View source for Citroën

{{short description|French car brand of Stellantis}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2023}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Automobiles Citroën
| logo_alt = Two black upward-pointing arrows are inside the outline of a black oval. Above the oval, there is text saying "Citroën".
| logo_caption = Logo since 2022
| image = 
| image_size = 
| logo = [[File:Citroen 2022.svg|150px|class=skin-invert]]
| type = [[Subsidiary]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.citroen.com/en/pages/legal-notices|title=Legal notices|access-date=3 July 2023|publisher=Automobiles Citroën}}</ref>
| traded_as = 
| industry = [[Automotive industry|Automotive]]
| fate = Merged with [[Peugeot]] to form [[PSA Group]] in 1976<ref name=regdoc>{{cite web|url=https://www.groupe-psa.com/en/document/2015-registration-document/|title=2015 Registration Document |access-date=12 November 2016|publisher=Groupe PSA |pages=7, 8}}</ref>
| predecessor = 
| successor = 
| foundation = {{start date and age|1919|6|4|df=yes}}
| founder = [[André Citroën]]
| defunct = 
| hq_location = 
| location_city = [[Stellantis Poissy Plant|Poissy (New)]], [[Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine]]<ref>{{cite journal | url = https://www.humanite.fr/2006-10-28_Societe_Saint-Ouen-retrouve-son-fleuve-la-Seine | title = Saint-Ouen retrouve son fleuve, la Seine | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080930160558/http://www.humanite.fr/2006-10-28_Societe_Saint-Ouen-retrouve-son-fleuve-la-Seine | archive-date=30 September 2008 | journal = [[l'Humanité]] | date = 28 October 2006 | quote = La mort lente des petites entreprises, la délocalisation des plus importantes ont transformé Saint-Ouen. Il ne reste en centre-ville que l'usine Citroën | language = fr }}</ref>
| location_country = France
| locations = <!-- Number of locations, stores, offices &c. -->
| area_served = Worldwide, except: 
{{Plainlist|
*North America
*North Korea 
*Australia 
}}
| key_people = [[Carlos Tavares]] (CEO, [[Stellantis]]) <br />  
[[Thierry Koskas]] (CEO, Citroën) (since 23 February 2023)
| products = {{Plainlist|
*[[Car|Automobiles]]
*[[Commercial vehicle]]s
}}
| production = 
| services = Citroën Insurance
| revenue = 
| operating_income = 
| net_income = 
| aum = <!-- Only used with financial services companies -->
| assets = 
| equity = 
| owner = 
| num_employees = 13,900<ref name="citroen.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.piecescitroensport.citroen.com/CWW/en-US/ABOUTCITROEN/IDENTITYCARD/THECOMPANY/ |title=The Company |access-date=19 September 2007 |work=citroen.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100511194507/http://www.piecescitroensport.citroen.com/CWW/en-US/ABOUTCITROEN/IDENTITYCARD/THECOMPANY |archive-date=11 May 2010 }}</ref>
| parent = [[Stellantis]]
| divisions = 
| subsid = 
| homepage = {{URL|citroen.com/en}}
| footnotes = 
}}

'''Citroën''' ({{IPA|fr|sitʁɔɛn|-|LL-Q150 (fra)-Mecanautes-Citroën.wav}})<ref group=note>The double-dot diacritic over the 'e' is a diaeresis ({{langx|fr|[[tréma]]}}) indicating the two vowels are sounded separately, and not as a diphthong.</ref> is a French automobile [[brand]]. The "Automobiles Citroën" manufacturing company was founded on 4 June 1919 by [[André Citroën]]. Citroën has been owned by [[Stellantis]] since 2021 and previously was part of the [[PSA Group]] after [[Peugeot]] acquired 89.95% share in 1976.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110606030140/http://ar2010.psa-peugeot-citroen.com/interactive-doc/200years/ ''Peugeot Motion and Emotion'', Corporate interactive history, Undated]. Retrieved: 9 April 2012.</ref> Citroën's head office is located in the [[Stellantis Poissy Plant]] in [[Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine]] since 2021 (previously in Rueil-Malmaison) and its offices studies and research in Vélizy-Villacoublay, Poissy (CEMR), Carrières-sous-Poissy and Sochaux-Montbéliard.

In 1934, the firm established its reputation for innovative technology with the [[Citroën Traction Avant|Traction Avant]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cQjLDAAAQBAJ&q=citroen+reputation+innovation&pg=PA40|title= Classic Car: The Definitive Visual History |page=40|publisher=DK |date= 2 May 2011 |isbn=978-0756671679}}</ref> This was the world's first car to be mass-produced with [[front-wheel drive]] and four-wheel independent suspension, as well as [[unibody]] construction, omitting a separate chassis, and instead using the body of the car itself as its main load-bearing structure.<ref>{{citation | last = Reynolds | first = John | title = André Citroën: Engineer, Explorer, Entrepreneur | publisher = J H Haynes & Co Ltd. | edition = revised | date = 25 August 2006 | page = inside cover | no-pp = y | isbn = 978-1844253203 }}</ref>

In 1954, they produced the world's first [[hydropneumatic]] [[self-levelling suspension]] system;<ref>{{cite web|title=Driven: Citroën Berlingo Multispace|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/new-cars-on-sale/9415837/Driven-Citroen-Berlingo-Multispace.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/new-cars-on-sale/9415837/Driven-Citroen-Berlingo-Multispace.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|website=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |access-date= 23 June 2014|date=26 July 2012}}{{cbignore}}</ref> then the revolutionary [[Citroën DS|DS]], the first mass-produced car with modern [[disc brakes]], in 1955;<ref name="vintagecars.about.com/internet archive">{{cite web|url=http://vintagecars.about.com/od/historygreatmoments/a/citroen_ds.htm |title=Citroën DS|access-date=6 September 2007|work= vintagecars.about.com |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070104231250/http://vintagecars.about.com/od/historygreatmoments/a/citroen_ds.htm |archive-date=4 January 2007}}</ref> and in 1967 they introduced in several of their models [[Headlamp#Beam aim control|swiveling headlights]] that allowed for greater visibility on winding roads. These cars have received various national and international awards, including three [[European Car of the Year]] awards.

==History==
André Citroën graduated from the [[École Polytechnique]] in 1900 and visited his mother's homeland, Poland, shortly after she died. During that holiday, he saw a carpenter working on a set of gears with a fishbone structure that were less noisy and more efficient. Citroën bought the patent for very little money, leading to the invention of [[gear#helical |double helical gears]]. The next year, he and his partners invested a significant portion of his inheritance in founding "Citroën, Hinstin et Cie," a gear manufacturing business specializing in V-shaped helical gears, starting with about ten workers.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=L'historique de Citroën |url=https://www.garagedepalud.ch/lhistorique/ |website=garage de palud}}</ref>

[[File:AndreCitroen crop.jpg|thumb|upright|André Citroën]]
Citroën had a successful six-year stint working with [[Mors (automobile)|Mors]] between 1908 and the outbreak of [[World War I]].<ref name=Automobilia1920>{{cite journal| title =Automobilia| journal = Toutes les Voitures Françaises 1920 (Salon [Oct] 1919)| volume = 31| page =65|year = 2004|publisher=Histoire & collections|location=Paris }}</ref> He built [[armament]]s for France during the war, but he realized that unless he planned ahead, he would have a modern factory without a product afterward.<ref name=Automobilia1920/> 

===Early years===
Citroën began planning to switch to automobile manufacturing by 1916, when he asked the engineer Louis Dufresne, previously with Mors rival [[Panhard]], to design a technically sophisticated 18-horsepower automobile he could produce in his factory once peace returned.<ref name=Automobilia1920/> Long before that happened, however, he had modified his vision and decided, like [[Henry Ford]], that the best post-war opportunities in auto-making would involve a lighter car of good quality, but made in sufficient quantities to be priced enticingly.<ref name=Automobilia1920/> In February 1917, Citroën contacted the 1909 creator of [[Le Zèbre]], French automotive engineer {{ill|Jules Salomon|fr}}, with a mandate that was characteristically both demanding and simple: produce an all-new design for a 10-horsepower car that would be better equipped, more robust, and less costly to produce than any rival product at the time.<ref name=Automobilia1920/>

The result was the [[Citroën Type A]], announced to the press in March 1919, just four months after the guns fell silent.<ref name=Automobilia1920/> The first production Type A emerged from the factory—located at [[Quai André-Citroën|Quai de Javel]], [[Vaugirard]], [[Paris]]—at the end of May 1919, and in June it was exhibited at a showroom at Number 42, on the [[Champs-Élysées]] in Paris which normally sold [[Alda (automobile)|Alda cars]].<ref name=Automobilia1920/> Citroën persuaded the owner of the Alda business, [[Fernand Charron]], to lend him the showroom, which is still in use today. This ''C42'' showroom is where the company organises exhibitions and shows its vehicles and concept cars. A few years later, Charron would be persuaded to become a major investor in the Citroën business.<ref name=Automobilia1920/> On 7 July 1919, the first customer took delivery of a new 10HP Type A.<ref name=Automobilia1920/> In the same year, it produced 30 cars daily, totaling 2,810 vehicles, with 12,244 produced in 1920.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Citroën 100 ans d'avant-garde |url=https://www.willemin.ch/fr/Vehicules-neufs/Citroen/Gamme-Citroen-chez-Willemin-SA.html |website=willemin}}</ref>
{{multiple image
| align     = center
| direction = horizontal
| image1    = Citroen A 8 CV Torpedo 1919.jpg
| width1    = 175
| caption1  = 1919 [[Citroën Type A|Citroën A 8CV Torpedo]]
| image2    = Citroen B2 Torpedo 1921.jpg
| width2    = 205
| caption2  = 1921 [[Citroën Type B2|Citroën B Torpedo]]
| image3    = Citroen 5 CV Typ C2 Torpedo 1923.jpg
| width3    = 235
| caption3  = 1923 Type C 5CV
| image4 = Citroën Showroom 1, Champs-Élysées, Paris September 2013.jpg
| width4 = 90
| caption4 = C 42 is the Citroën showroom on the Champs Elysées in Paris
}}
That same year, André Citroën briefly negotiated with [[General Motors]] a proposed sale of the Citroën company.<ref name="Sloan1964p317">{{Sloan1964}}, p. 317.</ref> The deal nearly closed, but General Motors ultimately decided that its management and capital would be too overstretched by the takeover,<ref name="Sloan1964p317"/> thus, Citroën remained independent until 1935.

