2CV & DS : DETAILS OF OTHER CITROENS

Traction Avant

Totally different from previous Citroens, the Traction Avant was a completely new car that had been manufactured with new methods of production and mechanical concepts. The motoring world was stunned at its launch in 1934. This was the first mass produced car with front wheel drive and it had independent front suspension. Every other car immediately appeared out of date. There were no running boards and the body panels were curved and aerodynamic. In 1955 the Traction Avant's intended replacement, the DS19, created just as much attention. The last Traction Avant was built in 1957.

H-Van

Citroen's H-Van was a very unusual vehicle which was not officially available to the UK. These large vans were of very high capacity and were first fitted with the same 1911cc engine as used in the Traction Avant. The body had flat, corrugated panels that could be easily removed and the headlamps were from the 2CV. The front subframe and all mechanical parts (engine, gearbox, transmission, steering) could be removed as a complete unit after undoing just four bolts. H-Vans were manufactured between 1947 and 1981.

Bijou

Produced by Citroen in Slough for the UK only, the car above was called the "Bijou". It was an attempt at making the 2CV more appealing to British taste. It was a 425cc 2CV but with a two door fibre-glass body designed to resemble the Citroen DS. The designer was Peter Kirwan-Taylor, stylist of the Lotus Elite. The Bijou was not a success and just over 200 were made between 1960 and 1964.

Ami

In 1961 the Ami 6 filled the gap between the 2CV and DS, at the time the only two cars in the Citroen range. It was based on the 2CV but had a larger 602cc air-cooled engine and introduced a new style of square shaped headlights. The Ami was a cheap family car and proved most popular in France. In 1969 the Ami 6 was discontinued when the better looking Ami 8 was launched. Amis were also sold as estates with a fold down rear bench seat. Later came the Ami Super with the 1015cc engine from the newly launched GS. Production of Ami models ended in 1978.

Dyane

A modern version of the 2CV was revealed in 1967. The Dyane 4 had a 425cc engine and the Dyane 6 had the Ami's 602cc engine.It was hoped the Dyane would replace the 2CV with its more modern lines, sliding windows and hatchback bootlid but it wasn't as popular as the original 2CV. Dyane production stopped in 1984 while 2CV production continued.

Mehari

In 1968 Citroen introduced the two-seater Mehari which had a plastic corrugated body on a strengthened chassis with the 602cc engine. The ABS plastic was self-coloured and the bodywork did not require painting. From 1969 the Mehari was available with four seats and ten years later a small number of Mehari 4x4s were manufactured with disc brakes all round. Intended mainly as an off-road utility vehicle for France, it was not officially available to the UK. Meharis were manufactured until 1987.

SM

Introduced in 1970, after Citroen bought Maserati, the SM was a low volume production car with a high-powered 2670cc V6 Maserati engine making it the fastest front wheel drive car in the world. The SM had the same suspension as the DS and also had directional driving lights. Power steering was designed to vary according to the road speed. Just over 300 SMs were officially imported to the UK by Citroen, although they were never available in right hand drive. SM production ended in 1975.

The GS was launched in 1970 as a more affordable way to experience the comfort of a DS. Ahead of its time in aerodynamics, the car's shape later influenced many other manufacturers, although the GS was very similar to Leonardo Fioravanti 's 1800 prototype produced for the Rover car company of the UK in 1968. GS models had hydropneumatic suspension and new flat-four 1015cc or 1220cc air-cooled Citroen engines. The GSA was the revised version from 1981 with a hatchback and a 1299cc flat-four engine. Both models were sold in estate form. Production of the GSA ended in 1984.

The CX replaced the DS and was available from 1974 until 1990. The CX had hydropneumatic suspension and engines first offered were the 1985cc and the 2175cc units from the DS. The hydraulics made use of VariPower steering as used on the SM, enabling the steering to become lighter at lower speeds. Brakes were no longer in-board but were instead fitted to the wheel hubs and were now operated by a traditional pedal. The CX was the first of several Citroens to feature a very efficient single windscreen wiper. The CX was also produced as a very large estate. Later, 2500cc engines, including diesel, were introduced into the CX range.

