1 Biography
Citroen founder – Andre Citroen
February 5, 1878, as a parent of five children of a minimum, Andrew Lie Citroen (A.Citroen) was born in Paris, France. Dutch origin, his father was a
2, life experiences
During the “War”, Citroen candidates as artillery captain. When he found insufficient ammunition, volunteered to set up factories to produce shells. Here, his organization managed to get a great play, not only the shells daily output hit a record 50,000, and because the organization well, so that women can also be involved in the work, so that more men can get out war. 1912 Citroen travel to the United States. There, he saw the scientific research and production organization to make a significant reduction in the cost of production of Ford “T” car by Taylor. So he decided in the same way to manage its own factories. After returning, he boasted to the crowd: “In the future to produce 100 cars a day!” People began to think he is talking nonsense, I did not expect since 1919, he pioneered the mass production of the Model A in Europe, the rapid increase in production, to 1923 years, the daily output has reached 200, 1924, daily output is up to 300, Citroen has become one of Europe’s successful car manufacturers. July 28, 1924 Citroen Automobile Company was formally established.
Citroen insists: car factory is not just selling cars, As well as attentive service. He gradually improved the way the car business, founded one year warranty system
Citroen in terms of publicity for the company and its products has taken great pains: He crossroads Citroen signs erected throughout France, reinforced the impression of their flag; he let the car roll down from the mountains to demonstrate the body rugged; he hired the plane to draw colorful fireworks “snow – iron – dragon” words in the air; even more wonderful is that he neon way to advertise the Eiffel Tower in Paris in 1925, Paris-around 30km or less can be seen; in 1923, he launched a large-scale car race across the Sahara desert; in 1924 they organized through the whole of Africa “black Tour” racing activities; in 1927, the American Lindbergh flew across the Atlantic success, he tried to convince the hero that they own factory workers to accept congratulations on the results of the next day’s newspaper board such articles – “Lindbergh access Citroen”; since 1928, the end of the month Citroen in France 100 major newspapers publish a substantial advertising; in 1931 he opened was the world’s largest (400 meters long) car shopping in Paris, France, in addition to car distribution, but also show the electric field And start-up concert film.
Citroen rich in life does not seek extravagant, just continue to invest in plant and development of new models, the pursuit of technological progress, he even claimed that “as long as the Lord
meaning good, the price is not important. ” In engineer Le Feibo recommendations Citroen decided to use a series of new technology in the development of new automobiles – front-wheel drive, the streamlined body, self-supporting design, torsion bar suspension device, the hydraulic brake, the motor suspension, automatic transmission . Due to the large requirements, he had to request sponsorship to partially sell high and Michelin. Although this was later known as the “gangster car” front-wheel drive car to Citroen has brought great honor and rolling in profits,However, the products can not be launched on schedule at the time because of the study period is too long, and then combined to rush into production, there are many defects in design, manufacture, and market disruption, Citroen suddenly heavily in debt and had to sell the company Michelin. From then on, he was admitted to the hospital due to depression, in July 1937, Citroen’s death. In the two days after his death, countless workers, dealers and even ordinary customers flocked to salute him mourning Citroen, the French government awarded him two honorary medal. In fact, today’s Citroen is still reputed in the world as well as his front-wheel drive design is not obsolete in 60 years after his greatest praise is to reward and nostalgia.
3, wealth archives
Andre Citroen was the founder of the French Citroen Automobile Company. In 1934, France produced the first front-wheel drive car. Citroen is France the first use of assembly line production company, founded just six years, the annual output that exceeded 1 million. 1928 Nissan which reached 400, accounting for the French car production l / 3. It is Europe’s second largest car manufacturing company.
4, growth record
in all cars, the Citroen is a special existence, its reputation perhaps not big enough, perhaps from the best quality so little worse performance occasionally not very stable, but these are not the focus, it can stop Aicheyizu obsession and love, because in many people’s minds, it is the most beautiful, represents the latest wave. France as a standard model, Citroen represents a country’s culture, it embodies the essence of the kind of typical French romantic, elegant, refined and trendy, just like its logo – ‘two’ people ‘word overlap ” a true human spirit. And Andre Citroen, not only created this car, created this name, but also laid the cultural connotations of such models.
5, in the disaster grew
February 5, 1878, Andre Citroen was born in Paris, France. Dutch origin, his father was in the jewelry business, businessman, his mother was Polish, his family was wealthy, the family has five children, Citroen is the smallest one. His childhood love of science, indulge in Verne’s science fiction.
But all at the age of 6 Citroen ended, when his father out of business, deceived, not only all investment down the drain, the original home of the savings have come to naught. Father can not accept such an outcome, committed suicide. Mother, unable to endure the blow, already sick body more frail, and soon died. Moment, family members dead.
rely on relatives of relief, Citroen difficult to live down, also admitted to the famous universities – Paris Ecole College of Engineering, he chose engineering, it is to grasp a reliable technology, as their future job search capital, subconsciously, he was in business full of doubt and unbelief, because his father is dead because of business failure.