Between 1921 and 1937, Citroën produced half-track vehicles for off-road and military uses, using the [[Kégresse track]] system. In the 1920s, the [[U.S. Army]] purchased several Citroën-Kégresse vehicles for evaluation followed by a licence to produce them. This resulted in the [[United States Army Ordnance Department]] building a prototype in 1939. In December 1942, it went into production with the [[M2 Half Track Car]] and [[M3 Half-track]] versions.<ref name=Weapons>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MuGsf0psjvcC&q=M2+half+track+citroen+kegresse&pg=PA81 |title=The Encyclopedia of Weapons of WWII: The Comprehensive Guide to over 1,500 Weapons Systems, Including Tanks, Small Arms, Warplanes, Artillery, Ships, and Submarines |publisher=Metrobooks |pages=81–82 |isbn= 978-1586637620 |year=2002 | first = Chris | last = Bishop |access-date=10 June 2017}}</ref> The U.S. eventually produced more than 41,000 vehicles in over 70 versions between 1940 and 1944. After their 1940 occupation of France, the [[Nazi]]s captured many of the Citroën half-track vehicles and [[armored]] them for their own use.<ref name=Weapons/>

[[File:Tour Eiffel Citroen.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[Eiffel Tower]] served as a billboard for Citroën from 1925 to 1934.]]
Citroën used the [[Eiffel Tower]] as the world's largest advertising sign, as recorded in ''[[Guinness World Records]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://europeanmotornews.com/2009/10/14/get-an-eiffel-of-the-new-citroen-c3/|title=European Motor News|access-date=29 May 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710205416/http://europeanmotornews.com/2009/10/14/get-an-eiffel-of-the-new-citroen-c3/|archive-date=10 July 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> He also sponsored expeditions in Asia ([[Croisière Jaune]]), North America (Croisière Blanche) and Africa (Croisière Noire), demonstrating the potential for motor vehicles equipped with the [[Kégresse track]] system to cross inhospitable regions. These expeditions conveyed [[scientists]] and [[journalists]].<ref name=Geo>{{cite magazine | volume = LX | number = 4 | title = The Citroën-Haardt Trans-Asiatic Expedition Reaches Kashmir | magazine = [[National Geographic]] | publisher=[[National Geographic Society]] |date= October 1931 | first = Maynard Owen | last = Williams | author-link = Maynard Owen Williams}}</ref>

Demonstrating extraordinary toughness, a 1923 Citroën that had already travelled {{convert|48000|km|abbr=on}} was the first car to be driven around Australia. The car, a 1923 Citroën 5CV Type C Torpedo, was driven by Neville Westwood from [[Perth]], [[Western Australia]], on a round trip from August to December 1925. This vehicle is now fully restored and in the collection of the [[National Museum of Australia]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nma.gov.au/collections/citroen |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081203162919/http://www.nma.gov.au/collections/citroen |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 December 2008 |title=1923 5CV Citroën, National Museum of Australia |publisher=Nma.gov.au |access-date=1 August 2011 }}</ref>

[[File:André Citroen 1927.jpg|thumb|Share of the S. A. André Citroën, issued 30 September 1927]]
In 1924, Citroën began a business relationship with the American engineer [[Edward G. Budd]]. From 1899, Budd had worked to develop stainless steel bodies for railroad cars, for [[Pullman Company|Pullman]] in particular. Budd went on to manufacture steel bodies for many automakers, [[Dodge]] being his first big auto client. At the Paris Motor Show in October 1924, Citroën introduced the [[Citroën Type B10|Citroën B10]], the first all-steel body in Europe.<ref name="citroen.co.uk">{{Cite web|url=https://www.citroen.co.uk/about-citroen/our-brand/history|title=Citroën Cars History &#124; Our brand|website=Citroën UK}}</ref> These automobiles were initially successful in the marketplace, but soon competitors who were still using a [[wood]]en structure for their vehicles, introduced new body designs. Citroën, who did not redesign the bodies of his cars, still sold in large quantities nonetheless, the cars' low price being the main selling point, which factor however caused Citroën to experience heavy losses.{{Citation needed|date=December 2007}}

In 1927, the bank [[Lazard]] helped Citroën by bringing new much-needed funds, as well as by renegotiating its debt—for example, by buying out the Société de Vente des Automobiles Citroën (SOVAC). It went even further by entering in its capital and being represented on the board; the three directors sent by Lazard were Raymond Philippe, [[Andre Meyer]] and Paul Frantzen. André Citroën perceived the need to differentiate his product, to avoid the low price competition surrounding his conventional rear drive models in the late 1920s and early 1930s. In 1933 he introduced the Rosalie, the first commercially available passenger car with a [[diesel engine]], developed with [[Harry Ricardo]].

{{multiple image
| align     = center
| direction = horizontal
| image1    = Paris - Bonhams 2013 - Citroën P19B chenillette Kégresse - 1931 - 004.jpg| 
| width1    = 200
| caption1  = 1931 C4 based Citroën P17 C [[Kégresse track]]
| image2    = Citroen Rosalie Coupe 15CV Anet.jpg
| width2    = 228
| caption2  = 1933 [[Citroën Rosalie|Citroën Rosalie Coupe 15CV]]
| image3    = Citroen 8CV front.JPG
| width3    = 166
| caption3  = Citroën 8CV
| image4    = 1933 Citroën P17 C Kégresse (rs).jpg
| width4    = 177
| caption4  = 1933 C4 based Citroën P17 C [[Kégresse track]]
}}
{{clear}}

===Traction Avant and Michelin ownership===
====Traction Avant====
The [[Citroën Traction Avant|Traction Avant]] is a car that pioneered the mass production of three revolutionary features that are still in use today: [[unibody|a unitary body with no separate frame]], four wheel [[independent suspension]] and [[front-wheel drive]]. Whereas for many decades, the vast majority of motor cars were similar in conception to the [[Ford Model T]] – a body bolted onto a [[Vehicle frame|ladder frame]] which held all the mechanical elements of the car, a [[Suspension (vehicle)#Suspension geometry|solid rear axle]] that rigidly connected the rear wheels and [[rear wheel drive]]. The ''Model T school'' of automobile engineering proved popular because it was considered cheap to build, although it did pose dynamic defects as automobiles were becoming more capable, and resulted in heavier cars, which is why today cars are more like the Traction Avant than the Model T under the skin.
In 1934 Citroën commissioned the American [[Budd Company]] to create a prototype, which evolved into the 7 fiscal horsepower ([[metric horsepower|CV]]), {{convert|32|HP|abbr=on}} Traction Avant.

{{multiple image
|align     = center
|direction = horizontal
|image1    = Citroën Traction Avant convertible.JPG
|width1    = 155
|caption1  = Pre-war [[Citroën Traction Avant]] Cabriolet
|image2    = Citroen B11 Sport 4-Door Berline 1951.jpg
|width2    = 260
|caption2  = [[Citroën Traction Avant]]
|image3    = Citroën Traction Avant Légère rear.JPG
|width3    = 225
|caption3  = [[Citroën Traction Avant]] Légère rear view
|image4    = 1956 Citroen Traction Avant - blue - svr (4637749504).jpg
|width4    = 180
|caption4  = 1956 [[Citroën Traction Avant]]
}}
Achieving quick development of the Traction Avant, tearing down and rebuilding the factory (in five months) and the extensive marketing efforts, were investments that resulted too costly for Citroën to do all at once, causing the financial ruin of the company. In December 1934, despite the assistance of the Michelin company, Citroën filed for bankruptcy. Within the month, [[Michelin]], already the car manufacturer's largest creditor, became its principal shareholder.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/heritage_citroen.htm| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100823084352/http://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/heritage_citroen.htm| archive-date = 23 August 2010| title = Citroën Heritage}}</ref> However, the technologically advanced [[Citroën Traction Avant|Traction Avant]] had met with market acceptance, and the basic philosophy of cutting-edge technology used as a differentiator, continued until the late 1990s. [[Pierre Michelin (businessman)|Pierre Michelin]] became the chairman of Citroën early in 1935. [[Pierre-Jules Boulanger]], his deputy, became the vice-president and chief of the engineering and design departments. In 1935, the founder [[André Citroën]] died from stomach cancer.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/culturallifeofau0000giuc|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/culturallifeofau0000giuc/page/61 61]|quote=stomach .|title=The Cultural Life of the Automobile: Roads to Modernity|last=Giucci|first=Guillermo|date=1 August 2012|publisher=University of Texas Press|isbn=9780292737846|language=en}}</ref>

====Research breakthroughs====
[[File:Meursault - Exposition véhicules militaires - 005.jpg|thumb|250px|Mid 20th century Citroën military truck]]
[[Pierre-Jules Boulanger]] had been a First World War air reconnaissance photography specialist with the [[French Air Force]]; he was capable and efficient and finished the war with the rank of captain. He was also courageous, having been decorated with the Military Cross and the Legion of Honour. He started working for [[Michelin]] in 1918, reporting directly to [[Édouard Michelin (born 1859)|Édouard Michelin]], co-director and founder of the business. Boulanger joined the Michelin board in 1922 and became president of Citroën in January 1938 after the death in a road accident of his friend [[Pierre Michelin (businessman)|Pierre Michelin]]<ref name=Automobilia1938>{{cite journal| title =Automobilia| journal = Toutes les Voitures Françaises 1938 (Salon [Oct] 1937)| volume = 6| page =26|year = 1998|publisher=Histoire & collections|location=Paris }}</ref> remaining in this position until his own death in 1950. In 1938, he also had become Michelin's joint managing director.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rTkACwAAQBAJ&q=pierre+jules+Boulanger+michelin+joint+managing+director+in+1938&pg=PA231|title=The Rise of the Global Company: Multinationals and the Making of the Modern World|last=Fitzgerald|first=Robert|date=7 January 2016|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9780521849746|language=en}}</ref>

During the [[German occupation of France in World War II]] Boulanger refused to meet Dr. [[Ferdinand Porsche]] or communicate with the German authorities except through intermediaries. He organized a "go slow" on production of trucks for the [[Wehrmacht]], many of which were sabotaged at the factory by putting the notch on the oil dipstick in the wrong place, which resulted in engine seizure. In 1944 when the [[Gestapo]] headquarters in Paris was sacked by the [[French Resistance]], his name was prominent on a [[Nazi]] blacklist of the most important enemies of the Reich, to be arrested in the event of an allied invasion of France.<ref>{{cite book|first=John | last = Reynolds|title=Citroën 2CV|isbn=978-1-84425-207-7|year=2005| publisher = Haynes Publishing PLC}}</ref>

Citroën researchers, including [[Paul Magès]], continued their work in secret, against the express orders of the Germans, and developed the concepts that were later brought to market in three remarkable vehicles – a small car (2CV), a delivery van (Type H) and a large, swift family car (DS). These were widely regarded by contemporary [[journalists]] as [[avant garde]], even radical, solutions to automotive design.
Thus began a decades-long period of unusual [[brand loyalty]], normally seen in the automobile industry only in niche brands, like [[Porsche]] and [[Ferrari]].

