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2012 Shannons Melbourne Spring Classic Auction
Lot
20

1925 Citroen 5CV Roadster

$23,500

Sold

Specifications

Engine 846cc In-Line 4cyl
Gearbox 3-Speed Manual
Body Work Roadster
Colour Red
Interior Black
Trim Vinyl
Wheels Steel Disc
Brakes Drums

Description

This lot is no longer available

Andre Citroen pioneered a number of innovations for his automobiles, defying convention from the day his first car rolled out of the Paris factory in May 1919. The first Citroen was the 10hp Type 5, notable as the first European car built to use American mass-production techniques and was a huge success. The Type A was replaced by the more powerful 1.5-litre Type B in 1921 and the range expanded the following year to include the smaller 5CV Type C - commonly referred to as the Petit Citron (which translates as the 'Little Lemon', a reference to the bright yellow colour scheme most were sold in) - employing an 856cc engine. Especially popular with women, the 5CV was remarkably easy to operate (an electric starter was standard), cheap to run and proved a great success, lasting in production until 1926. The original C and updated C2 models had a tourer body built on a 2.25-metre wheelbase while the C3 had a 'cloverleaf' three-seat arrangement and came on a longer 2.35-metre wheelbase. All used inverted quarter-elliptic spring suspension, with braking to the rear wheels (with a hand lever) and transmission (via a foot brake). The first Citroens arrived in Australia just after World War One and these great French Light Cars remain very popular around the world today.