1950s CitroenThe 1950s Citroen name is best associated with the 2CV truly one of the iconic 1950s automobiles. The French car manufacturer Citroen, formed in 1919, was the first mass producer of motor cars outside the United States. During the 1930s Citroen was to the forefront of innovation in car manufacturing. However, what is arguably Citroen's most famous car ever -the 2CV- is synonymous with the 1950s. But mechanically it had onboard some of the best mechanical technology of the period. Unlike the vehicles being produced in the United States, which were big and brash, the 2CV was aimed at a typical rural French market, the likes of the French farmer.
The 2CV was inexpensive and able to be driven off road. Its success is demonstrated by the fact that the 2CV, with various developments, remained in production for over 40 years. The 2CV was mainly sold in France and throughout Europe. Early in the 1950's the Citroen CV2 was built in England at Slough, but high UK import duties meant that British sales of the model were low. In 1959 the British works produced the Bijou, a glass fibre CV2 coupé in Slough, but that failed to inspire UK sales and Citroen finally halted their British operation a year later. In the 1950s Citroen tried to claim a foothold in the United States for their CV2, but again import duties proved prohibitive. A top speed of only 40mph in the early CV2s was also less than attractive to speed loving Americans. Realising that the CV2 would never appeal to the average American motorist, in the mid 1950s Citroen changed tactics and introduced the executive Citroen DS (below)into the United States market.
The Americans loved stylish design and the DS appealed to that. The DS was styled by the Italian Flaminio Bertoni and was hailed as having a futuristic look. The DS remained in production between 1955 and 1976, selling 1.5 million vehicles during that period. Related Articles |
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