====2CV====
Citroën unveiled the [[Citroën 2CV]] or ''Deux Chevaux'' signifying two [[tax horsepower]] and initially only {{convert|9|HP|abbr=on}}, at the [[Paris Salon]] in 1948. The car became a bestseller, achieving the designer's aim of providing rural [[French people]] with a motorized alternative to the [[horse]]. It was unusually inexpensive to purchase and, with its small two cylinder engine, inexpensive to run as well. The 2CV pioneered a very soft, interconnected suspension, but did not have the more complex [[Self-levelling suspension|self-levelling feature]]. This car remained in production, with only minor changes, until 1990 and was a common sight on French roads until recently; 9 million 2CV variants were produced in the period 1948–1990.<ref>John Reynolds. Citroën 2CV. {{ISBN|978-1-84425-207-7}}</ref>

{{multiple image
| align     = center
| direction = horizontal
| image1    = 1955 Citroen 2CV.jpg
| width1    = 200
| caption1  = [[Citroën 2CV|1955 Citroën 2CV]]
| image2    = Citroen 2CV Mezzana.jpg
| width2    = 200
| caption2  = [[Citroën 2CV|1989 Citroën 2CV]], with "Charleston" colours & shapes
| image3    = The Wondering Wine Company van (JHU 92N), 8 June 2013.jpg
| width3    = 225
| caption3  = [[Citroën H Van|Citroën type H / HY van]]
| image4    = Amboise 11.JPG
| width4    = 200
| caption4  = [[Citroën Ami]]
}}

====DS====
1955 saw the introduction of the [[Citroën DS|DS]], the first full usage of Citroën's [[hydropneumatic]] [[self-levelling suspension]] system, tested on the rear suspension of the Traction in 1954. The DS was also the first production car with modern [[disc brakes]].
A single high-pressure [[hydraulic]] system was used to actuate the [[power steering]], the [[suspension (vehicle)|suspension]] and brakes; the brakes were fully powered, not power assisted, as pedal force was not a component of braking power.
The gearshift, (semi-[[automatic transmission]]) was also powered by the hydraulic system through a control valve, with actuating pistons in the [[gearbox]] cover to shift the gears in the [[transmission (mechanics)|transmission]], and the clutch was operated automatically by the system, so there was no clutch pedal. From 1957 the ID19 model offered a simplified hydraulic system, with manual steering and conventional manual gearshift, and a significant price reduction.
From 1968, with revised front end style, the DS also introduced auxiliary driving lights, that moved directionally with the steering, improving visibility at night.
Production from 1956 to 1975 totalled almost 1.5 million cars.
The streamlined car was remarkable for its era and had a remarkable sounding name – in French, ''DS'' is pronounced {{IPA|fr|de.ɛs|}}, which sounds the same as {{lang|fr|déesse}}, which means ''[[Goddess]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hagerty.com/price-guide/1963-Citroen-DS~19 |title=1963 Citroen DS-19 &#124; Hagerty – Classic Car Price Guide |access-date=18 November 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129033907/http://www.hagerty.com/price-guide/1963-Citroen-DS~19 |archive-date=29 November 2014 }}</ref> It placed third in the 1999 [[Car of the Century]] competition.
[[File:Citroen near Mt. Baker ca. 1970.jpg|thumb|A DS near Mt. Baker circa. 1970]]
{{multiple image
|align     = center
|direction = horizontal
|image1    = Citroen ID19 or DS 19 mfd 1962 registered for UK roads Feb 1990 1911cc.jpg
|width1    = 227
|caption1  = 1962 [[Citroën DS|Citroën ID variant of DS]]
|image2    = 1972 Citroen DS21 headlights.jpg
|width2    = 200
|caption2  = [[Citroën DS]] Pallas with directional headlights (1968–1975)
|image3    = 2 DS Citroën.jpg
|width3    = 201
|caption3  = DS Sedan (1955–1975) and Cabriolet (1960–1971)
|image4    = Citroën DS 20, Bj. 1974 (Foto Sp 2016-06-05).JPG
|width4    = 227
}}

====High pressure hydraulics====
This high-pressure hydraulic system would form the basis of over 9 million Citroën cars, including the [[Citroën DS|DS]], [[Citroën SM|SM]], [[Citroën GS|GS]], [[Citroën CX|CX]], [[Citroën BX|BX]], [[Citroën XM|XM]], [[Citroën Xantia|Xantia]], [[Citroën C5|C5]], and [[Citroën C6|C6]]. [[Self-levelling suspension]] is the principal user benefit: the car maintains a constant ride height above the road, regardless of passenger and cargo load and despite the very soft suspension. [[Hydropneumatic suspension]] is uniquely able to [[ride quality|absorb road irregularities]] without disturbing the occupants<ref name="autotraderclassics.com">[http://www.autotraderclassics.com/car-article/Topless+Goddess+_+Citroen+DS+Décapotable-44136.xhtml Autotrader] autotraderclassics.com {{dead link|date=August 2023}}</ref> and is often compared to riding on a ''[[magic carpet]]'' for this reason.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://classics.honestjohn.co.uk/reviews/citroen/xm/ |title=Citroën XM - Classic Car Review &#124; Honest John |publisher=Classics.honestjohn.co.uk |access-date=16 July 2016}}</ref>
These vehicles shared the distinguishing feature of rising to operating [[ride height]] when the engine was turned on, like a "mechanical camel" (per ''Car & Driver'' magazine). A lever ( later replaced by an electronic switch ) beside the driver's seat allowed the driver to adjust the height of the car; this height adjustability allows for the clearing of obstacles, fording shallow (slow-moving) streams and changing tyres.

Since Citroën was underfunded, its vehicles had the tendency to be underdeveloped at launch, with limited distribution and service networks outside France. 
Consequently, the early DS models experienced teething issues with the complex hydraulic system, eventually,<ref name="autotraderclassics.com"/> the hydraulic seals and system component design were sorted, becoming reliable.<ref>[[CAR Magazine]] August 1979 Long-Term Test CX Familiale</ref>
Licensing such a technological leap forward was pursued to a limited extent: in 1965 the [[Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow]] used this type of suspension, while the 1963 [[Mercedes-Benz 600]] and [[Mercedes-Benz 300SEL 6.3]] tried to replicate its advantages with a costly, complex and expensive to maintain, [[air suspension]], that avoided the Citroën-patented technology.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://600airsuspension.com/resources/article-on-mercedes-air-suspension-by-martin-werminghausen.pdf |last=Werminghausen |first=Martin |date=11 February 2014 |title=Mercedes Air Suspension |work=600airsuspension.com |access-date=12 January 2022}}</ref> By 1975, the [[Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9]] was finally produced with this proven system and [[Mercedes-Benz]] continues to offer variations on this technology today.
During Citroën's 1968–1975 venture with [[Maserati]], the Citroën high-pressure hydraulic system was used on several Maserati models : for power clutch operation (Bora); power pedal adjustment (Bora); pop-up headlights (Bora, Merak); brakes (Bora, Merak, Khamsin); steering (Khamsin) and the entire [[Maserati Quattroporte|Quattroporte II]] prototype, which was a four-door [[Citroën SM]] under the skin.<ref name="citroencarclub.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.citroencarclub.com/drupal/node/105 |title=Citroen's Partnerships |publisher=Citroen Car Club |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129021224/http://www.citroencarclub.com/drupal/node/105|archive-date=29 November 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

====Aerodynamic pioneer====
Citroën was one of the early pioneers of the now-widespread trend of [[aerodynamic]] automobile design, which helps to reduce [[fuel consumption]] and to improve high-speed performance, by reducing [[Drag coefficient|wind resistance]]. The DS could happily cruise at {{convert|160|km/h|-1|abbr=on}} without any discomfort for the occupants.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.citroenet.org.uk/passenger-cars/michelin/ds/05.html |title=Citroën DS a subjective view |publisher=Citroenet.org.uk |date=10 June 2000 |access-date=16 July 2016}}</ref> The firm began using a [[wind tunnel]] in the 1950s, helping them to create highly streamlined cars, like the DS, that were years ahead of their competitors, and so good were the aerodynamics of the [[Citroën CX|CX]] model, that it took its name – <math>\mathbf c_\mathrm x\,</math> – from the mathematical term used to measure the drag coefficient.

====Expansion and financial challenges====
In the 1960s, Citroën undertook a series of financial and development decisions, aiming to build on its strength of the 1950s with the successful 2CV, Type H, and DS models. Nevertheless, these maneuvers were insufficiently effective, and Citroën went bankrupt again in 1974.

These measures were to address two key gaps facing the company:
*First, the lack of a mid-size car, between its own range of very small, cheap passenger vehicles ( [[Citroën 2CV|2CV]]/[[Citroën Ami|Ami]] ) and the large, expensive models ([[Citroën DS|DS]]/ID).<ref name="citroencarclub.com"/> In today's terms, this would be similar to a brand consisting only of the [[Tata Nano]] and [[Jaguar XJ]]. Because of its potential volume, the mid-size segment was the most profitable part of the car market and, in 1965, the ''Citroënesque'' [[Renault 16]] stepped in to fill it.
*The second major issue was the lack of a powerful engine, suitable for export markets. The post-WW2 [[Tax horsepower]] system in France was [[Progressive tax|steeply progressive]]  and vehicles over 2.0 (later 2.8) litres displacement, faced a heavy annual tax, with the result that cars made in France were considered underpowered outside the country.<ref name="Citroën SM 1981">'Citroën SM,' Osprey Autohistory, Jeff Daniels, 1981, {{ISBN|0-85045-381-X}}</ref> For both the 1955 [[Citroën DS|DS]] and 1974 [[Citroën CX|CX]] models, development of the original engine around which the design was planned proved too expensive for the available finances, so the actual engine used in both cases was a modest and outdated [[Straight-four engine|four-cylinder design]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.citroenet.org.uk/passenger-cars/michelin/ds/01.html |title=Citroën DS prototypes The birth of a Goddess 1 |publisher=Citroenet.org.uk |date=10 June 2000 |access-date=16 July 2016}}</ref>

