The Company in 1919
- André Citroën starts converting the munition factory of the Quai de Javel in Paris
- Inspired by the industrial model put into practice by Henri Ford in the US, andré Citroën decides to import modern working methods in order to manufacture robust, economical cars in large numbers. His ambition is to mass produce cars (he dreams of a thousand vehicles a day) in order to bring prices down and so to male cars more democratic.
- André Citroën quickly introduces a number of innovations in employee facilities at the Javel plant, including a sick bay, a dental surgery and a creche.
- Annual production : 2 810 vehicles
The models in 1919
Zoom
Type A : 1919-1921
production : 24.093
- The type A, Citroën's first production car, appears in June. It is the first mass-produced car to be built in Europe and also the first low-cost car to be sold fully equipped : electric starter and lighting, bonnet, spare wheel and tyre, etc. It is the first French car with a left-hand drive. It is also the first car to be aimed specifically at the general public, designed to be driven by everybody. The launch price of FF 7,950 is exceptionally low by the standards of the time.
- The type A is powered by an extremely economical 1,327 cc, 4-cylinder engine consuming just 7.5-litres of petrol per 100 km. Developing 18 bhp at 2,100 rpm, it is equipped with a 3-speed gearbox and is rated 8 bhp. It can reach a top speed of 65 km/h in stages. The type A is available as a 3-door, 3 or 4 seater open tourer, a 3-door, 3 or 4 seater limousine and a town coupé.
- Between may 1919 and december 1921, the type A is produced in 24,093 examples (all types). At the end of the year, the first cmmercial vehicle appears : a flatbed truck with a 300 kg payload built on the Type A chassis.
In the news in 1919
- France introduces a law on collective bargaining. The working week is fixed at 40 hours, compared with 48 hours in the UK
- The Paris Peace Conference founds the League of Nations
- the treaty of Versailles is signed
- Germany adopts the Weimar Constitution
- The third International is established