Citroen Antique, Vintage and Classic Cars For Sale

Citroen History (Continued from top)

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Andre Citroen built weapons for France during World War I and after the war was left with an empty factory so he decided to build automobiles. Citroen was an engineer and his 1934 model featured the first front-wheel drive with independent suspension, called 'Traction Avant'. However, the Traction Avant system was expensive to make and forced Citroen to sell majority interest of the company to the Michelin Tire Company that year.

In 1955 Citroen introduced the hydropneumatic self-leveling suspension system and disk brakes on the DS model and in 1968 they introduced the first directional headlights. In 1965 Citroen bought the French auto maker Panhard and in 1968 reorganized their holdings under a new name, Citroen SA. They also sold 49% of their stock to Fiat and bought Maserati that year. However, the 1970s were difficult times for Citroen and by 1974 they were bankrupt. Fearing large numbers of jobless workers, the French government stepped in and helped negotiate a deal that put Peugeot in charge, who then sold off Maserati to DeTomaso in 1975. Design regulations drove Citroen out of the North American market in 1974.