Our own private museum: Citroen Conservatoire
Earlier this year we were lucky enough to gain rare access to Citroen's own private car collection, housed at the Conservatiore. It includes hundreds of incredible treasures, with everything from its earliest vehicles through to motorsport heroes and even some film cars represented. Not only that, but we were even allowed to get behind the wheel of some of its greatest hits, including the James Bond 2CV and a sublime SM.
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These days, Citroen is a member of a huge car manufacturing superpower known as Stellantis, and as a result, is required to share parts and technology with the firm's other brands in order to keep production costs low. While that ensures financial security for the brand, it does make it a little bit difficult to stand out from the rest, especially when, in years gone by, Citroen has been a brand that's been lauded for its progressive design and innovative engineering.
And very rightly so. The Traction Avant. The 2CV. The DS. These, and many other Citroens besides, have done things that no other car or carmaker of the time had even considered, and luckily for us, there's a place on the northern outskirts of Paris where all those incredible innovations can be celebrated.
Aulnay Sous Bois was once one of Citroen's main domestic factories, but these days, it's home to the Citroen Conservatoire. The Conservatoire is Citroen's own archive, and contains historical documents, blueprints, technical drawings and many other things that tell the brand's history in minute detail. It also contains hundreds of beautiful and interesting cars - production cars, racing cars, concept cars - from every part of the firm's history, all in mint condition. Imagine the coolest museum of all things Citroen you can think of, and you're just about there.
The thing is, however, that this museum isn't actually a museum. Why? Because it's not open to the public: access is only granted to invited guests. So, when CarGurus UK found itself on the guest list, we just had to bring you guys with us. You're welcome!
In this very special video feature, CarGurus UK Deputy Editor Ivan Aistrop joins up with CarGurus editorial contributor and self-confessed Citroen nut Alex Robbins, to take a road trip down to Paris to experience this incredible facility. As they take in the sights, Alex uses his immense expertise and knowledge of the brand to play the role of 'Ghost of Citroens Past', plotting a course through the firm's illustrious history and picking out the cars that constitute its greatest hits.
And even once the Citroen story has been brought right up to date, yet more surprises lie in store, as both our presenters get to drive cars that have always sat firmly on their own respective bucket lists, satisfying a pair of genuine lifelong dreams. We really hope you enjoy this video as much as we did making it!
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▬ Contents of this video ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
00:00 - Introduction
05:52 - Heading to Paris
10:01 - The Conservatoire
28:01 - Driving the Traction Avant
30:30 - Driving the Bond 2CV
35:42 - Driving the SM
40:36 - Let us know what you think
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