This French automobile manufacturer derives its name from its founder, André Citroën, who was born in 1878. From a young age, Citroën was impressed by the assembly-line methods Henry Ford was using to manufacture cars, and he followed Ford’s lead. In 1919, the first Citroën auto, the Type A, rolled off the first mass-production assembly line outside of the United States. In 1921, Citroën taxis were introduced on the streets of Paris, causing a huge commotion at the Paris Motor Show. In 1922, Citroën 5HP cars were made available to the general public, yet only in one color—lemon yellow. That same year, a Citroën expedition crossed the Sahara successfully, an impressive feat at the time. In 1934, Citroën introduced the world’s first mass-production front-wheel-drive car, the Traction Avant, which the company manufactured until 1957. From 1949 to 1990, Citroën produced the 2CV, perhaps the company's most iconic car. Designed to help transition the French working class from horses and carts to cars, the 2CV boasted a reasonable price, a simplistic design, and excellent hauling and off-road capabilities. During its lifetime, Citroën produced close to five million 2CVs. Even now, Citroën is renowned for producing some of the most stunning and eye-catching models of cars, the new C3 being the latest entrant.
Citroën’s rally winning heritage is stamped all over this streetable version of its WRC car driven by seven-time world champion Sebastian Loeb. The influence on its design is obvious and it translates to pure fun on- or off-road. Exclusivity comes standard as only 1000 were built. As hot hatches go, few match the deliberate rally-inspired design in the DS3R.
