Citroën Conservatory, more than 400 pieces that mark the history of the automobile

2023-04-30 00:19:13

Throughout its history, Citroën has broken paradigms and has paved the way for new ways of understanding the automobile. The objective has always been, and continues to be today, to make life easier for people, offering them useful mobility solutions adapted to their needs. Under this premise and the phrase “Nothing moves us like a Citroën”, hundreds of historical models they remain as the first day at the Citroën Conservatory.

Citroën

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Located in Aulnay-Sous-Bois, on the outskirts of Paris, in this space you can find all the brand’s vehicles that have marked the era: the Front Wheel Drive, the Méhari, the 2 CV and the GS, among many others. And it is that the Citroën Conservatory is a true museum of the history of the Double Chevron: it houses more than 400 pieces -the largest international collection of Citroën in the world-, of which, 250 are exposed in its Main Pavilion.

Among the jewels that can be seen in the Conservatory are the Citroëns from the interwar period, witnesses to the birth of the brand and the elements that have built its legend. Some examples are the Type A, the first model mass-produced in Europe; the B10, pioneer in the use of steel chassis; the C4, the C6 or also the Rosalie, winner of several world endurance records. Not forgetting the Citroën Traction Avant, the car that popularized front-wheel drive.

There is also room for the Citroën of the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s… which are still very present in the collective memory due to their distinctive design or its technical innovationssuch as the Citroën 2 CV, the futuristic Citroën DS, the innovative Citroën GS or the sportier versions of the Citroën SM.

Citroën

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On the other hand, Citroën has not forgotten commercial vehicles in this journey through its history, one of the pillars of the brand today and throughout the last decades. Among the unique pieces that can be found in the Conservatory, the last manufactured copy of the Type H stands out, the famous van built in sheet metal with ribs, which has become an icon of the ‘Food Truck’ phenomenon. Its unique design, its versatility and its transformation capabilities made it ubiquitous on the roads and streets throughout Europe during its more than 35 years of commercial life. Now, these are your strengths to be the standard bearer of the restaurant-on-wheels revolution. It was discontinued in 1981, closing the production of this model, which began in 1947.

Citroën

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Likewise, adventure and sport are an essential element of Citroën’s identity. At the Conservatory it is possible to remember the 2 CV Cross or the ZX from the 1992 Paris-Moscow-Beijing e-raid rally. Even go further and get on one of the C4 Autocadenas protagonists of historical adventures such as the famous Black and Yellow Cruises of Citroen. With the first of them, from October 28, 1924 to June 26, 1925, Citroën covers the entire African continent from north to south. Five years later, the Yellow Cruise began, with which the French manufacturer faced the crossing of the Asian continent, from Beirut to Beijing.

Finally, the Citroën Conservatory also has unusual vehicles, either because of their history or because of their specific details. There is the Type J, with which the French manufacturer has left its mark on the chevron wheels of tractors; or a striking two-seater helicopter, developed by the brand in the 70s as an alternative to traffic jams.