March 2019: the centenary of Citroen automobiles!

Cafe Allez! is proud to join the celebrations as we continue our efforts to make Van Henri one of the finest examples of the iconic Citroen HY vans still on the road.

The Citroen connection goes way back for Mark from Cafe Allez! – his first car, which he also passed his test in, was a 1984 Citroen 2CV, a (very rare) Beachcomber special edition.

Mark has fond memories of this car: the ‘push / pull’ gearchange that took a while to master; rolling back the canvas roof all the way for star-lit drives in the Vale of Belvoir; slipstreaming lorries to get ‘free speed’ on the motorways and taking the back seat out for picnics.

He followed this up with another 2CV, then a Citroen BX 19GT, (the wedgy hatchback that was such a common sight on our roads in the ’80s and ’90s). He also persuaded his Dad to buy a CX, the big Citroen that still looks futuristic today and was the replacement for the legendary DS.

Citroen used to seem almost ashamed of their past but now they actively celebrate it – see for example their fabulous online, interactive museum, Citroen Origins, where you can take a virtual tour of every significant Citroen model produced (and some that weren’t!).

Meantime, some fascinating Citroen facts to impress your friends with:

1. The ‘double chevron’ Citroen logo represents the double-helical gears that Andre Citroen patented and sold in vast numbers before car production.
2. The first Citroen car (in, of course, 1919) was the Type A: designed for mass production, (Andre Citroen studied the process during a visit to Ford in America).
3. Andre Citroen was a marketing genius. Our favourite campaign was Citroen’s sponsorship (and giant illumination) of the Eiffel Tower from 1925-34.
4. The Traction Avant, launched in 1934, cemented the firm’s reputation for advanced technology: front wheel drive, no separate chassis, independent suspension…
5. Andre Citroen died in 1935, a year after the firm went bankrupt and was rescued by Michelin.
6. The H van (like Henri) was launched in 1947 and continued with few changes until 1981. Nearly 500,000 were made.
7. The 2CV followed a year later and became an air cooled, front wheel drive icon. Citroen didn’t end production until 1990.
8. They launched arguably the most beautiful car of all time, the DS, in 1955. Pushing the boundaries, this featured hydropneumatic self-levelling suspension, powered steering and brakes, and on some models, headlights that turned with the steering for better night visibility.
9. Citroen merged with Peugeot in 1974 and the firms are still linked to this day.
10. This most quintessentially French company also made cars in the UK (in Slough) from 1926 to 1965.

So happy 100th birthday Citroen! – and if you want to see what it’s like to drive a HY van today, check out Cafe Allez!’s YouTube channel.