These steps include:
*1963 – opened negotiations with [[Peugeot]] to cooperate in the purchase of raw materials and equipment, but talks broke off in 1965.
*1964 – partnered with [[NSU Motorenwerke]] to develop the [[Wankel engine]] via the Comobil (later [[Comotor]]) subsidiary. For Citroën, this represented the chance for a technological run around the French [[Tax horsepower]] system by producing a more powerful but still small power plant. The first production car developed 106&nbsp;hp from a 1-litre engine,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.zeperfs.com/en/fiche2890-citroen-gs-birotor.htm |title=Citroën GS Birotor 107 hp - Specs & Performance |publisher=Zeperfs.com |date=15 November 2014 |access-date=16 July 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160320191730/http://www.zeperfs.com/en/fiche2890-citroen-gs-birotor.htm |archive-date=20 March 2016 }}</ref> while the standard GS delivered 55&nbsp;hp with a 1-litre engine.<ref>{{cite web|last=Glon |first=Ronan |url=http://ranwhenparked.net/2013/10/22/a-quick-look-at-the-citroen-gs-camargue/ |title=A quick look at the Citroën GS Camargue |publisher=Ran When Parked |date=22 October 2013 |access-date=16 July 2016}}</ref>
*1965 – took over the French maker [[Panhard]] in the hope of using its expertise in mid-sized cars; cooperation between the two companies had begun twelve years earlier and they had agreed to a partial merger of their sales networks in 1953; Panhard ceased manufacturing in 1967.<ref name="citroencarclub.com"/>
*1965 – purchased the truck manufacturer [[Berliet]].<ref name="citroencarclub.com"/>
*1968 – purchased the [[Italy|Italian]] [[sports car]] [[automaker|maker]] [[Maserati]] again with an eye to producing a more powerful car, keeping a small engine in line with the French [[tax horsepower]] system.<ref name="Citroën SM 1981"/> The first production vehicle developed 170&nbsp;hp with a 2.7 litre engine,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.zeperfs.com/en/fiche4905-citroen-sm-v6-2-7-c.htm |title=Citroën SM V6 2.7 c 170 hp - Specs & Performance |publisher=Zeperfs.com |date=6 April 2015 |access-date=16 July 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160806185957/http://www.zeperfs.com/en/fiche4905-citroen-sm-v6-2-7-c.htm |archive-date=6 August 2016 }}</ref> this was the 1970 [[Citroën SM|SM]], which featured a V6 Maserati power plant, [[hydropneumatic suspension]]  and a fully powered, self-centering steering system called [[DIRAVI]]; the SM was engineered as if it were replacing the [[Citroën DS|DS]] family car, a level of investment that the small luxury [[Grand tourer|Grand Touring car]] sector alone would never be able to support, even in the best of circumstances.
*1968 – restructured worldwide operations under a new holding company, Citroën SA. [[Michelin]], Citroën's longtime controlling shareholder, sold a 49% stake to [[Fiat]] in what was referred to as the ''PARDEVI'' agreement (Participation et Développement Industriels).<ref name="citroencarclub.com"/>

The teams of Charles Marchetti and Citroën began working together on the development of the {{Interlanguage link|Citroën RE-2|fr|3=Citroën RE-2|lt=RE-2}} [[helicopter]].

From a model range perspective, the 1970s started well, supported by the successful launch of the long-awaited mid-size [[Citroën GS]], finally filling the huge gap between the 2CV and the DS – with a 1-litre, [[Hydropneumatic suspension|hydropneumatically suspended]] car. The GS went on to sell 2.5 million units; 601,918 cars were produced in 1972 alone, up from the 526,443 of 1971, and enough to lift the company past [[Peugeot]] into second place among French auto makers when ranked by sales volume.<ref name=Automobilia1972>{{cite journal| title =Automobilia| journal = Toutes les Voitures Françaises 1972 (Salon [Oct] 1971)| volume = 76s| page =19|year = 2005|publisher=Histoire & collections|location=Paris }}</ref> The older models continued to sell well: the peak production period of the DS was 1970, and [[Citroën 2CV|2CV]] was in 1974.

As the 1970s progressed, circumstances became more unfavourable. In 1973, [[Fiat]] sold back to Michelin its 49% stake in the ''PARDEVI'' holding company that owned Citroën, the Citroën and Fiat joint announcement indicated that the benefits foreseen for their union in 1968 had failed to materialise.<ref name=Automobilia1974>{{cite journal| title =Automobilia| journal = Toutes les Voitures Françaises 1975 (Salon Paris Oct 1974)| volume = 72| page =19|year = 2005|publisher=Histoire & collections|location=Paris }}</ref> This was not in line with the tyre company's long-term strategy of ending involvements in the car manufacturing business and created a very unstable ownership situation.<ref name="citroenet.org.uk">{{cite web|first=Julian | last = Marsh |url=http://www.citroenet.org.uk/miscellaneous/history/history03.html |title=A Brief History of Citroën Page 3 |publisher=Citroenet.org.uk |access-date=16 July 2016}}</ref> The company suffered another financial blow with the [[1973 energy crisis]]. The gamble on [[Comotor]] and [[Maserati]] showed that there was a serious flaw with the plan particularly for companies producing engines with high fuel consumption.

In 1974, the carmaker withdrew from North America due to U.S. design regulations that outlawed core features of Citroën cars (see [[Citroën SM]]).

Huge losses at Citroën were caused by the failure of the [[Comotor]] rotary engine venture added to the [[strategic management|strategic management error]] of going the {{val|15|u=years}} from 1955 to 1970 without a model in the profitable middle range of the European market, plus the massive development costs a string of new models: the [[Citroën GS|GS]], [[Citroën GS Birotor|GS Birotor]], [[Citroën CX|CX]], [[Citroën SM|SM]], [[Maserati Bora]], [[Maserati Merak]], [[Maserati Quattroporte II]], and [[Maserati Khamsin]]. Each of these models is a technological marvel in its own right.
Thus, forty years after the bankruptcy related to the [[Traction Avant]], Citroën went bankrupt again, losing its existence as an independent entity; selling Berliet and Maserati and closing Comotor.<ref name="citroencarclub.com"/>

{{multiple image
| align     = center
| direction = horizontal
| image1    = Citroen-SM-Gendarmerie.jpg
| width1    = 245
| caption1  = [[Citroën SM]]
| image2    = MASERATI KHAMSIN PROFIL ARRIERE.JPG
| width2    = 218
| caption2  = [[Maserati Khamsin]]
| image3    = Citroën GS Birotor (front).jpg
| width3    = 220
| caption3  = [[Citroën GS|Citroën GS Birotor]] and [[Citroën C6]]
| image4    = 1982 Citroen CX Prestige.jpg
| width4    = 160
| caption4  = [[Citroën CX]], the 1975 Car of the Year in Europe
}}

===PSA Peugeot Citroën era===
Fearing large job losses due to the poor cash flow situation and the unstable ownership structure, the French government arranged talks between Citroën and Michelin culminating in the merger of Automobiles Citroën and Automobiles Peugeot into a single company. Thus, one year after the break with Fiat, on 24 June 1974 Citroën announced the new partnership, this time with Peugeot.<ref name=Automobilia1974/> to whom Michelin agreed to transfer control of the business.<ref name="citroencarclub.com"/>
In December 1974 Peugeot S.A. acquired a 38.2% share of Citroën and on 9 April 1976<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=MZxAAAAAIBAJ&pg=6208,1716150&dq=citroen&hl=en|title=The Glasgow Herald - Google News Archive Search|website=news.google.com}}</ref> they increased their stake of the then bankrupt company to 89.95%, thus creating the ''PSA Group'' (where PSA is short for Peugeot [[Société Anonyme]]), becoming [[PSA Peugeot Citroën]].<ref>[http://ar2010.psa-peugeot-citroen.com/interactive-doc/200years/ ''Peugeot Motion and Emotion'', Corporate interactive history, Undated] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606030140/http://ar2010.psa-peugeot-citroen.com/interactive-doc/200years/ |date=6 June 2011 }}. Retrieved: 9 April 2012.</ref>
In May 1975 [[Maserati]] was sold to [[De Tomaso]] and the new Italian owner was thereby able to exploit the sales potential of the models and technology developed by Citroën, as well as to utilise the image of the Maserati [[Aspirational brand|brand]] in a downward [[brand extension]] to sell 40,000 of the newly designed [[Maserati Biturbo|Bi-Turbo]] models. The truck manufacturing company [[Berliet]] was sold to [[Renault]].<ref name="citroencarclub.com"/>

This new PSA venture was a financial success from 1976 to 1979. Citroën had two successful new designs in the market, the [[Citroën GS|GS]] and [[Citroën CX|CX]]. In the wake of the oil crisis, the brand also had resurgent sales for the [[Citroën 2CV|2CV]] and the [[Citroën Dyane|Dyane]], and soon the [[Peugeot 104]] based [[Citroën Visa]] and [[Citroën LNA]]. [[Peugeot]] was typically prudent with its own finances. Then, PSA purchased the ageing assets and substantial liabilities of [[Chrysler Europe]] for $1, leading to losses from 1980 to 1985. PSA resurrected the [[Talbot (automobile)#Decline and Demise|Talbot]] name for the Chrysler cars, but stopped producing cars with the badge in 1987 as the cars were considered unreliable and poorly-made.

At the 2019 [[Geneva International Motor Show]], the manufacturer presented the Ami One concept car to celebrate its 100th anniversary. Then, in May 2019, it unveiled the [[Citroën 19_19 Concept]] at the [[Viva Technology]] show in Paris.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Citroën 19_19 : un concept étonnant et radical |url=https://www.largus.fr/actualite-automobile/citroen-19-19-un-concept-etonnant-et-radical-9785395.html |newspaper=www.largus.fr}}</ref>

====Conflict with the trade unions====
In the early 1980s, Citroën was targeted by union action.<ref name=Automobilia1982/> On 25 May 1982, events led to a mass demonstration in the streets of Paris,<ref name=Automobilia1982/> when approximately 27,000 workers affirmed their wish to work at a company, which was being picketed by striking workers who had been blocking access to the factories for four weeks.<ref name=Automobilia1982/> The demonstration was successful and six days later work at the plants resumed. Jacques Lombard, one of the company's senior managers, had gone public with his concerns, criticising the strikes.<ref name=Automobilia1982>{{cite journal| title =Automobilia| journal = Toutes les Voitures Françaises 1982 (Salon [Oct] 1981) "J'accuse la CGT de Vouloir Nous Asphyxier Pour Mieux Nous Nationaliser: C'est Une Technique Aussi Sure Que le Supplice du Garrot; Ni les Tribunaux, Ni les Ministres N'y Peuvent Rien Changer"| volume = 80s| page =9|year = 2006|publisher=Histoire & collections|location=Paris }}</ref>

====Changing design language====
PSA gradually diluted Citroën's [[Unique selling proposition|ambitious, highly individualistic, and distinctive]] approach to engineering and styling. All through the 1980s, Citroën models became increasingly Peugeot-like. The 1982 [[Citroën BX|BX]] used the [[hydropneumatic]] suspension system and had a typical ''Citroënesque'' appearance, whilst being powered by Peugeot-derived engines and using the floorpan later seen on the [[Peugeot 405]]. In this respect PSA followed the worldwide motor industry trend of [[Car platform|platform sharing]] which is a logical way to reduce costs whilst selling apparently different models. By the late 1980s, many of the distinctive features of the brand had been removed or altered. Peugeot's conventional switchgear replaced Citroën's quirky but ergonomic ''Lunule'' designs,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.citroenet.org.uk/miscellaneous/prn/satellites.html|title=PRN satellites - lunule|website=www.citroenet.org.uk}}</ref> complete with self-cancelling indicators that Citroën had refused to adopt on ergonomic grounds. The cars were "more banal and conventional",<ref name="citroenet.org.uk"/> but also able to break into new markets, like fleet vehicles in the UK.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://classics.honestjohn.co.uk/reviews/citroen/xantia/|title=Citroën Xantia (1993 - 2000)|date=24 July 2016|access-date=12 June 2017|publisher=Honest John}}</ref>
{{multiple image
| align     = center
| direction = horizontal
| width = 
| image1    = 1985 Citroën Visa 14TRS.jpg
| width1    = 178
| caption1  = 1984 [[Citroën Visa]]
| image2    = BX-PRIMERA-SERIE.jpg
| width2    = 170
| caption2  = 1982 [[Citroën BX]]
| image3    = Citroën Berlingo Multispace HDi 90 Selection (II, Facelift) – Frontansicht, 29. Juli 2014, Wülfrath.jpg
| width3    = 200
| caption3  = [[Citroën Berlingo]]
|image4     = 1996 Citroën Xantia VSX hatchback (2015-11-11) 01.jpg
| width4     =170
| caption4  = [[Citroën Xantia]]
}}

====Geographic expansion====
In the meantime Citroën expanded into many new global markets. Beyond existing manufacturing plants in [[Citroën Argentina|Argentina]], [[Chile]], [[Vietnam]], and [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|Yugoslavia]], it added [[Iran]], [[Greece]], [[Romania]], and [[China]].