At that time, he was full of worship and trust in science and technology, he finds that technological progress will give human happiness, and his dream was to become a future engineer.
In 1900, graduated from the University of Citroen to Poland to visit his grandmother on vacation, on the road, he happened to notice on a device according to the gear “human” shape spell, this discovery gave him little inspiration from after grandmother back Citroen invention herringbone gear system, i.e. double character modeling to more easily perform the process of cutting the transmission, it is lighter than sound method of cutting a conventional shape, with less effort. For which he received a patent.
In 1905, Citroen built a own small company, specializing in the production of its own proprietary products, as smooth and efficient herringbone gear, and soon began to sell the whole of Europe, but this Citroen not satisfied, he always felt light production gear is not enough, we should also continue to move forward.
In 1908, Morse brothers run a circuit of electronic signals Equipment Factory brink of bankruptcy, Citroen decided to take over this business. In order to find out the shortcomings of the enterprise, he came to the company to inspect the grassroots, by virtue ofAn acute powers of observation and determination, he realized that the most important obstacle to the company from a small workshop-style production model, so Citroen drastically change the old mode of operation, the company’s business situation has improved considerably.
1912 for Citroen, it is a critical year, he came to the United States, visited the Henry Ford automobile plant, the visit gave him a great shock, he realized after the gear, what they should do, and that is the production car. He admired Ford’s high-volume assembly line production, it was first introduced in France, tested in their own factories.
In 1913, he named his company “Citroen gear factory”, specialized in the production of gear-motivated, and began producing cars. He gear tooth shape as a symbol, the establishment of a factory mark, and use it as a trademark product. Even today, as long as people see this sign, they will immediately think of the Citroen car company. Then “Citroen gear factory” size is not very big, just hired a draftsman and 10 workers, Citroen own factory director, who is also the administrative director, technicians and salesmen.
gear business has been outstanding reputation, do not worry, let’s worry about the Citroen automobile production, he made several attempts, but all because of one reason or another, failed. Just when he wanted to stay here, “a war” broke out, his car test had to be stopped.
6 car with arms pot of gold
During the “War”, 36-year-old Andre Citroen drafted into the army, he was appointed artillery second lieutenant, in charge of restructuring the army postal service. At that time, front-line officers, soldiers and their loved ones behind home contact information is mainly correspondence mail. War, “Letters from home”, to establish a quick and accurate zip line between the front and rear, both to boost the morale of troops, but also to the rear of emotional comfort, for that matter when the chief worry of the time, there have been many management experience Citroen had an idea, we put forward a proposal: Divided into a range of postal services in the area and the use of colored envelope, so in order to correspond with the zip, which is more convenient, fast, the postal army greatly changed.
initial victory, Citroen and looking for new opportunities. In others it seems, it does not mean that war never a good thing, but it seems Citroen, which also means a huge market and business opportunities. At that time, at the front, the French army there was a shortage of artillery shells situation. Citroen proposed to build a Nissan 20,000 rounds of factories, this proposal was quickly approved.
and decisive Citroen took only 40 days time in Paris, the famous Seine River built a munitions factory plant. Here, his organization managed to get a great workout and play. Because wartime lack of people, in spite of his opposition to others, began to hire women to work, it turns out, the woman is not inferior to men, from the start of pilot production to full production in a few months, shells per day on a 10000 issued rose to 5.5 million rounds.
until the end of the war, due to the success of the arms business, Citroen already have a small capital, which allowed him to concentrate on the production of automotive after time. He boasted to the crowd: “In the future to produce 100 cars a day!” The French do, “Ford”, but almost no one believes him, we think this person is crazy.
but Citroen is serious, he knew his lack of experience, he hired an auto engineer, and because people’s purchasing power is still low after the war, specifically to go “cheap” route. May 28, 1919, A-type automobile was born, the car engine power of 13.2 kW, maximum speed of 65 km / h. 7.5 liters hundred kilometers, electronic ignition, three-speed transmission. After the launch of the Model A, and soon received 16,000 orders, it became France and Europe car star. This is the Citroen automobile manufacturing company created the first batch of cars and Europe’s first car pipelined production car, Nissan is the first line of 30 cars speed production, the year 2810 out of the bus.
A car due to low fuel consumption, 1920 to obtain the best economic performance in Le Mans award, this fame will soon bring good luck for the Citroen, to 1923, its daily output has reached 200, 1924, daily output amounted to 300, Citroen has become one of Europe’s successful car manufacturers. July 28, 1924 CitroenMotor Company formally established.
