Citroën Prototypes make British debut at Classic Motor Show

For fans of Citroëns and ultra-rare classic cars, the 2009 Classic Motor Show will mark a British first thanks to a joint effort by the various Citroën car clubs attending, in conjunction with Citroën UK.

The Citroën Car Club, the 2CVGB club and the Traction Owners Club will be showing four models - three of which have not been seen before on British soil - to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the French marque. These amazing vehicles are being brought to the UK from Citroën's Conservatoire in Paris especially for the show.

The oldest and perhaps most familiar is a restored 1936 Citroën TPV or 2CV prototype, with a profile which will be instantly recognizable to anyone who has owned one of the famous twin-cylinder 'tin snails'.

The same however, cannot be said of the 1956 C-10, a car nicknamed the 'Coccinelle' (or Beetle). This fantastically brave and futuristic teardrop design was designed to fit between the 2CV and the DS. Powered by a flat twin-cylinder engine, the C-10 featured hydropneumatic suspension and partial gullwing doors. It was axed in favor of a comparatively more conventional-looking car, the Ami 6.

Dating from the early 1960s and looking like a blend of DS and Ami 6, the distinctive C-60 was again intended to fill the gap between the two models, as a fairly large car with a small engine to suit French taxation. It was abandoned due to spiraling development costs; the gap in the range was ultimately filled by the much later GS.

The final star making its debut is a prototype that led to the creation of the Citroën CX as a replacement for the DS - 1971's Projet L. Drawing heavily from Pininfarina's BLMC 1800 Aerodynamica proposal, the CX was the last Citroën to be designed by Robert Opron before he left the company.

The prototypes will be on display alongside 1400 vintage automobiles and motorcycles at the Classic Motor Show between the 13th and 15th November 2009. For more information and to book tickets visit www.necclassicmotorshow.com  

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