Citroën Classic Cars for Sale

In 1900, during a visit to Poland, AndréCitroën purchased a patent for the production of metal gears with angled teeth. The Citroën logo is a reminder of this patent, which was already used on the first vehicles of the brand. After his military service, he began manufacturing gears. From a stay in the US, he brought the modern, shared task manufacturing methods of the US car industry to Europe

Citroën and the Automobile Industry

1907 saw Citroën’s first contact to the car industry, when its founder developed a restructuring plan for the Mors car factories in France and took over as general director of the company in the following year.

In 1918 it was decided that Citroën was to enter the automobile market. To do so, they used old factory spaces that had been used for grenade production during the war. The Citroën, released in 1919, was the first revolutionary car the company brought to the market. Further advances were the removable parts system introduced in 1920 and the first leasing models.

AndréCitroën knew how advertising works. In 1925, he used the entire Eiffel Tower as a surface for advertising his brand. The motorization of the masses and the unified models it brought with it, which replaced a large number of parallel model varieties, proved to be a good strategy.

In the 20’s, Citroën began producing trucks and busses to increase sales numbers, while other manufacturers were active in racing. Instead, Citroën sent its cars on long voyages, to test their reliability.

During these years the company held many records. The competition was not able to keep up, neither in desert expeditions nor in long distance records.

Citroën’s Years of Crisis

During the worldwide economic crisis, the company had to file for bankruptcy in 1934 because of overwhelming debts. Few weeks after the death of its founder, an agreement with the creditors was reached. Michelin took over Citroën, and the company became part of the PSA corporation in 1975.

Legendary Citroën Oldtimers

One of the most famous old-timers is the Model A, the so called “goddess”DS/ID, the Citroën 2CV, and the Citroën SM with its powerful Maserati engine. Additional models include the Citroën Traction Avant, a large limousine with a self-supporting steel chassis and the Citroën GS, a compact sedan with a flowing trunk.