Citroën internal bulletin no. 081 (August 1974): launch of the CX 2000 and 2200

In this document

The launch hindered by leaks

The memo specifies that a "certain number of newspapers, radio stations and television" began broadcasting information about the CX "as early as the end of July", even though the Press Office had "not yet released any document": the official launch of the information was set for 26 August 1974 p. 32. Despite these indiscretions deemed "very damaging to the Brand", the internal schedule was not modified: the factory notice boards were to indicate, "from the start of September", the locations and dates of the car's presentation at each site p. 32.

Presentation of the three versions

The CX is described as a "mass-market" 4-door, 5-seater saloon, with "front-wheel drive" and a transverse powertrain at the front, coming out of the new Aulnay-sous-Bois factory p. 33. Three versions are announced: two CX 2000 models of 1985 cm³ (11 CV), including an "economical" version consuming 7.6 l/100 km at 90 km/h, and the CX 2200 of 2175 cm³ (12 CV), with "brilliant performance" p. 33. The document refers to the September issue of Citroën-Information for details on design and manufacturing p. 33.

Detailed technical specifications

The table p. 34 provides in particular:

The suspension is described as "hydropneumatic with constant height", with 4 independent wheels, with "variable ground clearance on command", an "anti-dive device" and anti-roll bars p. 34. The braking is hydraulically assisted with 2 separate circuits, 4 ventilated discs at the front p. 34.

Context

In the history of Citroën, the CX is the model that succeeded the DS and ID from 1974 onwards, by adopting and perfecting the hydropneumatic suspension developed by Paul Magès in the 1950s. The Aulnay-sous-Bois factory, mentioned in this bulletin, was then a recent Citroën site in the Paris region.

This August 1974 bulletin was published only a few weeks before Paul Magès' retirement, which took effect in September 1974 after 49 years at Citroën (photographs of the retirement; letter from Mr. Meignan): the CX thus constitutes the last major model whose launch took place while he was still active.

The year 1974 was also that of the capital merger between Citroën and Peugeot, announced publicly a few months later — this industrial context is, however, not mentioned in this document.

Archivist's perspective

This Internal Information bulletin no. 081 illustrates the tension, classic in major automotive launches, between the communication strategy planned by management and the press leaks that overwhelm it — here explicitly deplored p. 32. It is not a technical document by Paul Magès himself, but an internal company communication that attests, in a precise and dated manner, to the official description of the hydropneumatic suspension applied to the CX at the time of its launch p. 34.

For the Magès collection, this piece has a chronological reference and commercial synthesis value rather than an invention value: it allows for the precise location of the public announcement of the system on which the engineer worked, on the very eve of his retirement. It usefully complements the preceding bulletin no. 080, and finds its logical continuation in bulletin no. 082 devoted to the commercial deployment of the CX after its effective launch.