In the late 1970s, the firm developed a small car for production in [[Romania]] known as the [[Oltcit]], which it sold in [[Western Europe]] as the [[Citroën Axel]]. That joint venture has now ended, but a new one between PSA and [[Toyota]] is now producing cars like the [[Citroën C1]] in the [[Czech Republic]].

[[File:Citroën ZX - truck and auto dealer - Chengdu, China 1994.jpg|right|thumb|190px|New [[Citroën ZX]] [[Citroën Fukang|Fukang]] models for sale in [[Chengdu]] 1994 – made by truck manufacturer Second Automobile Works (第二汽车制造厂) through [[Dongfeng Peugeot-Citroën]] joint venture.]]
The [[Dongfeng Peugeot-Citroën Automobile|China]] joint venture began selling cars in 1984<ref>{{cite web|url=http://karakullake.blogspot.com/2009/04/citroen-cx-taxi-cabs.html |title=Tamerlane's Thoughts: Citroën CX Taxi Cabs |publisher=Karakullake.blogspot.com |date=18 April 2009 |access-date=16 July 2016}}</ref> and building them in 1994.<ref name="ForbesChina">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/tychodefeijter/2016/07/12/hands-off-these-8-citroens-are-only-for-china/#5749a81e5a1b|title=Hands Off! These 8 Citroëns Are Only For China|first=Tycho | last = De Feijter |date=12 July 2016|access-date=12 July 2016|magazine=Forbes}}</ref> The range of family cars there included the [[Citroën C3|C3]] and [[Citroën Xsara|Xsara]] and locally designed cars like the [[Citroën Fukang|Fukang]] and [[Citroën Elysée|Elysée]] models. By 2014 the brand had increased its Chinese sales by 30%, amid overall market growth of 11%,<ref name="Automotive News">{{cite news|url=http://www.psa-peugeot-citroen.com/en/content/dongfeng-peugeot-citroen-automobile-begins-construction-fourth-plant-china-0|title=DPCA sold 518,000 vehicles in China, an increase of 30% in a market up 11%|newspaper=Automotive News|date=18 July 2014|access-date=10 November 2014}}</ref> and ranked highest in China's 2014 JD Power satisfaction survey.<ref name="JD Power">{{cite web|url=http://www.jdpower.com/awards/2014-china-sales-satisfaction-index-dongfeng-citroen-cn-en|title=Dongfeng Citroën tie for top score in China satisfaction survey|publisher=JD Power|date=18 July 2014|access-date=10 November 2014}}</ref>

Citroën is a global brand, except in North America, where the company has not returned since the SM [[Citroën SM#US exports|was effectively banned in 1974]] for not meeting U.S. [[National Highway Traffic Safety Administration]] (NHTSA) bumper height regulations.

In 2015, the Spanish [[National Commission on Markets and Competition]] fined Automóviles Citroën España, S.A with over 14 million euros because it operated a [[cartel]] with other car builders and sellers controlling 91% of the Spanish market between 2006 and 2013.
They shared information about sales and repairs anti-competitively.<ref name="CNMC">{{cite news |title=La CNMC multa con 171 millones de euros a veintiuna empresas fabricantes y distribuidoras de marcas de automóviles en España y a dos empresas consultoras por prácticas restrictivas de la competencia {{!}} CNMC |url=https://www.cnmc.es/la-cnmc-multa-con-171-millones-de-euros-veintiuna-empresas-fabricantes-y-distribuidoras-de-marcas |access-date=3 February 2025 |work=www.cnmc.es |date=22 January 2025 |language=es-ES |quote=Automóviles Citroën España, S.A: 14,768 millones de euros[...] Además, se proceda al archivo de las actuaciones seguidas contra Peugeot Citroën Automóviles España, S.A., Renault España, S.A. y Orio Spain por no haber quedado acreditada la comisión de infracción por dichas empresas.}}</ref>

In 2016, Peugeot–Citroën South Africa (PCSA) announced that they were going to stop importing new Citroën models into South Africa <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.biznews.com/motoring/2016/12/08/citroen-south-africa-peugeot|title=Citroën to pull out of South Africa|last=Downard|first=Miles|date=8 December 2016|website=BizNews.com|language=en-GB|access-date=7 September 2019}}</ref> in order to focus on increasing Peugeot's sales in the country. In May 2019, it was reported that PCSA would re-introduce the Citroën brand into South Africa,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.timeslive.co.za/motoring/news/2019-05-30-citron-is-coming-back-to-south-africa/|title=Citroën is coming back to South Africa|website=TimesLIVE|language=en-ZA|access-date=7 September 2019}}</ref> this was later confirmed by PCSA, in August 2019, that new Citroën models will go on sale in the middle of October 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://businesstech.co.za/news/motoring/336509/citroen-will-start-selling-new-cars-in-south-africa-again/|title=Citroën will start selling new cars in South Africa again|website=businesstech.co.za|language=en-US|access-date=7 September 2019}}</ref>

===Recent decades===
[[File:Just Citroen, Wetherby Road, Harrogate (15th February 2020) 004.jpg|thumb|right|Citroën dealership in [[Harrogate]], [[North Yorkshire]].]]
From 2003 to 2010, Citroën produced the [[Citroën C3|C3]] Pluriel, an unusual convertible with allusions to the 1948–1990 2CV model, both in body style (such as the bonnet) and in its all-round practicality.
In 2001 it celebrated its history of innovation when it opened a museum of its many significant vehicles: the Conservatoire with 300 cars.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.citroencarclub.com/drupal/node/28 |title=Citroën's Museum - Le Conservatoire|publisher=Citroën Car Club |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129014339/http://www.citroencarclub.com/drupal/node/28|archive-date=29 November 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In line with the severe decline in European car sales after 2009, worldwide sales of vehicles declined from 1,460,373 in 2010 to 1,435,688 in 2011, with 961,156 of these sold in Europe.<ref>{{cite web|title=Annual Report Presentation 2011|url=http://www.psa-peugeot-citroen.com/en/financial-results|work=PSA Peugeot Citroën|access-date=27 June 2012}}</ref>

In 2011, the PSA Group was close to forming a partnership with BMW, for the development of electric and hybrid vehicles, but the talks fell through, shortly after Groupe PSA, Citroën's parent company, had announced a partnership with GM, which later also failed.
[[Dongfeng Peugeot-Citroën]] continues growing, and has developed eight new car designs exclusively for the China market.<ref name="ForbesChina"/> By 2016 Citroën (and [[Peugeot]]) faced the same challenge as [[Volkswagen]] in China: there were too many [[sedan (automobile)|sedans]] and [[hatchbacks]], but not enough models in the strong selling [[SUV]] and [[minivan]]/MPV categories.<ref name="ForbesChina"/>

The brand ranked highest in the 2014 customer satisfaction survey by JD Power in China, above luxury brands like [[Mercedes-Benz]] and [[BMW]], and above mass market brands, like Volkswagen, ranking only thirteenth and seventeenth respectively.<ref name="JD Power"/> In the first ten months of 2014 in China, the sales of Dongfeng Citroën cars increased by 30% in an overall market growth of 11%.<ref name="Automotive News"/>
Despite the near-death financial experience of [[PSA Peugeot Citroën]] in 2014, and financial rescue by [[Dongfeng Motors]],<ref>{{cite web|first=Russell | last = Hotten |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-26243593 |title=Peugeot signs rescue deal with China's Dongfeng Motor - BBC News |publisher=Bbc.com |date=19 February 2014 |access-date=16 July 2016}}</ref> the Citroën and DS brands worked to develop new technologies with the hope to grow 15% by 2020, according to Citroën [[CEO]] Linda Jackson and DS [[CEO]] [[Yves Bonnefont]].<ref name="AutocarUK">{{cite web|url=http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/revolutionary-citroen-suspension-system-launch-2017|title=Revolutionary Citroën suspension system to launch in 2017|first=Steve | last = Cropley |date=24 November 2015|access-date=12 July 2016|publisher=Autocar UK}}</ref> In the end sales of the Citroën and DS brands in Europe and China fell by 22% by 2019, and fell even further during the 2020 COVID outbreak.

