Handwritten notes by Paul Magès: weight distribution and price of vehicle G and L (1971)

In this document

Weight distribution of vehicle G (p. 161)

These pages gather handwritten calculations by Paul Magès dated 1971, dedicated to the vehicle designated "G" and its variant "L" derived from the "G Club".

Page 161 details the dry weight of the vehicle G in running order: "Dry O.D.M. weight = 853 kg (856.5 with 5th gear)" p. 161. This weight is distributed into four items expressed in percentages and kilograms:

The "Equipment" detail lists quantified sub-items (glazing, bumpers, seats, electrics, upholstery, heating, etc.), for a total "Total Body Weight" of 481.8 kg (56.5%) and a "Total Mechanical Weight" of 371.2 kg p. 161.

Price comparison G Confort / G Club

The price of the G Confort is set at 11,809 F, broken down into 6,584 F for mechanics and 5,225 F for bodywork; that of the G Club at 12,700 F p. 161. Magès deduces a price per kilo: 17.7 F/kg for mechanics and 12.61 F/kg for the Club bodywork p. 161.

Estimate of vehicle L derived from the G Club (p. 162)

For vehicle L, "4 cyl transverse", the price of the mechanics is estimated at 8,810 F. The difference between a single frame and the "Front cradle + rear frame" solution is evaluated at 50 F, plus 100 F for bodywork supplement, for a total of 8,960 F p. 162.

Magès compares the surface areas of the two vehicles: G = 1.610 x 4.120 = 6.63 m² (weight per m² ≈ 73), L = 1.710 x 4.400 = 7.52 m², i.e., an increase of 0.89 m² and an L/G ratio ≈ 1.14 p. 162. He concludes that "the warranty margin is extremely low" and anticipates presentation difficulties, while judging the comparison with the G Club "not ridiculous" p. 162.

Frame notes (p. 163)

Page 163, which is very damaged, mentions dimensions "GX FRONT 156 + REAR 95 = 251" and a "Frame today - 298 with rubber and screws" p. 163, as well as an isolated figure "14000 F" under the mention "REMARKS" written upside down; the rest of the text is illegible.

Context

The acronym "G" evokes, in Citroën production of the early 1970s, the preparatory studies that led to the launch of the CX (1974); the "G Club" and its "L" variant would correspond to finish and engine levels studied internally. These elements are part of general historical knowledge and are not explicitly stated as such in the document.

Archivist's perspective

These three pages illustrate the methodical work of Paul Magès as the project's engineer-economist: he does not just design technical solutions, he calculates their cost to the nearest kilogram, comparing several architectures (single frame versus cradle + rear frame) and several finishes.

The passage on the "extremely low warranty margin" p. 162 seems to reflect a real tension between range ambitions and development cost constraints, probably discussed in a meeting — the list of names at the top of page 161 (Barthélemy, Opron, Renaud...) suggests a document circulating between several interlocutors in the design office.

Page 163, which is very incomplete, does not allow for a firm link to be established, but its theme (frame, costing) probably extends the calculations of the previous pages. To place this costing approach in the context of Magès's work over time, one can compare this document with the Notes by Paul Magès on the clutch and gear control of the DS (28 March 1961), which demonstrate the same engineering rigour applied to other components.