Citroën After André: The History of an Iconic French Car Brand

When the founder of the Citroën brand passed away in mid-1935, the company didn’t disappear with him. His cars continued rolling across the roads of France and the rest of Europe — and they never stopped. In this article, we trace the history of Citroën’s car production from the post-André era to the present day, and explore why this legendary French brand remains so relevant today.

What Happened to Citroën After the Death of Its Founder?

The factory tours that André Citroën had once offered to tourists and VIP guests came to an end. The Citroën Fanfare orchestra was disbanded. It took three years before even a small bust of André Citroën was installed on the Javel Embankment in 1938. And yet, production never skipped a beat — because the triumphal march of the legendary 7CV Traction Avant had already begun.

The Traction Avant quickly made its mark, earning a place on the list of the ten best cars of the 20th century. Its early track record speaks for itself:

• June 1935: The Traction Avant completed the automobile Tour de France, covering more than 5,000 km across France and Belgium in 77 hours.
• October 1935: It completed the 5,400 km round trip from Paris to Moscow in just 81 hours.

All funds invested in the Traction Avant’s development paid off within two years, generating steady profits for the company’s new owners. The Michelin company — which had taken over Citroën’s assets — continued to back automotive production, introducing technical innovations while scaling back advertising.

Pierre-Jules Boulanger and the New Direction of Citroën

The engineering and design team was led by André Lefebvre, while the new Director of automobile plants, Pierre-Jules Boulanger, handled the administrative side. Crucially, the company’s direction remained faithful to André Citroën’s original vision: accessible, innovative cars for everyday people.

In 1937, Citroën’s designers unveiled the first prototypes of a bold new project, originally called the “Très Petite Voiture” (Very Small Car). Conceived as a French answer to the Volkswagen, it was built for the people — and the French public affectionately nicknamed it the “Deux chevaux” (Two Horsepower) after its modest engine rating.

Presented at the 1948 Paris Motor Show, the Citroën 2CV became the brand’s best-selling and longest-lived model. Key facts about this iconic car:

• Produced from 1948 to 1990 — a production run of over 42 years.
• More than 5.1 million units were built.
• Nicknamed the “umbrella on wheels”, it became France’s answer to the VW Beetle: simple, affordable, and universally beloved.

The Citroën DS: The “Goddess” That Shocked the Automotive World

As early as 1938, Pierre Boulanger had begun thinking about what should eventually replace the Traction Avant. His concept: a mass-produced executive car unlike anything on the road. Development lasted nearly a decade, interrupted by World War II.

When the Citroën DS was finally presented in April 1955, it caused a sensation. Its futuristic styling was unlike anything seen before, and the name itself was inspired — in French, “DS” is pronounced like “Déesse,” meaning “goddess.” The numbers tell the story of its impact:

• 800 orders placed within the first hour of the exhibition.
• ~12,000 orders by the end of the first day.
• ~80,000 orders within the first week.

Beyond its striking appearance, the DS-19 introduced a wave of technological innovations that were far ahead of their time:

• Use of aluminium and plastic alloys in component manufacturing.
• Disc brakes and power-assisted steering and braking.
• A revolutionary hydropneumatic adaptive suspension system, which ensured an exceptionally smooth ride and allowed the driver to raise or lower the car’s body height.

The DS earned worldwide fame in 1962, after the attempted assassination of President de Gaulle. Riddled with bullets and running on punctured tires, the car stayed on the road and carried the president to safety. It’s little wonder that French heads of state have had a special affection for Citroën ever since.

Pierre Boulanger also played a crucial wartime role: by sabotaging German orders during the Nazi occupation of France, he ensured that Citroën’s factories were never nationalised after World War II, keeping them firmly in the ownership of the Michelin group.

That Michelin backing proved enormously beneficial. Within just a few post-war years, Citroën became the most successful automobile company in France — second in production output only to the state-owned Renault.