In January 2020, [[Linda Jackson (businesswoman)|Linda Jackson]] was succeeded as CEO of Citroën by the deputy CEO [[Vincent Cobée]], and she would instead "lead a study to clarify and support brand differentiation within a brand portfolio".<ref name="Autocar">{{cite news |last1=Attwood |first1=James |title=Citroën and DS get new bosses in PSA reshuffle |url=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/industry/citroen-and-ds-get-new-bosses-psa-reshuffle |access-date=5 June 2020 |work=Autocar |date=15 January 2020}}</ref>

Citroën entered the Indian market in early 2021 with the launch of the [[Citroën C5 Aircross|C5 Aircross SUV]] manufactured at the [[Hindustan Motors]] Thiruvallur plant in [[Tamil Nadu]], India.<ref>{{Cite web|title=India-spec Citroen C5 Aircross SUV Unveil On February 1 - ZigWheels|url=https://www.zigwheels.com/news-features/news/indiaspec-citroen-c5-aircross-suv-unveil-on-february-1/40760/|access-date=9 January 2021|website=ZigWheels.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=4 January 2021|title=Citroën C5 Aircross SUV's India unveil date out: What to expect from Karoq, Compass rival|url=https://www.financialexpress.com/auto/car-news/citroen-c5-aircross-suvs-india-unveil-date-out-what-to-expect-from-karoq-compass-rival-specs-features-engine-gearbox-price/2164058/|access-date=9 January 2021|website=The Financial Express|language=en-US}}</ref>

{{multiple image
|align     = center
|direction = horizontal
|total_width = 850
|image1    =
|caption1  = [[Citroën C3|Citroën C3 Pluriel]]
|image2    = Citroën C6 – Frontansicht (1), 26. März 2011, Düsseldorf.jpg
|caption2  = [[Citroën C6]] production top of range sedan
|image3    = Citroën C4L 01 China 2014-04-18.jpg
|caption3  = [[Citroën C4]]L built in Argentina, Russia, and China ([[Dongfeng Peugeot-Citroën]])
|image4    = Citroën C4 HDi 110 Tendance (II) – Frontansicht (1), 11. April 2011, Düsseldorf.jpg
|caption4  = [[Citroën C4]]
}}

===DS brand===
{{Main|DS Automobiles}}
In early 2009, Citroën announced the development of the premium brand '''DS''', for '''Different Spirit''' or '''Distinctive Series''' (although the reference to the historical [[Citroën DS]] is evident), to run in parallel to its mainstream cars. The slogan of the DS car marque is "Spirit of avant-garde".<ref name="DS brand spirit">{{cite news|url=http://www.automotiveworld.com/news-releases/2015-geneva-motor-show-ds-enters-new-era-spirit-avant-garde/|title=2015 Geneva Motor Show: DS enters a new era of the spirit of avant-garde| newspaper = Automotive News|date=3 March 2015|access-date=12 March 2015}}</ref>

This new series of cars started early in 2010, with the [[DS 3|DS3]], a small car based on the floorpan of the new C3. The [[DS 3|DS3]] is based on the concept that preceded the [[Citroën C3|C3 Pluriel]] production model and the [[Citroën DS Inside]] concept car. The [[DS 3|DS3]] is customisable with various roof colours contrasting with the body panels; it was named 2010 ''Car of the Year'' by ''[[Top Gear Magazine]]'', and was awarded best supermini four times in a row by the JD Power Satisfaction Survey UK<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jdpower.com/press-releases/2012-uk-vehicle-ownership-satisfaction-study|title=Citroën DS3 first supermini in the 2012 JD Power Satisfaction Survey|publisher=JD Power|date=24 May 2012|access-date=28 October 2014|archive-date=1 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180701165748/http://www.jdpower.com/press-releases/2012-uk-vehicle-ownership-satisfaction-study|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/motoring/news/article.cfm?c_id=9&objectid=10887677|title=Citroën DS3 first supermini in the 2013 JD Power Satisfaction Survey|newspaper=New Zealand Herald|date=3 June 2013|access-date=28 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jdpower.com/press-releases/2014-uk-vehicle-ownership-satisfaction-study-voss|title=Citroën DS3 first supermini in the 2014 JD Power Satisfaction Survey|publisher=JD Power|date=28 May 2014|access-date=28 October 2014}}</ref> and second most efficient supermini (Citroën DS3 1.6 e-HDi 115 Airdream : True MPG 63.0mpg) by ''What car ?'' behind the [[Citroën C3|C3]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.whatcar.com/car-news/real-world-mpg-efficient-small-cars/1214063|title=Citroën C3 and DS3, most efficient small cars|publisher=What car ?|date=28 May 2014|access-date=28 October 2014}}</ref> In 2013 the [[DS 3|DS3]] was again the best-selling premium subcompact car, with 40% of the European market share, validating the business model of this product development.{{citation needed|date=November 2014}}

The DS series is deeply connected to Citroën, as the [[Citroën DS4|DS4]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.auto-power-girl.com/cars-2011/citroen-specifications/citroen_ds4-4323|title=First Citroën DS4 launched|work=Auto-Power-Girl.com|access-date=7 December 2014|archive-date=25 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925081948/http://www.auto-power-girl.com/cars-2011/citroen-specifications/citroen_ds4-4323|url-status=dead}}</ref> launched in 2010, is based on the 2008 [[Citroën Hypnos]] concept car and the [[Citroën DS5|DS5]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.auto-power-girl.com/cars-2011/citroen-specifications/citroen_ds5-4653|title=First Citroën DS5 launched|work=Auto-Power-Girl.com|access-date=8 October 2014|archive-date=26 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200926121401/http://www.auto-power-girl.com/cars-2011/citroen-specifications/citroen_ds5-4653|url-status=dead}}</ref> which followed in 2015 being based on the 2005 [[DS 5#Citroën C-SportLounge|C-SportLounge]] concept car.
The rear badge is a new DS logo rather than the familiar Citroën double chevron and all will have markedly different styling from their equivalent sister cars.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/233896/citroen_ds_returns.html |title=Citroën DS returns &#124; Auto Express News &#124; News |magazine=Auto Express |date=6 February 2009 |access-date=17 September 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ds3.citroen.com/ |title=Site officiel de la CITROËN DS3 |publisher=Ds3.citroen.com |access-date=17 September 2009}}</ref> Citroën has produced several dramatic looking concept sports cars of late, with the fully working [[Citroën Survolt]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.auto-power-girl.com/cars-2010/citroen-specifications/citroen_survolt_concept-4001|title=First Citroën Survolt Concept|work=Auto-Power-Girl.com|access-date=8 October 2014|archive-date=25 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925140053/http://www.auto-power-girl.com/cars-2010/citroen-specifications/citroen_survolt_concept-4001|url-status=dead}}</ref> being badged as a DS. Indeed, the 2014 DS Divine concept car develops the [[Citroën Survolt]] prototype as the future sport coupé of the DS range.

In China, Citroën has standalone DS showrooms, as well as entire plants built specifically for the production of these vehicles.<ref name="ForbesChina"/> Since 2014 Citroën has sold the Chinese-built [[DS 5LS]] and [[DS 6WR]] in China.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Smy|first1=Damion|title=Citroen DS 6WR (2014) first official pictures|url=http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/News/Search-Results/First-Official-Pictures/Citroen-DS-6WR-2014-first-official-pictures/|website=Car|access-date=16 June 2014|date=15 April 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.carnewschina.com/2014/04/07/citroen-goes-sporty-with-the-ds-5ls-r-for-the-2014-beijing-auto-show/ |title=Citroën goes sporty with the DS 5LS R for the 2014 Beijing Auto Show &#124; CarNewsChina.com - China Auto News |publisher=CarNewsChina.com |date=7 April 2014 |access-date=16 July 2016}}</ref>
{{multiple image
| align     = center
| direction = horizontal
| image1    = 2010 Citroën DS3 (MY10) 1.6 VTI DStyle Plus 3-door hatchback (2016-01-05) 01.jpg
| width1    = 170
| caption1  = [[Citroën DS3]], the most sold ''premium'' car of its category
| image2    = Citroën DS4 HDi 165 SportChic – Frontansicht (1), 4. Juni 2011, Wülfrath.jpg
| width2    = 222
| caption2  = [[Citroën DS4]] Sport Chic, C segment
| image3    = 2013-03-05 Geneva Motor Show 8142.JPG
| width3    = 170
| caption3  = [[DS 5]], D segment
| image4    = DS 6WR 01 Auto China 2014-04-23.jpg
| width4    = 195
| caption4  = [[DS 6]], SUV segment – developed for China
}}

==Advertising==
{{Expand section|date=November 2024}}
Citroën was the first to write in the sky with an airplane. On 4 October 1922, during the opening of the Auto Show, a plane traced the word "Citroën" in smoke letters across the Paris sky.<ref name=":0" />

They also contracted [[Jean Giraud]] to lanch a promotion comic strip for their sales force, several years before 1987. 

==Awards==
Citroën was recognised in the 1999 [[Car of the Century]] competition as producing the third most influential car of the 20th century, the [[Citroën DS]], behind the [[Ford Model T]] and BMC [[Mini]].

Citroën has produced three winners of the 50-year-old [[European Car of the Year]] award, and many rated second or third place.

{{unbulleted list|1971 – [[Citroën GS]]|1975 – [[Citroën CX]]|1990 – [[Citroën XM]]}}

Citroën has produced one winner of the [[United States]] [[Motor Trend Car of the Year|''Motor Trend'' Car of the Year]] award – the original [[Car of the Year]] designation, which began in 1949. This was especially significant because this award used to be only given to cars designed and built in the United States.<ref>{{cite web |first=Chris |last=Nagy |url=http://www.automoblog.net/2012/11/14/tesla-model-s-named-car-of-the-year-by-motor-trend/ |title=Powered Up: Tesla Model S Named 'Car of the Year' By Motor Trend |publisher=Automoblog.net |date=14 November 2012 |access-date=16 July 2016 |archive-date=2 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160402212405/http://www.automoblog.net/2012/11/14/tesla-model-s-named-car-of-the-year-by-motor-trend/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
{{unbulleted list|1972 – [[Citroën SM]]}}

{{multiple image
| align     = center
| direction = horizontal
| image1    = Citroën XM EuroCitro 2014.jpg
| width1    = 203
| caption1  = [[Citroën XM]] 1990 COTY in Europe
| image2    = Citroen C5 2.0 2011 (14207428889).jpg
| width2    = 181
| caption2  = [[Citroën C5]] 2009 COTY in Ireland and Spain
| image3    = Citroën C4-Picasso Mk2-7 places Front.JPG
| width3    = 230
| caption3  = [[Citroën C4 Picasso]], 2014 COTY in Ireland
| image4    = Citroën C4 Cactus BlueHDi 100 Shine Edition – Frontansicht (3), 2. November 2014, Münster.jpg
| width4    = 235
| caption4  = [[Citroën C4 Cactus]], Car of the year in Spain, Denmark, and second at the Car of the year in Europe 2015
}}

Citroën has produced eight ''Auto Europa'' winners in 28 years, since 1987. ''Auto Europa'' is the prize awarded by the jury of the Italian Union of Automotive Journalists (UIGA), which annually celebrates the best car produced at least at 10,000 units in the 27 countries of the European Union: [[Citroën XM]] (1990), [[Citroën ZX]] (1992), [[Citroën Xantia]] (1994), [[Citroën Xsara Picasso]] (2001), [[Citroën C5]] (2002), [[Citroën C3]] (2003), [[Citroën C4]] (2005) and [[Citroën DS4]] (2012).

