Citroen Type A Torpedo 4 places.
Robin sent the first three vintage Citroen photographs shown here, as at the time he wasn't too sure what make and model of car was shown. The shape of the radiator suggested Citroen, and some digging confirmed that it is an example of the Type A Torpedo 4 places (four seater), a type first introduced by Citroen in 1919. The first of the photos is shown below, cropped due to damage on the original photo. Robin's Grandfather is believed to be behind the wheel, with passengers and onlookers also in view.
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All three photos were taken in the Sheffield area, which ties in nicely with the car's WA 4951 registration, a Sheffield number. Note that proper cast number plates are fitted. Something I really like about old photos like this, is the background detail, such as the style of dress shown by people in the photos (is that a nurse on the right for instance?), and also the buildings. The houses visible in the second photo have a variety of chimneys fitted, I've never seen a tall chimney like that seen on one of the houses below - what was the purpose of this style of pot? It would be interesting to see a photo of these properties now, assuming they still exist - would they still have original sash windows fitted, and the neatly trimmed hedges?
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The Type A was the first car produced by Citroen, between 1919 and 1921. The potential buyer had two choices of chassis length to choose from, and various bodies depending on their needs. The long chassis cars could be specified as a four seater Torpedo (as on this page), Torpedo Sport, Conduite Interieure, Coupe de Ville or for the small-business owner, a light commercial. Buyers of the shorter Type A chassis could opt for a 3 seater Torpedo, Conduite Interieure, Coupe de Ville or a camionette (light van). With production reaching 100 cars per day, Citroen could claim to be the first European-owned mass producer of cars (US-owned Ford already had the Model T production line in place at Trafford Park by this time of course).
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The Standard 10HP Type A had an engine of 1327cc, powering the rear wheels via a three speed gearbox. As the brakes only had to reign in a measly 18bhp, the driver had to make do with a foot-operated transmission brake, and a hand-brake connected to the rear wheels of the automobile only. In 1921 a new model was offered, the Type A Special - the engine's capacity rose to 1452cc and power was increased slightly to 22bhp.
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A Citroen Type A Conduite Interieure
The next two vintage photographs are from my own collection, they both show a Type A Citroen, registration number L 41. They are both dated April 1927, which probably explains why the gentleman behind the wheel is wrapped up in a warm coat, topped off with a hat. Unlike the tourer above, this particular Citroen has a fixed roof, with a small opera-type window in the rear quarters. This suggests that the car shown is the Conduite Interieure 3 Places model in the Type A range, capable of accomodating a driver plus two passengers.
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The "L" registration series was used in the Glamorgan (Wales) area, running from 1904 through to 1921.
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| (Please click the thumbnails to view full-size image.) |
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Return to Old Vehicle Photos Page 8.
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