Citroën Celebrates 90 Years!

90 years of technological innovation and automotive creation

The CITROËN brand, founded in 1919, is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. CITROËN has a strong culture nourished by the unwavering desire to understand, surprise and satisfy its customers.

CITROËN has always designed with the future in mind. The Type A was Europe’s first mass-production car, launched in 1919. The Traction Avant wrote the rules on the modern automobile 75 years ago. The 2CV made motoring freedom accessible to all. The DS embodied the power of progress. The Marque has come up with the goods for its anniversary year, releasing the C3 Picasso ‘spacebox’ in the first quarter and the new C3 ‘visiodrive’ at the end of the year.

90 years of creative vehicles

CITROËN is the most collected car brand in the world. Producing the most emblematic vehicles of their times – including the Type A, Traction Avant, 2CV and DS, along with the more recent Berlingo, C4 Picasso and new C3 – CITROËN has always had a modern and creative approach approach to mobility.

90 years of innovation

Yesterday with the Traction, the first front-wheel drive car, today with Stop & Start technology, and tomorrow with hybrid diesels, CITROËN’S vision is “Créative Technologie”.

Most of all, this means going beyond simple technical and scientific exploits to find the right choices, choices that are useful and surprising, in the form of new cars and new services that illustrate the Créative Technology tagline.

90 years of conquest

CITROËN has entered the motor sport history books with four Manufacturers’ titles and five Drivers’ titles for Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena in the World Rally Championship. This rich history – from rally raids to the croisières – proves all of the brand's technology mastery and competitive hunger.

90 years of communication

CITROËN has a no-limits, non-conformist and bold approach to communication. From the Eiffel Tower to the Internet, it uses all media to promote its brand and vehicles.

CITROËN’S expression is as strong now as it was at the beginning.

90 years of achievement

1919: Birth of the Citroën brand
1919: Launch of the Type A, Europe’s first mass-produced vehicle
1920: Creation of first company créche
1922-1923: First Sahara crossing in A2 half-track vehicles
1923: Launch of Citroën toys (miniature cars, models, etc.)
1924-1925: Croisière Noire (30,000 km across Africa)
1924: Launch of the first mass-produced all-steel car, the B10
1925: “Citroën” lights up the Eiffel Tower – for 10 years
1928: Launch of the C4 and C6
1927: Charles Lindbergh visits the Javel factory
1931-1932: Croisière Jaune (12,000 km across Asia)
1933: First sporting exploit, with the “Petite Rosalie” covering 300,000 km in 133 days in Montlhéry
1934: Presentation of the Traction Avant, the first mass-produced front-wheel drive car
1934: Michelin takes over Citroën
1935: Death of André Citroën
1936: Citroën’s first diesel
1947: Presentation of the Type H van with front-wheel drive and flat floor
1948: Presentation of the 2CV
1954: Hydraulic suspension debuts on the Traction Avant 15-6H
1955: Presentation of the DS
1957: Traction production ends
1959: First Monte Carlo rally victory with an ID 19
1961: Inauguration of the Rennes Le Janais plant, for the launch of the Ami 6
1965: Creation of the Vélizy technical centre
1967: DS with swivelling headlamps presented at Paris Motor Show
1968: Launch of the Méhari
1970: Presentation of the SM and GS
1973: 2CV Africa rally raid
1974: Quai de Javel plant closes
1974: The Peugeot family buys the Citroën brand
1974: Launch of the CX
1975: Last DS produced
1981: “En avant Citroën” ad by Savignac
1982: Quai de Javel closes
1984: The C15 starts its 22-year career
1985: New brand identity with white chevrons on red background
1986: Operation Dragon, with 140 youngsters crossing China in AXs
1989: Launch of the XM
1991: Citroën's first Paris-Dakar race – and victory
1991: André Citroen elected manufacturer of the century for his innovations by a automobile jury
1993: Launch of the Xantia
1993: New advertising tagline, “Vous n’imaginez pas tout ce que Citroen peut faire pour vous”
1996: Launch of the Berlingo, the first leisure activity vehicle
1997: Berlingo rally raid, with 198 young Europeans driving from Paris to Moscow
1998: Creation of HDi engines
1999: First World Rally Championship with the Xsara kit car
1999: Launch of the Xsara Picasso
1999: Citroen tops the mark of one million annual sales
2001: Citroën Conservatoire opened in Aulnay
2002: Launch of the C3 and C8
2003: First World Rally Championship Constructors’ title
2004: C4 launch accompanied by Neil Blomkamp’s Dancing Robot ad
2007: Inauguration of 42 Champs Elysées in Paris
2006: Launch of the C4 Picasso
2008: Launch of the new C5
2009: Brand rebirth with a new identity based on white, red and grey