“My other later-model car [2CV] has been modified into a rally-style ‘Raid’ model. Every four years we do one in Australia,” he says.

Why the love for 2CV?

“The 2CV was designed to mobilise people. It was a minimalist car, almost a throwaway car, not meant to be a classic,” says Ted… and he’s glad they have endured.

Some say the DS Series is the most distinctive, beautiful shape ever to come from Citroen. And beyond that beautiful exterior, there lies evidence of the brand’s engineering prowess.

Debuting in 1955, the DS ran alongside the pioneering Traction Avant for a couple of years, though with its hydro-pneumatic suspension, braking, steering and clutch control systems, it was a far more complex and expensive machine.

Realising this, Citroen created an entry-level DS variant, known as the ID, in 1957.

Sharing the stunning design but sporting a simplified specification, the ID range retained the hydro suspension but ran a conventional clutch.

What’s particularly interesting about this Black ID 19, owned by Ferdi Saliba, is that it was assembled from a knocked-down kit in Heidelberg, Victoria.

“I’ve owned it for 43 years. I purchased it from the first owner, who had owned if for 14 years, from new,” Ferdi told carsales with obvious pride.

Ferdi used the 1962 ID as a daily driver, but also for trips to Queensland and even Perth.

“I was attracted to the styling from about the age of 7,” he explains. I remember in 1957, we lived opposite a jeweller who had one. You have to remember Sputnik was all over the news at the time, and I thought these must have come from the moon, they were so space age to look at!”

Essentially an evolution of the ID19, the D Special arrived in 1969 as the entry point into suave DS styling cues.

It featured a new 2.0 litre four-cylinder engine but retained the advanced hydro-pneumatic suspension system. It also used a mechanical clutch and gearbox.

Ian Downie’s 1974 D Special is finished in ‘Blue Danube’ and is used regularly.

“Around 30 years ago someone swapped a fuel injected, 2.2-litre engine and five-speed gearbox in and frankly it is better for it, even if it’s not original.”

Ian says he didn’t need to touch the hydraulics (“They are the least problematic part on these!”), but the fuel injection did cause some issues.

Ian uses the D Special three to four times per month, and evidence of this use is seen in the retro-style Bluetooth radio and USB ports.

“Although I bought it for the styling, I didn’t fully appreciate how good the suspension was until I drove it. Now, it tours all over Victoria, and it’s such a relaxing place to be… at least, once you get out of the stop-start city.”

The Citroen CX sedan was a 1970s reinvention of the DS philosophy.

Introduced to Australia in 1976, two years after its 1974 Paris Motor Show debut, the CX was only new Citroen on-sale in Australia by the turn of the decade; quite a contrast to the locally-finished IDs of the 1960s.

Still, AU-specification CXs did receive specific factory changes to improve longevity in our climate. These included additional dust sealing and reinforced body and suspension sections.

It was the CX 2400 c-matic that carried the early-80s Citroen torch. Still front-wheel drive and with enhanced hydro-pneumatic suspension, the CX deployed a self-centring steering system similar to the 1970s SM, though with 2.5 turns lock-to-lock rather than 2.0.

The c-matic badge indicates a semi-automatic gearbox, manually controlled but lacking a clutch pedal. The system requires a lift of the throttle to shift gears smoothly.

Perhaps the coolest thing about Max Harvey’s 1979 ‘Blanc Maije’ CX 2400 c-matic is the big ‘P-plate’ on its windscreen.

“This is my first car, and it’s my daily driver,” says Max.

Quick to quash thoughts of unreliability, he adds: “It’s not let me down.”

“The CX was more practical and affordable than a DS or SM, but is an evolutionary take on what are legendary cars. I found this one in Sydney, on carsales, for $3500.

After adjusting to the c-matic, Max says the CX is fantastic to drive. His friends also love it, even with its all-brown interior trims and ‘futuristic’ ashtray, mounted high in the centre console. But he can’t convince his grandfather.

“When I’m working on it, he peers over my shoulder and say things like, ‘What a s*** design’ and ‘Why did you buy that stupid old car?’”

An eclectic mix of French brio and Italian passion, the Citroen SM celebrated Citroen’s 1968 Maserati acquisition.

Making its debut in 1970, it featured several DS hallmarks (hydro-pneumatic suspension, front-wheel drive, hydraulic brakes) and added the tunes of a highly-strung Maserati V6 engine.

Draped over this romantic mechanical package was a stunningly slippery body. The SM’s 0.26 drag co-efficient still an enviable achievement in 2019.

Technically stunning, the SM featured self-levelling headlights that swivelled as you cornered and used an inventive variable power steering system that required only two turns lock-to-lock and used a strong self-centring effect.

Citroen’s purpose for this was to reduce torque steer while allowing light effort at low speed with strong feedback as the pace increased.

Initially the Maserati engine displaced 2.7 litres, though it was increased to 3.0 litres after a couple of years to try and attract more interest form North America, and their requests for air-con and automatic transmission options.

The featured Bleu Bregancon April 1973-build SM is owned by Lee Scholte, who found the car in North America.

“She’s a California girl, owned from 1974 until 2000 by a surgeon in Beverly Hills,” Lee says.

The 3.0-litre car retains triple downdraft Weber carburettors, to put out around 140kW, and has a Citroen five-speed manual transmission.

After a run through city traffic with Lee driving, it’s immediately obvious this car is driven regularly. The suspension quickly sets its ride height and responds superbly over Melbourne’s tram tracks, while that exotic engine idles at 900rpm with no hint of bad manners. Once underway, it pulls smoothly and strongly.

“The trick to maintaining these is to send them to the right people: I’ll send it to a Citroen specialist for the hydraulics, but to an Italian specialist for any engine tuning,” Lee explains.

Mating a 3.0-litre Maserati V6 engine and quirky French suspension and ancillaries, the Citroen SM is a rare beast. It’s a car that almost any enthusiast would like to tick off their ‘to drive’ list. And that’s what I did…

I must confess to feeling a little apprehensive about driving this rare jewel however… Left-hand drive in the left lane, while getting the right feel for the brake ‘button’, its magic carpet ride and self-centring steering effect…

But almost straight away, the SM’s feels ‘there’ with me.

In practice, the braking sensitivity is basically a non-issue, so long as you are smooth with adding pressure. The hydraulic clutch is simple to use, and the Weber-carbed V6 engine and Citroen five-speed gearbox combination is beautifully resolved. The latter has a tremendously positive shift gate, so long as you guide the lever with your hand.

Quickly, double declutching comes into play, all the better to hear the engine on downshifts, but a roundabout nearly catches me out. The steering loads up very quickly once turning commences, and you have to apply lock with caution, pushing against that self-centring effect. It definitely requires a deft touch.

Overall, though, the Citroen SM is everything its looks and its drivetrain suggests. Futuristic, technically advanced, engaging.

Is it the best Citroen ever?

It gets our vote.

Thanks to the Citroen Car Club of Victoria members who allowed us to experience their cars. They also pointed us to a fantastic Australian online Citroen resource.