In 2023, Citroën won the 'Sustainability Initiative Award' of the year at the Auto Trader New Cars Awards 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Sustainability Initiative Award 2023 – Citroën |url=https://www.autotrader.co.uk/content/news/the-sustainability-initiative-award-2023-citroen?refresh=true |access-date=21 September 2023 |website=AutoTrader}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=CITROËN SCOOPS SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR PRIZE AT AUTO TRADER NEW CAR AWARDS 2023 |url=https://www.media.stellantis.com/uk-en/citroen/press/citroen-uk-scoops-sustainability-initiative-of-the-year-prize-at-auto-trader-new-car-awards-2023 |access-date=21 September 2023 |website=Stellantis}}</ref>

==Motorsport==
{{see also|Citroën Racing|Citroën World Rally Team|Citroën World Touring Car Team}}

'''Citroën Racing''', previously known as '''Citroën Sport''' and before that as '''Citroën Competitions''', is the division responsible for Citroën's own sporting activities. It is a successful winning competitor in the [[World Rally Championship]] and in the [[World Touring Car Championship]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://us.motorsport.com/wtcc/news/wtcc-targets-major-cost-reduction-programme-for-2017-692191/2977983/|title=WTCC targets major cost reduction programme for 2017|website=us.motorsport.com|date=27 April 2016 |language=en|access-date=9 April 2019}}</ref> 

In 2019, Citroën announced its withdrawal from the World Rally Championship (WRC).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Citroën abandonne le championnat du monde des rallyes |url=https://www.lesechos.fr/industrie-services/automobile/citroen-abandonne-le-championnat-du-monde-des-rallyes-1149480 |website=Les Echos}}</ref>

===Early rally wins for Citroën vehicles===
[[File:Timo Korpivaara - 1956 Rally Finland.jpg|thumb|1956 [[Citroën DS]] at [[Rally Finland]]/1000 Lakes Rally]]
[[File:Rétromobile 2011 - Citroën SM Rallye du Maroc 1971 - 003.jpg|thumb|1971 [[Citroën SM]] that won [[Rallye du Maroc]]]]

Citroën vehicles were entered in endurance [[Rallying|rally driving]] events beginning in 1956, with the introduction of the [[Citroën DS|DS]].<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite web|url=http://www.citroenet.org.uk/sport/ds-rally-cars-01.html |title=Citroën DS in sport |publisher=Citroenet.org.uk |date=10 June 2000 |access-date=16 July 2016}}</ref> The brand was successful and won many key events over a decades long period, with what was essentially the same production car design.

{| class="wikitable"
|+
|-
!Year
!Rally
!Winning car
|-
!1959
|{{flagicon|Monaco}} [[1959 Monte Carlo Rally|Monte Carlo Rally]] || [[Citroën DS]]
|-
!1961
|{{flagicon|France}} [[Tour de Corse]] || [[Citroën DS]]
|-
!1962
|{{flagicon|Finland}} [[Rally Finland]] || [[Citroën DS]]
|-
!1963
|{{flagicon|France}} [[Tour de Corse]] || [[Citroën DS]]
|-
!1966
|{{flagicon|Monaco}} [[Monte Carlo Rally]] || [[Citroën DS]]
|-
!1969
|{{flagicon|Portugal}} [[Rally de Portugal]] || [[Citroën DS]]
|-
!1969
|{{flagicon|Morocco}} [[Rallye du Maroc]] || [[Citroën DS]]
|-
!1970
|{{flagicon|Morocco}} [[Rallye du Maroc]] || [[Citroën DS]]
|-
!1971
|{{flagicon|Morocco}} [[Rallye du Maroc]] || [[Citroën SM]]
|-
!1974
|{{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[1974 London-Sahara-Munich World Cup Rally]] || [[Citroën DS]] (privately entered)
|}

===Racing the 2CV===
Citroën discovered that while racing the uniquely slow [[Citroën 2CV|2CV]] against other cars made little sense, they could be interesting to watch racing against each other. Citroën Competitions sponsored three long distance competitions – Paris-Kaboul-Paris in 1970, Paris-Persepolis-Paris in 1972, and Raid Afrique in 1973.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.passion-citroen.com/l-aventure-sportive/les-raids-citro%C3%ABn/paris-persepolis-paris/|title=Paris-Persepolis-Paris - www.passion-citroen.com|date=6 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131006045007/http://www.passion-citroen.com/l-aventure-sportive/les-raids-citro%C3%ABn/paris-persepolis-paris/|archive-date=6 October 2013}}</ref><ref>http://raid2cv-cinoche.blogspot.com in French</ref>

Enthusiasts carried on the tradition with ''2CV Cross'' – a group of 2CV's racing around a dirt track – a sport that continues today.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.2cvracing.org.uk/aboutus/history-of-the-club |title=History of the club |access-date=2 December 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130619133535/http://www.2cvracing.org.uk/aboutus/history-of-the-club |archive-date=19 June 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.2cvcross.fr/podiums.php |title=in French |publisher=2cvcross.fr |access-date=16 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171228000659/http://www.2cvcross.fr/podiums.php |archive-date=28 December 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Rebuilding the competition group===
The Citroën Competitions division was impacted negatively by the firm's 1974 bankruptcy.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

Competitive rallying was also changing – away from standard production cars to specially developed low volume models. In response to the entry of the competitive short wheel base [[Group B]] [[4 wheel drive]] [[Audi Quattro]] into rallying, Citroën developed the heavily modified [[Group B]] [[Citroën BX#4TC|Citroën BX 4TC]] in [[1986 World Rally Championship season|1986]].

The team returned successfully with the [[Citroën ZX]] Rally Raid to win the [[Rally Raid]] Manufacturer's Championship five times (1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, and 1997) with [[Pierre Lartigue]] and [[Ari Vatanen]]. Citroën Racing won the [[Dakar Rally]] four times, in 1991, continuing the serial of four victories of [[Peugeot#Motorsport|Peugeot sport]], and then again in 1994, 1995, and 1996.

From 2001, the Citroën Racing team returned successfully to the [[World Rally Championship]], winning eight times the [[List of World Rally Championship Constructors' Champions|Manufacturer's Title]], continuing the serial of three WRC Championships victories of [[Peugeot#Motorsport|Peugeot sport]], in [[2003 World Rally Championship season|2003]], [[2004 World Rally Championship season|2004]], [[2005 World Rally Championship season|2005]], [[2008 World Rally Championship season|2008]], [[2009 World Rally Championship season|2009]], [[2010 World Rally Championship season|2010]], [[2011 World Rally Championship season|2011]] and [[2012 World Rally Championship season|2012]]. The [[Citroën World Rally Team|Citroën WRC Team]] pilot [[Sébastien Loeb]] also won nine [[List of World Rally Championship Drivers' Champions|Drivers' Championships]]. In 2004, 2005, and [[2006 World Rally Championship season|2006]], the French pilot won the [[List of World Rally Championship Drivers' Champions|Drivers' Championship]], driving the [[Citroën Xsara|Citroën Xsara WRC]], in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 with the [[Citroën C4|Citroën C4 WRC]], and in 2011 and 2012 with the new [[Citroën DS3|Citroën DS3 WRC]].

The [[Citroën World Rally Team]] has a record of 97 victories in the World Rally Championship.

{{multiple image
| align = center
| direction = horizontal
| image1 = Loeb-rmc2008.jpg
| width1 = 265
| caption1 = [[Sébastien Loeb]] with his [[Citroën C4]] at the 2008 [[Monte Carlo Rally]]
| image2 = Al Qassami Baiao Rally de portugal 2016.jpg
| width2 = 210
| caption2 = [[Khalid Al-Qassimi]] with his [[Citroën DS3 WRC]] at the 2016 [[Rally de Portugal]]
| image3 = Citroën C-Elysée WTCC - Mondial de l'Automobile de Paris 2014 - 002.jpg
| width3 = 210
| caption3 = [[Citroën C-Elysée|Citroën C-Elysée WTCC]] on display
| total_width = 
| alt1 = 
}}

===New competition division for touring cars===
In 2012, Citroën announced plans to enter the [[World Touring Car Championship]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1079473_citroen-committed-to-wrc-considering-wtcc-entry-with-sebastien-loeb|title=Citroën Committed To WRC, Considering WTCC Entry With Sebastien Loeb|website=Motor Authority|date=28 September 2012 |language=en|access-date=13 April 2020}}</ref> The team transformed a [[Citroën DS3 WRC|DS3 WRC]] into a laboratory vehicle to help with early development, while the engine was an evolution of their WRC engine which had been used in the WRC since 2011.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.touringcartimes.com/2014/01/24/citroen-continues-extensive-testing-program-ahead-of-wtcc-debut/|title=Citroën continues intense testing programme|date=24 January 2014|website=TouringCarTimes|language=en-US|access-date=13 April 2020}}</ref> Citroën started developing the car for the new TC1 regulations, which were brought forward a year early in 2014 to expedite the entry of Citroën into the championship.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.touringcartimes.com/2013/10/14/how-the-2014-wtcc-is-shaping-up-so-far/|title=How the 2014 WTCC is shaping up so far|date=14 October 2013|website=TouringCarTimes|language=en-US|access-date=13 April 2020}}</ref> The introduction of the new regulations a year earlier than planned gave a seven-month development headstart to Citroën over the other manufacturers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.touringcartimes.com/2015/02/17/wtcc-boss-expects-closer-fight-between-the-manufacturers-this-year/|title=WTCC boss expects closer fight between the manufacturers this year|date=17 February 2015|website=TouringCarTimes|language=en-US|access-date=13 April 2020}}</ref> This large development advantage combined with a big budget and a strong driver line-up made Citroën the clear favourite going into the first season of the new regulations in 2014.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.touringcartimes.com/2014/04/04/citroen-racing-ready-for-wtcc-debut-at-marrakech/|title=Citroën Racing ready for WTCC debut at Marrakech|date=4 April 2014|website=TouringCarTimes|language=en-US|access-date=13 April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.autosport.com/wtcr/news/122339/huff-wtcc-needed-citroen-to-leave|title=Rob Huff certain Citroën quitting is good for the WTCC|last=Cozens|first=Jack|website=Autosport.com|date=26 December 2015 |language=en|access-date=13 April 2020}}</ref> Citroën would go on to win most of the races that season as well as the manufacturers' title, while [[José María López]] won the drivers' title. The team would repeat this feat in 2015 and 2016, before the factory team left the series at the end of 2016. A number of Citroëns were still raced by other teams in 2017, but were outpaced by the Hondas and the Volvos.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.touringcartimes.com/2017/12/28/touringcartimes-top-30-drivers-2017-10-1/|title=TouringCarTimes' Top 30 drivers of 2017: 10 to 1|date=28 December 2017|website=TouringCarTimes|language=en-US|access-date=13 April 2020}}</ref>

==Concept cars==
{{main|List of Citroën concept cars}}
Citroën has produced numerous [[concept cars]] over the decades, previewing future design trends or technologies. Notable concepts include the [[Citroën Karin]] (1980), [[Citroën Activa]] (1988), [[Citroën C-Métisse]] (2006), [[GT by Citroën]] (2008) and [[Citroën Survolt]] (2010).

