Stopover

Sometimes, or rather often, those of us who were interested at the time would have liked to have been there. We would have loved to have been a fly on the wall, for example in the mid-1950s, when Citroën’s management discussed how to proceed. Although the French had two models on offer, the 2CV and the DS, which sold very well, there was a gap in between. And that needed to be filled urgently, because the 2CV, for which there was sometimes a two-year waiting list, wasn’t making enough money – and the DS was a luxury car at the time. In addition, Citroën had initially acquired a 25 per cent stake in Panhard in 1955, continuously increased its shareholding – and had no idea what to do with its former competitor. (Ah, what a wonderful story, Panhard – and then Panhard and Citroën, but perhaps we’ll save that for another time.)

Chaos reigned supreme. It is also difficult to keep track of the chronological sequence of events because various projects were probably running simultaneously, influencing each other – or not at all. If you delve a little into the relevant literature (including that on Panhard), it seems that neither side knew what to do or what not to do. Then, in 1961, came the Ami 6, Bertoni’s wonderful masterpiece; its predecessor was Project M. But there was already, or depending on your point of view, still in 1960, the C60.

The basis: the DS. Massively slimmed down, the hydropneumatic suspension was only to be found in the more expensive versions; otherwise, even the prototype remained classic. Interior: also DS, but simpler. The engines: four-cylinder boxers with 1100 and 1400 cc displacement, one as a doubled 2CV engine, the other possibly with a turbine on two cylinders (no idea how that would have worked – if anyone knows anything about this, please, please, thank you); the smaller engine had 55.5 hp at 5500 rpm, the larger one 80 or 90 hp.

And finally, the design: astonishing. A Bertoni design, the rear end and C-pillar are clearly recognisable as the later Ami 6, while the front end is a DS with strong Panhard influences, see: headlights. Only this one example was ever made, which is now in the Citroën Conservatoire. There is more, much more from the (unfortunately no longer existing) Conservatoire: here. And we have even more Citroën in the archive.