Citroën brochure "Main technical characteristics of 1973 saloons"

In this document

The cover page p. 7 announces a brochure from Citroën Public Relations titled "main technical characteristics of saloons", for the year 1973.

The comparative table (p. 8)

The heart of the document is a vast technical table covering seventeen variants of the Citroën range at the time: 2 CV 4, 2 CV 6, Méhari, Dyane, Dyane 6, Ami 8, Ami Super, GS, G Spécial, 1220, D Spécial, D Super, DS 20, D Super 5, DS 23, DS 23 Injection and SM Injection.

It is broken down into eight sections: Engine, Transmission, Wheels, Tyres, Steering, Braking, Electrics, Dimensions, Capacities/Weights and Performance.

Some iconic numerical benchmarks:

The table also specifies that the DS 23 Injection and the SM Injection use a "Bosch electronic injection system" p. 8, while the other models are equipped with Solex or Weber carburettors depending on the version.

The final page p. 9 bears the legal notices: "January 1973 Edition", printer "éditechnic", as well as the address of the Citroën Public Relations department, 133 quai André Citroën in Paris.

Context

In 1973, the Citroën range notoriously extended from light commercial vehicles derived from the 2 CV (Méhari, Dyane, Ami) to the high-end DS and SM cars, the latter being the result of the merger with Maserati and equipped with a V6 engine. The DS, launched in 1955, was then reaching the end of its career, with the CX only succeeding it in 1974.

The Bosch electronic injection mentioned for the DS 23 and the SM corresponds, historically, to one of Citroën's notable technical innovations at the turn of the 1970s, before the arrival of the PSA group.

Archivist's perspective

This document is a commercial and technical brochure for Public Relations use, probably intended for the press or commercial networks rather than the general public: its exhaustive and tabular presentation, without explanatory text, makes it primarily a numerical reference tool p. 8.

It does not explicitly mention Paul Magès or the hydropneumatic suspension, but the "Hydraulic system oil" section of the table p. 8 attests, by implication, to the presence of this system on the entire range from the Ami 8 onwards, illustrating the gradual diffusion of Magès' invention to popular models beyond just the DS.

This document is part of a pivotal period: a few months later, the Convention of the Paris region establishments of S.A. Automobiles Citroën (27 April 1973) and the "Face to Face" no. 2 (March 1973) argument document bear witness to the same commercial challenges of the range, before the industrial upheavals that would follow from 1974.