Book Description:
The full story of the Citro n marque in the United Kingdom from 1923 to 2003 (together with the history of the Citro n factory at Slough between 1926 and 1966) is told in an impressive new book to be published in February 2004 by Dalton Watson Fine Books Ltd, specialists in high quality automotive literature. Though entirely independent, Eighty Years of Citro n in the United Kingdom is never the less the only officially authorised and endorsed account of the Double Chevron company s British activities ever produced. It traces the founding and development of Citro n Cars Ltd and its successor Citro n UK Ltd between 1923 and 2003, and documents the right hand drive vehicles built at the Slough Works between 1926 and 1966, together with all those models subsequently imported from France between 1966 and 2003. The book relates that although Citro n is currently enjoying unprecedented popularity in the UK with annual sales exceeding 160,000 vehicles, it was not always so successful. Despite the fact that the company is actually one of the oldest names in the British motor industry, being the second longest established of all foreign and imported makes in Great Britain., on more than one occasion in the past its French owners considered closing down its operations here and withdrawing from the British market. Pre war, post war and even wartime production is fully listed and lavishly illustrated by almost 400 historic press and publicity pictures from the Citro n archives (216 b/w and 170 full colour) together with numerous examples of contemporary advertising material, and also by a series of stunning full colour photos showing some of the very best surviving historic cars, either restored or in their original state. Eighty Years of Citro n in the United Kingdom will surely appeal to all Citro n owners and enthusiasts world wide, together with a more general readership interested in the development of popular motoring and the motor industry in the United Kingdom. A major aspect of its attractions lies in the very high quality of design, reproduction and printing it offers for a relatively modest price, perhaps unequalled by any previous book on Citro n matters published in any language. Indeed, its appeal will be recognised by all collectors of fine motoring books The book s informative but entertaining text of over 80,000 words reviews the complete span of right hand drive vehicles sold in the UK, including the conventional rear wheel drive cars of the Andre Citro n era 1919 1934, the Traction Avant of 1934 1956, the Citro n Kegresse, the 2CV of 1949 1990, the DS and ID series of 1955 1975 as well as the Citro n Maserati SM of 1970 1975 and the later GS/GSA, CX and BX models. A final chapter discusses the familiar modern day right hand drive Citro ns seen on the British roads today, from the XM, Xantia and Xsara right up to the latest C2, C3 and C5 models. It also features an appendix providing extensive information and data covering production, sales and chassis numbers, never previously published
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