Visa

The Visa arrived in 1978 as the Ami's replacement. It had a 652cc flat-twin air-cooled Citroen engine or an 1124cc four cylinder water-cooled Peugeot engine. Moulded thermoplastic elastomer bumpers were fitted, designed by Citroen to resume their original shape following a minor impact, and the Visa's front end was revised in 1981. The integrated electronic ignition of the Visa Club had never before been installed in a mass produced car. The Visa 11RE was available as a unique four door convertible. Later the basic 954cc version, "hot hatch" 1360cc GT and the 1580cc GTi with fuel injection Visas were produced. The Visa shared many components with the Peugeot 205. From 1985 it was available with a 1.7 diesel engine until the end of production in 1987. The C15 van, with the same front end of the Visa, was launched in the UK in 1985 and is still available today.

Using the hydraulics of earlier Citroens, the BX was launched in 1983 to replace the GSA. The hydropneumatic technology was matched to the simplicity of MacPherson struts to appeal to drivers who preferred a firmer ride. The car was lightweight and economical and featured innovations like a plastic bonnet and rear hatchback with the glass bonded onto it. Engine size started at 1360cc and in 1984 it was available with a diesel engine when the Peugeot-Citroen 1.9 unit was included in the range. The BX was even sold in GTi and 4x4 form. It was very successful as both hatchback and estate, later leading to the Xantia.

LNA

This model was Citroen's first small car and had been available in Europe since 1976 as the Citroen LN. The LN had the 602cc engine from the Dyane. In the UK, the LNA was added to the range in 1983. The car was actually a Peugeot 104 (which had also appeared under the guise of the Talbot Samba). Peugeot discontinued the eleven year old 104 when they launched the 205 in 1983. The LNA had 3 doors and an 1124cc engine. Aimed to bridge a gap between the the basic but larger 2CV and more well appointed Visa, the LNA was produced until 1985.

AX

The popular market of the "supermini" was rapidly expanding during the 1980's and, launched in 1986, the AX was Citroen's response. It was available with 3 doors or 5 doors and a choice of 954cc, 1124cc or 1360cc Peugeot-Citroen engines. Later the 1.4 and 1.5 diesels were included in the range. The small, conventionally styled and engineered AX, later leading to the Peugeot 106, was one of Citroen's best sellers in the UK and proved to be a turning point for the company.

XM

The XM was the replacement for the CX and was available from 1989. It was the world's first car to automatically adapt its suspension to suit the road conditions and driver input, such as braking, steering and acceleration. It had Citroen's hydropneumatic suspension, now called Hydractive, and was controlled by computer electronics for firmer handling. It also had a switch to stiffen and soften the suspension and remote control switches on the steering wheel to control the radio. From 1993 all XMs had Hydractive 2 suspension. Engines fitted ranged between 2.0 to 3.0 V6, including diesel units. It was not a success in the UK. The XM, including the estate version, was discontinued in the year 2000.

ZX

The ZX was manufactured between 1991 and 1997. It was available with 1.4 to 2.0 engines (including the 1.9 diesel). Despite appearing more conventional than earlier Citroens, it had independent suspension with "passive rear wheel steering" and, with the exception of the sporty "Volcane" models, it provided a traditionally smooth ride. The ZX was popular as a reliable and economical family hatchback available as a 3 door, 5 door and an estate. The components of the ZX were shared with the later Peugeot 306. The ZX was well known as a competitive rally car.

Xantia

Conventional styling with the benefit of Citroen's Hydractive suspension, the Xantia was launched in 1993 and had a "self-steering" rear axle like the ZX. The top specification (VSX) Xantia had Hydractive 2 suspension and low profile tyres, offering a firmer and sportier ride. The Xantia Activa (with additional suspension spheres) became the first production car to feature an Active Roll Control System (ARCS) in 1996. It cornered with the car staying completely level, and was a result of Citroen's work in developing active suspension during the 1980's. Active suspension systems were also developed by teams in Formula 1 motor racing during the 1980's. It was banned in motor racing in the early 1990's but had enabled the cars to go around corners at higher speeds than normal without understeering or oversteering, resulting in quicker lap times.