Citroen centenary celebration

They call themselves Citroenistes. It’s a special word. They are more than Citroen drivers. Far more than people who can’t afford a BMW. Far, far more than someone let down by the dodgy electrics on a C4 Picasso or the suspension on a Saxo (though sometimes their ardour overcomes such inconveniences).

Citroenistes are more than Citroen fans, or enthusiasts, or even lovers. They are people for whom Citroen is a passion, a part of them. The cliche would be “part of their DNA”. This would work well, actually, if Citroen had ever made a car called a DNA. The nearest was the LNA, an early 1980s hatchback that was just a rebadged Peugeot 104 and, thus, didn’t actually have any Citroen DNA in its make-up and was a bit of a low point for the marque.

Anyway, the nearest English equivalent to Citroeniste is probably “Citroen nutter” and they, and their voitures, turned out in formidable numbers for a Citroen centenary celebration last week.

Organised by the vast network of Citroen clubs, mostly across continental Europe but some even further afield, it was a testament to the passion the vehicles induce in les Citroenistes. Some brands are like that. The supercar ones, obviously, though often driven by investment motives rather than enthusiasm. Plus some humbler makes and models – Alfa, Saab, Mini, VW Beetles, Ford Mustang, MG. But they are rather a select band, and none more deranged than Citroen’s crowd.

This is because Citroen has produced such a vast array of cars in its time – some brilliant, world-beaters, iconic (in the true sense) or outstandingly beautiful. There was, for example, the Citroen SM of 1973, a bizarre joint venture with Maserati to price an exclusive coupe for the super-rich in the Apollo age. (The oil crisis soon killed this 16mpg oddity off). Here we also recall with reverence the Traction Avant of 1934 – low slung, front-wheel drive when it was pioneering, roomy. The DS of 1955 was similar, except even more revolutionary and futuristic with its hydropneumatic “magic carpet” suspension. It still looks gorgeous – and by contemporary 2019 standards too: sans pareil.

Or the 2CV, the prototype design of which they hid in a barn from the Germans during the Second World War, and which conformed to founder Andre Citroen’s instruction that he wanted a car that would take a family and a crate of eggs across a typical rutted French field. So everything from the last of the traditional coach-built grand tourers to corrugated vans for les boulangers – and, thus, a legacy of varied followers of the religion.

There have been clunkers too, on which we need not dwell – rusty, dull, grey (in all senses), cashback horrors. Yet they failed to extinguish the spirit of the brand.

There was a lot of Citroenisme at the Rassemblement du Siecle, held at La Ferte-Vidame in the Central Loire Valley, which is part Peugeot Citroen test facility and part ruined palace. Some 11,000 Citroenistes brought 5,000 cars, for around 50,000 visitors, genuflecting at each gleaming chevron.

The bosses were there too, including Citroen CEO Linda Jackson, who says that her next ambitions for the brand are: to “complete the range” with a new C-segment hatch and a large saloon; crack India, a promising but “complex” market with an emphasis on local sourcing and value-for-money SUVs; electrification, though with no specific target for pure battery driven vehicles – she wants the customer to drive their decisions.

Unsurprisingly Jackson declares she is “blown away” and “amazed” by the “passion” for the Citroen brand, and that that gives her an added sense of her own responsibilities (which she has held since 2014).

Her new big Citroen saloon, a spiritual successor to the DS, CX, XM and Citroen C6 is definitely on its way, although it is something Citroen hasn’t attempted in recent years. It will sit alongside its sibling the Peugeot 508 in the D-segment, will be differentiated from other groups’ models (modern DS and Peugeot) by price and also by “markers”, says Jackson – so there will be no wood, no leather and no chrome in the new posh saloon. Intriguing, and different, and in its way innovative too: I wonder what the Citroenistes will make of it?

She’d also like to re-imagine the 2CV as “accessible” transport. “Retro is cool” she agrees. Maybe a reborn 21st-century 2CV will be the car to get Indians on the road, just as it once did for the French.

Here’s to le deuxieme centenaire.