Citroën in the 1960s and 1970s: Expansion and a Pivotal Merger

Throughout the 1950s and 60s, Citroën continued producing front-wheel-drive cars in the tradition of the Traction Avant, all developed by the team originally assembled by André Citroën in the 1930s. The 1960s were a period of significant growth:

• A licensing deal with the Yugoslav company Tomos enabled production of the 2CV abroad.
• The Ami 6 entered production in Brittany.
• Citroën expanded manufacturing to Canada, Chile, and Africa.
• The company acquired a controlling stake in Maserati.
• A partnership with German firm NSU-Motorenwerke led to the creation of the joint production company Comobil in Geneva.

In 1975, the legendary Javel Embankment factory — which had produced more than three million cars over its lifetime — was closed following the end of DS production.

The 1970s brought new challenges. With Michelin refocusing on its core tyre business and the oil crisis hitting fuel-hungry cars hard, Citroën’s sales declined. The result was a landmark deal: in 1976, Peugeot acquired 90% of Citroën’s shares from Michelin, with the remaining 10% floated on the open market. The French government required that both brands remain on the market as independent labels — competing with each other at home and abroad — while sharing technical, financial, and administrative resources to lower production costs.

Citroën in the 1980s and 1990s: Rebranding, Technology, and a Return to Motorsport

The 1980s brought not only production improvements but also a significant rebrand. Highlights from this era include:

• A new red and white logo replaced the classic blue and yellow.
• The head office relocated from Paris to Neuilly-sur-Seine.
• Citroën invested heavily in computer-aided design, acquiring the powerful Cray XMP/14 supercomputer.
• Total investment during this period reached 7.5 billion francs, including 1.2 billion for research and development.
• The investment yielded results, including the flagship Citroën XM model.

In the early 1990s, Citroën made its official return to motorsport with the ZX Rally Raid team. New models rolled out in rapid succession:

• Citroën ZX — the comeback model that launched the rally campaign.
• Citroën Xantia, Saxo, Xsara, and Évasion — expanding the range across segments.
• 1992: The Citroën Institute opened, dedicated to training and upskilling the company’s workforce.

A turning point came in 1997, when Jean-Martin Folz took over as CEO. His strategy: restore financial health and push for stronger differentiation between the Citroën and Peugeot model ranges. For Citroën, this was the start of a genuine revival. By 2000, the brand was selling over one million cars per year.

Citroën in the 21st Century: Innovation, Crossovers, and a Centenary

The new millennium began with a bang at the Paris Motor Show, where the Citroën C5 made its debut. This model signalled the brand’s return to its alphanumeric naming convention, and came packed with features:

• Available as both hatchback and estate.
• Equipped with the advanced Hydractive III hydraulic suspension with Sport and Comfort modes.
• Engine options including a 3.0-litre V6 (210 hp) and a 2.2-litre diesel (136 hp).

A wave of notable launches followed in rapid succession:

• Citroën C3 and the C-Crosser concept debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
• The SensoDrive robotic gearbox — the first in the PSA group — combined the best of manual and automatic transmissions and was fitted to the C3’s 1.6 16V engine.
• 2006: Production of the C4 Picasso line began.
• 2007: The Citroën C-Crosser arrived as the brand’s first proper crossover — a seven-seater available with a 2.2-litre turbodiesel (156 hp) or a 2.4-litre petrol engine (170 hp).

The full C-range quickly grew to rival the breadth of leading German manufacturers, encompassing the C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, and C8 — from the tiny city car to the grand executive saloon.

In 2019, Citroën celebrated its centenary. For a hundred years, cars bearing the double chevron have travelled the world’s roads — mass-produced, quality-built, and consistently at the forefront of engineering innovation. That was the vision of a short, stout man with a neat moustache and pince-nez glasses who looked at the world with unstoppable optimism. His cars proved just as enduring as his ambition — surviving world wars, economic crises, and corporate upheaval to become one of the defining symbols of France.

André Citroën’s legacy lives on not just in the cars themselves but also in Paris. The former Javel Embankment factory site has been transformed into a beautiful contemporary park, now known as the Parc André Citroën on the Quai André Citroën — a green and modern tribute to the man who put France on wheels.

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