Citroen Service

Citroën, the French company created in 1919, holds the pedegree of being the world's first mass producer of cars outside of the USA.

Like so many European car companies, Citroën originally built armaments during World War I. Cars began to roll out of the factory in 1919, and by 1920 the company could boast of having produced over 20,000 vehciles. By 1926, the popular Citroën Type C had sold around 90,000 models.

Early on in its history, Citroën gained a reputation for technical and marketing innovations at the behest of the founder, André Citroën. These included such advancements as the first all-steel chasis in Europe, "Floating Power" engine mounts, a series of toys to capture the attention of kids and so cement the Citroën brand name early on in people's minds. And, in a move that could be considered one of the most famous and audacious pieces of marketing ever, 200,000 lightbulbs were attached to the Eiffel Tower, spelling out the company's name.

Today Citroën enjoys strong sales, but this has not been without adversary – the 1973 oil crisis was an especially bad year, with Citroën having to rely on Michelin and Peugeot, who, at the behest of the government, saved the French company from bankruptcy. This saw the creation of the PSA group. The 90s also saw Citroën's image degrade, gaining a reputation for boring, dull cars. However, the modern Citroën is much improved in both its output and image.