101 Years of Chevrons
A pioneer in every area he turned his mind to, Andre Citroën was served by his inquisitiveness, determination, and willingness to take risks. He established one of the most remarkable automakers the world has ever seen, and rose to become one of history’s most successful industrialists. In 1991, he was voted “car entrepreneur of the century” by a panel of automotive journalists.
Though Andre Citroën would lead the company for just 14 years, he set Citroën on a path it still follows today, a century and a year after its founding. Innovation, unmistakable individuality, a refined artistic sensibility, and engineering brilliance have combined to create some of the most memorable vehicles ever offered to the motoring public.
Citroën was born in Paris on February 5, 1878, the fifth child of Levie Citroën, a diamond merchant, and his wife, Masza Amelia Kleinman. By all accounts, he was heavily influenced in his childhood by Jules Verne, the dreamer, and Gustave Eiffel, the builder. Between the ages of 9 and 11, the future automaker would watch Eiffel’s landmark tower rise on the Champ de Mars, not far from his family’s home on Rue la Fayette.
He went off to study at the École Poly-technique, the principal technical school of Paris, graduating in 1901 with a degree in engineering. Within four years, he had founded his own engineering company. He launched Engrenages Citroën, a manufacturer of gears, in Faubourg St. Denis, where he produced a double-helical gear for which he had bought the patents.
