Citroën Bijou
Citroën Bijou | |
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H2 air-cooled petrol | |
Transmission | 4-speed manual |
Dimensions | |
Wheelbase | 94 in (2,388 mm)[2] |
Length | 156 in (3,962 mm)[2] |
Width | 61 in (1,549 mm)[2] |
Height | 46 in (1,168 mm)[2] |
The Citroën Bijou is a small
The body was made of
It was designed by Peter Kirwan-Taylor, known as the stylist of the elegant 1957 Lotus Elite, another fibreglass-bodied car.[3] Bijou bodies were initially moulded by a company called "Whitson & Co", close to Citroën's Slough premises,[3] but it later proved necessary to transfer this work to another supplier.[4]
Disappointing sales levels for the UK's own Citroën seem to have been down to the Bijou's price, which at the time of the 1959 motor show was £674.[3] At this time the British market was acutely price sensitive, and buyers could choose a Ford Popular with four seats and a much larger engine for £494.
The Bijou's more modern styling gave it a higher top speed and lower cruising fuel consumption than the equivalent 2CV; however, the greater weight of the bodywork had an adverse impact on the car's more general performance, especially its acceleration. The Bijou was considered expensive by the testers.
As of 2013, nearly 150 Bijous were on the 2CVGB club register, but fewer than 40 are still on the roads.
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Citroën Bijou
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Rear
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Interior
References
- ISBN 1-870979-39-7.
- ^ The Motor. January 4, 1960.
- ^ a b c d "Automobilia". Toutes les voitures françaises 1960 (Salon Paris oct 1959). 15. Histoire & collections: 19. 2000.
- ^ "Citroën in the UK - the Ken Smith Interview page one".
External links
- Citroën Bijou at Citroenet
- Citroën Bijou at Motorbase Archived 2011-06-06 at the Wayback Machine