{{multiple image
| align             = center
| direction         = horizontal
| image1            = Paris - Retromobile 2014 - Citroën prototype C10 - 1956 - 004.jpg
| width1            = 230
| caption1          = [[Citroën Prototype C|Citroën C-10]] (1955)
| image2            = CitroenC-Metisse.JPG
| width2            = 200
| caption2          = [[Citroën C-Métisse]] (2006)
| image3            = Citroën Hypnos 002.jpg
| width3            = 200
| caption3          = [[Citroën Hypnos]] (2008)
}}

==Logo==
[[File:Engrenages - 85.488 -.jpg|thumb|120px|The gears with ''[[Herringbone gear|double chevrons]]'' that reputedly were the basis of the Citroën logo]]
The origin of the logo may be traced back to a trip made by the 22-year-old André Citroën to the city of [[Łódź]] in [[Poland]], where he discovered an innovative design for a [[Chevron (insignia)|chevron]]-shaped [[gear]] used in [[Milling (grinding)|milling]]. He bought the patent for its application in steel. Mechanically a gear with [[helix|helical]] teeth produces an axial force. By adding a second helical gear in opposition, this force is cancelled. The two [[chevron (insignia)|chevron]]s of the logo represent the intermeshing contact of the two.<ref>{{cite web|title=Citroën Logo: Design and History|url=http://www.famouslogos.net/citroen-logo|publisher=FamousLogos.net|access-date=19 August 2011|archive-date=18 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018003857/http://www.famouslogos.net/citroen-logo|url-status=dead}}</ref> Early Citroën cars used a herringbone bevel gear [[final drive]] in the rear axle.<ref>{{cite journal
    |title=Autocar Handbook
    |journal=The Autocar
    |edition=Ninth
    |date=c. 1919 
    |publisher=Iliffe & Sons |location=London
}}</ref>

The presentation of the logo has evolved over time. Before the war, it was rendered in yellow on a blue background. After the war, the chevrons became more subtle [[Herringbone pattern|herringbones]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.citroen-mania.com.ar/logo-citroen.htm |title=Logo: Citroën |access-date=18 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130216084114/http://www.citroen-mania.com.ar/logo-citroen.htm |archive-date=16 February 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> usually on a white background. With the company searching for a new image during the 1980s, the logo became white on red to give an impression of dynamism.

On 5 February 2009, Citroën launched a new brand identity to celebrate its 90th anniversary, replacing the 1985 design. The new logo was a 3D metallic variation of the double chevron logo accompanied by a new font for the Citroën name and the new slogan "Créative Technologie". A TV campaign reminiscing over {{val|90|u=years}} of Citroën was commissioned to announce the new identity to the public.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkpyz8etla0| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211102/pkpyz8etla0| archive-date=2 November 2021 | url-status=live|title=90 Years Citroën TV Ad (Youtube Video)| website=[[YouTube]]| date=20 July 2009}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In October 2016, Citroën released an alternative version of its logo in 2D, adopting the [[flat design]] style, which was very popular at the time.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Un nouveau logo pour Citroën |url=https://www.caradisiac.com/un-nouveau-logo-pour-citroen-110567.htm |website=caradisiac|date=16 October 2016 }}</ref> In 2022, the brand unveiled a new badge design which is a modern-day representation of its original 1919 logo, returning the oval shape to the two chevrons.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.carscoops.com/2022/09/citroen-unveils-new-logo-inspired-from-its-past-teases-new-concept/ | title=Citroen Unveils New Logo Inspired from Its Past, Teases New Concept | date=27 September 2022 }}</ref>

===Logo evolution===
Citroën logos through the history:<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a41470144/citroen-new-logo-coming/| first = Fred | last = Smith|date=30 September 2022|title=Citroën Is Getting a New Logo|work=Car and Driver}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.dezeen.com/2022/09/30/citroen-reinterprets-original-logo-electric-cars-news/|first = Alice | last = Finney|date=30 September 2022|title=Citroën returns to original logo to create "symbol of progress" for electric era|work=dezeen}}</ref> <gallery perrow="5">
File:Logo-citroen-1919.png      | 1919–1921
File:Citroen Logo 1919-1932.jpg | 1921–1932
File:Citroen swan logo.png      | 1932–1936
File:Logo-1936-1959.png         | 1936–1959
File:Logo.citroen.1960.png      | 1959–1966
File:Citroen-1959.png           | 1966–1985
File:Citroën Logo.svg           | 1985–2009
File:Logo-citroen.jpg           | 2005–2012 (badge)
File:Citroen-logo-2009.png      | 2009–2016
File:Citroen 2016 logo.svg      | 2016–2022
File:Citro%C3%ABn_2021.svg      | 2021–2022 (alternative logo)
File:Citroen 2022.svg           | 2022–present
</gallery>

==Factories==
*Argentina ([[El Palomar, Buenos Aires|El Palomar]]): C4 Lounge (2013–2021), Berlingo
*Brazil ([[Porto Real]]): C4 Cactus, C3
*France ([[Stellantis Mulhouse Plant|Mulhouse]]): DS 4 (2010–2018), DS 7
*France ([[Stellantis Poissy Plant|Poissy]]): DS 3
*France ([[Stellantis Rennes Plant|Rennes]]): C5 Aircross<ref>{{Cite web|last=AMS|date=25 June 2018|title=PSA adds fourth shift to Rennes plant|url=https://www.automotivemanufacturingsolutions.com/psa-adds-fourth-shift-to-rennes-plant/36586.article|access-date=14 August 2020|website=Automotive Manufacturing Solutions|language=en}}</ref>
*France ([[Stellantis Sochaux Plant|Sochaux]]): DS 5 (2011-2018)
*Portugal ([[Stellantis Mangualde Plant|Mangualde]]): Berlingo
*Slovakia ([[Stellantis Trnava Plant|Trnava]]): C3
*Spain ([[Madrid]]): C4 Cactus
*Spain ([[Opel]] [[Zaragoza]]): C3 Aircross
*Spain ([[Stellantis Vigo Plant|Vigo]]): Berlingo First, Berlingo, Xsara Picasso, C4 Picasso / C4 Grand Picasso, C-Elysee
*Turkey ([[Tofaş]] [[Bursa]]): Nemo (2007-2017)

Some joint venture models are manufactured in third party or joint venture factories, including the following:
*China ([[Shenzhen]]), [[Chang'an Automobile Group|Chang'an]] PSA joint venture: DS 5LS and DS 6WR
*China ([[Wuhan]]), [[Dongfeng Peugeot-Citroën Automobile]] joint venture: C-Elysee, C3 L, Xsara Picasso, C4 L, C5
*Czech Republic ([[Kolín]]), Toyota/PSA joint venture: C1
*France ([[Valenciennes]]), PSA/Fiat joint venture [[Sevel Nord]]: Jumpy/Dispatch
*India ([[Tiruvallur]]), PSA/CK Birla Group joint venture: C3, C3 Aircross, C5 Aircross, Basalt
*Indonesia ([[Purwakarta Regency|Purwakarta]]): ë-C3
*Italy ([[Val di Sangro]]), PSA/Fiat joint venture [[Sevel Sud]]: Jumper/Relay
*Japan ([[Kurashiki, Okayama|Mizushima]]), [[Mitsubishi Motors]] plant: C-Zero
*Russia ([[Kaluga]]), PSA/Mitsubishi joint venture: C4, C-Crosser
*Iran ([http://www.saipa-citroen.ir Kashan]), [[SAIPA]] Citroën JV: C3, C3xr, C4
*Turkey ([[Karsan]]): Berlingo

==International markets==
===Australia===
Having been present in Australia since 1923, Citroën has been the country's longest continuously-running car manufacturer. However, the brand announced in August 2024 that it would stop taking orders in Australia by 1 November 2024 due to slow sales.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.carscoops.com/2024/08/citroen-leaving-australia-after-being-outsold-by-ferrari/|title=Citroen Leaving Australia After Being Outsold By Ferrari &#124; Carscoops}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Après plus de cent ans de présence, Citroën se retire du marché australien |url=https://www.automobile-magazine.fr/toute-l-actualite/article/44235-apres-plus-de-100-ans-de-presence-citroen-se-retire-du-marche-australien |website=automobile magazine|date=17 August 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Citroën quitte l'Australie après des ventes catastrophiques |url=https://www.actu-automobile.com/2024/08/19/citroen-quitte-laustralie-apres-des-ventes-catastrophiques/ |website=actu automobile|date=19 August 2024 }}</ref>

==Current product lineup==
{{Main list|List of Citroën vehicles}}

===Citroën===
<gallery>
File:Citroën C3 (4th generation) DSC 7103.jpg|[[Citroën C3|Citroën C3 IV]]
File:Citroën C3 Aircross (2024) Auto Zuerich 2024 DSC 6107.jpg|[[Citroën C3 Aircross|Citroën C3 Aircross III]]
File:2025 Citroën C4 Auto Zuerich 2024 DSC 6108.jpg|[[Citroën C4]]
File:Citroen C5 X PHEV 1X7A0152.jpg|[[Citroën C5 X]]
File:2022_Citroen_C5_Aircross.jpg|[[Citroën C5 Aircross]]
File:Citroën Berlingo M BlueHDi 130 EAT8 Max XTR (III, Facelift) – f 07072024.jpg|[[Citroën Berlingo]]
File:2024 Citroën ë-Jumpy Automesse Ludwigsburg 2024 IMG 1391.jpg|[[Citroën Jumpy]]
</gallery>

===DS line===
<gallery>
File:DS3 Crossback E-Tense, Paris Motor Show 2018, IMG 0697.jpg|[[DS 3]]
File:DS 4 E-Tense (2021) Auto Zuerich 2021 IMG 0542.jpg|[[DS 4]]
File:DS, Paris Motor Show 2018, Paris (1Y7A1419).jpg|[[DS 7 Crossback|DS 7]]
File:DS_9_E-Tense_Auto_Zuerich_2021_IMG_0396.jpg|[[DS 9]]
</gallery>

===Dongfeng Peugeot-Citroën (joint venture)===
<gallery>
File:Citroen C5X 001.jpg|[[Citroën C5|Citroën C5 X]]
File:C5aircross.jpg|[[Citroën C5 Aircross]]
</gallery>

==See also==
{{Portal|Cars|France|Companies}}
*[[List of automobile manufacturers of France]]
*[[List of companies of France]]
*[[Lane departure warning system]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite book|last1=Broustail|first1=Joël|last2=Greggio|first2=Rodolphe|title=Citroën: Essai sur 80 ans d'antistratégie|trans-title=Citroën: Essay on 80 years of doing its own thing|year=2000|publisher=Vuibert|location=Paris|isbn=2711778185|language=fr}}
*{{cite book|last=Gallard|first=Philippe|title=A l'assaut du monde: L'aventure Peugeot-Citroën|trans-title=Storming the World: The Peugeot-Citroën Adventure|year=2004|publisher=Bourin|location=Paris|isbn=2849410136|language=fr}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website}}
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* [http://www.citroenorigins.fr/en Citroën Origins] (historical models) 
{{Citroën}}
{{Citroën timeline 1950–1989}}
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