7, not only sell cars
Citroen pipeline into the United States not only in France, he is still in their own companies to implement US-style marketing methods and service measures. He was one of the first businessmen know how to use the ad. In order to expand brand awareness, he put 2% of turnover on advertising. In this regard, he even better than US counterparts. Because Citroen has always insisted that: automobile plant is not just selling cars, as well as attentive service.
He started to work hard on car sales way, the creation year guarantee system, the establishment of distribution networks, set out a list of the parts catalog and maintenance costs, so that all points of sale, point of repair costs to be unified. In 1922, he sold the car to promote installments way, established the nation’s first institution solely installments, and in foreign countries have also published many car rental companies across the country to form a tour bus service network.
and in terms of publicity for the company and its products, Citroen is exhausted way, in that era, he can be regarded as a creative genius.
After World War I, the French traffic signs on the road all are corrupt. Citroen decided in the name of the company to provide all kinds of signs to the French government and set up on the road in France, not only to help the government solve the problem on traffic management, these signs also became Citroen’s advertising.
In 1922, at the 7th session of the Paris Motor Show opening ceremony of the exhibition out of an airplane over a 5 km-long smoke subtitles -?. “CITROEN” (from the United States at the time the Wright brothers invented Citroen just nine years of successful aircraft, the aircraft was a curious thing, Citroen to come up with such a spectacular unprecedented marketing campaigns, it is amazing. in addition, hung up to 30 meters of the giant light box is still on the Eiffel Tower Citroen advertising -. “CITROEN” in Paris at night, “CITROEN” characters extraordinarily bright eye-catching, one need only see the tall Eiffel Tower, Citroen will remember the name of the company came to be seen as a move in the world of advertising. history of successmodel.
In 1923, he launched a large-scale car race across the Sahara Desert; in 1924 they organized through the whole of Africa “Black Tour” racing activities; in 1927, Lindbergh flew Americans the success of the North Atlantic crossing, he tried to persuade the flying hero to his factory workers to accept the congratulations, the results of the newspaper the next day on board such articles – “Lindbergh access Citroen.”
Since 1928, Citroen end of each month publish a substantial advertising in France 100 major newspapers; in 1931 he opened was the world’s largest (400 meters long) car shopping in Paris, France, in addition to distribution outside the car, the venue also offered concerts and film screenings. Meanwhile, Citroen has launched a “yellow conquer”, following throughout Africa “Black” tour, he brought his new car deep in Asia, Citroen from Beirut, across the Himalayas to reach Beijing, which lasted 13 months, with 3 thousands of meters, the ability to test the car to face a variety of bad road conditions, for the 20th century’s greatest inventions – the car may expand the extreme.
8, leaving behind only the grudge in the world
Citroen car as his all, he does not pursue extravagant in their daily lives, but continue to invest in plant and development of new models, the pursuit of technological progress, he even claimed that “as long as a good idea, the price is not important.”
floating engine, front-wheel drive technology has just come out, Citroen could not wait to put them to use their own car, 1925, Citroen took the decision to stop production of timber body, use of advanced steel body to produce France on a full-steel car. 1930s Citroen enormous amounts of money to develop and produce a set of front-wheel drive vehicle chassis integration, three hydraulic brake sophisticated technology in a Model T –Traction Avant. The car is almost a miracle of modern design, including the automotive industry, it was also the most significant and most successful automotive products.
April 18, 1934, Citroen demonstrated this car to the press, the whole world was surprised. The next day the French newspaper reported this: “It is soThe new, so bold, so creative, so unusual. Called sensational re-fitting. “
However, although a good idea, but the cost is enormous. Funds innovative ideas need is high. Although this was later known as the” gangster car “front-wheel drive car to Citroen with to a great honor and profit, but at the time it was a disaster.
first of all, it’s the long cycle, the next product can not be launched on schedule, coupled with the rush into production and then there are many design and manufacturing deficiencies of market disruption, Citroen facing a huge debt crisis. but before that, he had to borrow from banks many times, in order to test their new, the bank no longer willing to take the risk.
no bank loans, they do not get government support, ill a few months Citroen no way to convince others of their own bright future depicted. December 21, 1934, he had to declare bankruptcy. Bank is behind everything. January 1935, Citroen shares were transferred to the Michelin tire company, he left the company completely his own and created. Six months later, that is, 1935 July 3, worked a lifetime Citroen forever rest in peace.
in two days after his death, countless workers, dealers and even ordinary customers flocked to salute him Citroen mourning, the French government also awarded him a Medal of honor two. Although he departed, but until today, “Citroen” brand is still one of the best brands. his front wheel drive design did not outdated, perhaps Citroen, he is not the best entrepreneurs, but it is the best innovators, reformers, he used his life to do the groundwork automotive business forward.
9, the secret of success
parents early so the orphans experience.
inventions patented products and successfully sell out.
will not only sell cars, the service will be presented.