André Citroën

André Citroën (1878–1935) was a French industrialist who founded the Citroën automobile company and promoted large-scale production and marketing in Europe.

École Polytechnique: A French engineering and military academy founded in 1794. Citroën studied engineering there before beginning his industrial career.
Mass production: The manufacture of standardized goods in large quantities using specialized equipment and divided tasks. Citroën applied this industrial approach to European automobile production.
Jules Salomon: A French automotive engineer who helped design the Citroën Type A. Salomon brought automobile-design expertise to Citroën's first production car.
Croisière Noire: A 1924–1925 Citroën expedition that crossed Africa in tracked vehicles. The expedition tested vehicles and generated publicity for the company.
Mors: A French automobile manufacturer founded in 1895. Citroën reorganized Mors and used it to develop his experience in automobile production.
Citroën Traction Avant: A Citroën automobile introduced in 1934, notable for front-wheel drive and a unitary body structure. It embodied the technical ambition of the company he founded, though it strained its finances.
Georges-Marie Haardt: A French executive and explorer who led major Citroën-sponsored expeditions. Haardt organized transcontinental motor expeditions that publicized Citroën vehicles.
Croisière Jaune: A 1931–1932 Citroën expedition across Asia using tracked vehicles. It continued Citroën's strategy of demonstrating vehicle endurance through long-distance expeditions.
Vickers: A British engineering and armaments company that became a major industrial conglomerate. A visit to Vickers factories exposed Citroën to large-scale manufacturing methods.
Citroën 2CV: A small Citroën car designed for inexpensive, practical transport, introduced in 1948. The 2CV later extended Citroën's mission of making cars accessible to broad populations.

Linked from 2 pages