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The 'Conservatoire'

The "Conservatoire"

 

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Inaugurated at end November 2001, Le Conservatoire houses more than 300 Citroën models, together with a range of objects and archives relating to the Marque’s history. Past, present and future.



Standing immediately next to the PSA Peugeot Citroën production plant, Le Conservatoire blends in perfectly with its environment. Located on the edge of the Aulnay-sous-Bois industrial park in the Paris region, Le Conservatoire has adopted the same functional, metallic architecture as the surrounding buildings. When you first see it, it is difficult to guess what sort of objects may be stored on the 6,500 m² premises of Le Conservatoire Citroën. Officially inaugurated on 28 November 2001 in the presence of Pierre Peugeot, chairman of the PSA Peugeot Citroën supervisory board, and Claude Satinet, managing director of Citroën, this building is dedicated to the Marque. Every single document and object under its roof reflects the history of Citroën and carries the brand genes and values. Inanimate objects? Certainly not. They all have a soul, whether we are talking about the very first Type A or the ZX Rallye Raid, a wind tunnel model or an item of furniture dating back to the time of André Citroën.

A splendid testimony

Visitors entering the building will see that Le Conservatoire Citroen is split into two areas: for storage (5,500 m²) and for working (1,000 m²). The storage section has an area of 5,000 m² for the 300 vehicles collected by the Marque – of which several were provided by Citroën Portugal and Citroën UK – and a smaller area for archives.

The 1,400 linear metres of shelving in Le Conservatoire provides housing for design office sketches and plans, original styling drawings by Bertoni, technical documents, displays, lithographies… All these documents bear testimony to Citroën’s ability to innovate in sales, advertising and industrial production.

The working area also comprises two sections: one for vehicle maintenance and one for model production (another activity conducted at the Conservatoire). Three people work at the new Aulnay-sous-Bois building, under the management of Denis Huille, Citroën heritage manager.

A prestigious reserve

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The role of Le Conservatoire is to promote the image of the Marque and to make employees more aware of the need to preserve the vestiges of the past. The centre collects and maintains examples of the Citroëns produced since 1919 to the present day, and also manages all the Marque’s archives. The prestigious reserve of Le Conservatoire will not be open to the public, but many of the collections will be seen in exhibitions organised in France, Europe and elsewhere in the world. Providing back-up for present-day activities and for the construction of the future, the centre will play a role in the renewal of the Marque.

Le Conservatoire welcomes donations from Citroën enthusiasts and has already been fortunate enough to receive a number of items from one of the Marque’s oldest dealers who had a number of documents published by André Citroën for the launch of new vehicles. Another interesting donation was received from the descendants of one of the mechanics who took part in the Croisière Jaune. When they were clearing out their attic, they found a number of camp beds and suitcases made by Louis Vuitton and used for that far-off expedition. The double chevron brand is cultivating its history.

Interview with Citroën heritage manager

Why was Le Conservatoire set up ?
More than any other carmaker, Citroën can lay proud claim to a story that is also the history of the 20th century. To illustrate this fact, the DS took third place in the Car of the Century competition held in Las Vegas in December 1999. The history of the Marque is underpinned by strong, enduring values. Each vehicle and each object bears witness to the way in which Citroën has grasped these values, giving them life and substance. Our past is fundamental, enabling us to understand the present and, above all, to prepare for the future.

Is Le Conservatoire a museum ?
No, the aim of Le Conservatoire is to provide a place where we can store and maintain the objects and documents forming the heritage of the Marque. It will not be open to the public.

What is the role of Citroën’s employees ?
The golden rule is to look after all items that are no longer on sale in order to preserve our heritage. I would like to see every one of us getting into the habit of thinking about our heritage, by handing in any document or object that is representative of Citroën’s history, be it a model, a concept car or a rough draft for an advertising poster. All these items bear witness to the ongoing progress of the Marque, the way in which Citroën is working constantly to prepare for the future.

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