Brief history of Citroen Model C

Andre Citroen began manufacture of cars in July 1919 at Quai de Javel in Paris on a production line basis with the four seater Model A which had a 1327cc four cylinder sidevalve engine and a three speed gearbox. Some 25,000 Model As were manufactured before the model was updated in June 1921 as the 1452cc Model B2. Well over 100,000 Model Bs were subsequently manufactured in the next five years. In the meantime Citroen saw there was a need for a smaller more economical car and began to develop the Model C which was first shown at the Paris Motor Show in October 1921. The first production Model C came off the line in May 1922 and about 88,000 Model Cs were subsequently manufactured between 1922 and 1926. The Model Cs were well made and the costs of production subsequently became practically the same as that for the larger Model B four seater. The Model C was therefore discontinued despite continuing demand and Citroen made no more small cars until the introduction of the 2CV in 1948.

The Model C had three updates during its production run, these being Model C, Model C2 and Model C3, the C3 having a larger chassis and tyres. All had the four cylinder 856cc sidevalve engine and three speed gearbox. The Model C was rated fiscally in France as 5CV (5 horsepower), which related to 7.5 HP British, and which was in fact 11BHP at 2,100 rpm. All had braking to rear wheels only, which makes stopping interesting. Cars were fitted with 6V electric starting and lights, Bosch magneto, had gravity fed 18 Lt petrol tanks, thermosyphon cooling (no water pump) and had Torque Tube drive to a 'chevron' differential. ( The Citroen 'Chevron' trade mark comes from Andre Citroen's original business of manufacturing gears).

The Model C came in three primary Torpedo (pointed rear) body types: Tourer, Cabriolet and Cloverleaf, all with fold-down hoods. Early Model C were generally bright yellow and got the name 'Le Petit Citron', the little lemon. The Tourer was designed as an open two seater and had no 'weather gear' for the windows. The Cabriolet had a two piece openable windscreen and glass windows which could be raised and lowered by a strap. (The reason for the openable windscreen was because, as wipers had not been developed, it was necessary to open the screen in heavy rain to see the road.) Many people refer to the Model C as the 'Cloverleaf' (Le Trefle) but this is incorrect. The Cloverleaf only refers to the three seater car which had the third seat like a clover-leaf in the centre in the boot behind the two front seats. Tourers are the most common, Cloverleafs are the most recent, and Cabriolets are the most unusual. Additional Model C bodies in small numbers included pickups and delivery vehicles.