1970 - 1979

Visa : 1978-1988
production : 1.222.608

The Company in 1978

In Spain, the Orense plant comes on line, making mechanical components for the Vigo plant.
In France, the SMAE (Société Mécanique Automobile de l'Est) is founded in Metz (Lorraine region) as a subsidiary of Citroën and Peugeot. SMAE comprises the two factories of Metz-Borny (gearboxes) and Metz-Tremery (engines, started up in 1979) and also supplies mechanical assemblies to the PSA companies and to other customers.
A computerized spare parts centre is opened outside Paris in Melun-Sénart to supply the Citroën service organization worldwide.

Citroën signs a turnkey contract with East Germany to build a complete plant for the manufacture of constant-velocity joints, a Citroën speciality since the days of the Traction Avant.
The Visa goes into production in Belgium. Fiat, Peugeot and Citroën sign an agreement on the joint development of a new light utility vehicle.
The Rennes-La Barre Thomas plant stops turning out ball-bearings.
Annual production : 807 504 vehicles.

Zoom

LNA : 1978-1986
production : 164.275

In February, the CX 2200 Diesel is replaced by the CX 2500 Diesel: 2,500 cm³ engine, 75 bhp DIN at 4,250 rpm, 10 bhp. Equipped with a 5-speed gearbox, the CX 2500 Diesel is the fastest non-turbocharged diesel saloon in the world (156 km/h).
The Paris Motor Show unveils the 5-door, 5-seat Visa with a choice of two engines. The Special and Club have a 652 cm³ air-cooled flat twin engine developing 36 bhp DIN at 5,500 rpm, a 4 bhp rating and a maximum speed of 124 km/h, while the Super has a Peugeot engine, 1,124 cm³, liquid-cooled 4-cylinder in-line developing 57 bhp DIN at 6,250 rpm, a 5 bhp rating and a maximum speed of 144 km/h. Like the LN in 1976, the Visa is a result of the partnership between Citroën and Peugeot.
In October, the LN is replaced by the LNA: 652 cm³ engine developing 36 bhp DIN at 5,500 rpm, 4 bhp, 126 km/h, 5.2 litres/100 km. The Visa and the LNA are the first cars in the world to be fitted with AEI (solid-state electronic ignition).

The FAF (Facile à Fabriquer, Facile à Financer or "Easy to Manufacture, Easy to Finance") is launched at the Dakar Fair in November. Based on the structure and mechanical parts of the 2CV, the FAF has a body built from folded steel sheet which can be made without heavy machinery. Developed specially to meet the needs of developing countries, the FAF becomes the subject of several assembly agreements with African countries.

in the news in 1978

Egypt and Israel sign the Camp David Agreement. Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin share the Nobel Peace Prize.
Karol Wojtyla is elected Pope John-Paul II.
The first "test-tube baby" is born in England.
The cinemas are showing Michael Cimino's The Deerhunter, Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Ingmar Bergman's Autumn Sonata.