Miguel Sánchez
At 42 years old, the commercial life of the Citroën 2CV was astonishingly long. In fact, it is one of the few models capable not only of having lived with its successor. But also to go further than him in time. Something that can only be achieved thanks to the maintenance of a certain market niche, that although it is obviously narrowing due to wear and competition, it is also surviving. In the case of the popular French utility vehicle, we are talking about what, in fact, was its main audience as soon as it hit the market. The peasantry of rural areas based on small property. Thus needing a rough and simple car with which to be able to alternate use on the road and traffic on roads.
However, as much as the design of the 2CV was well suited to these buyers, the truth is that the market always changes as society does. For this reason, while in 1947 countries such as France or Spain were basically rural, by the end of the sixties the mechanization of the countryside, the extension of the service sector and the rural exodus were responsible for a galloping urbanization. Thus, beyond models with country skills such as the R4 or the 2CV, mass manufacturers began to launch affordable models for the new middle classes who already lived in the city.
A context that FIAT had already been handling perfectly thanks to the vision of Dante Giacosa, and to which Peugeot and Renault launched in 1972 thanks to the 105 and R5 respectively. In this way, within the panorama of massive manufacturers in continental Europe, the absence of Citroën was striking. Something that is understood by the complex financial situation of the chevron brand at the end of the sixties. Having pinned all their hopes on the GS coming to market in 1970. In any case, the Citroën board had seen the need to create a new model not so much as a definitive substitute for the 2CV but as an urban evolution of it. Of course, like many other times in the complex progress of the automobile sector, what was missing was capital.
LOOKING FOR CAPITAL FOR A NEW MODEL
At first glance, no one would think that Citroën was on the verge of bankruptcy around 1970. After all, right at the beginning of the new decade they launched not only the advanced GS but also the spectacular SM designed by Robert Opron. Equipped with a Maserati engine thanks to the purchase of the trident company by Citroën only about three years earlier. Also, the somewhat dated but certainly still handsome and sophisticated DS was still on sale. With all this, the truth is that going through a dealer of the brand meant running into some of the best pieces of general engineering of the moment.
In addition, in the simplest range of its offer, the 2CV was still offered together with the Ami and the Dyane. A somewhat dated set of popular models though, like the DS, still possessing obvious visual and mechanical appeal. Moreover, outside of the Citroën chain production even kept trying to innovate with the development of a rotary engine tested with him M35. An experimental model made in a pre-series of at least 500 units, given to selected clients for the realization of a massive testing program.
In other words, could Citroën's economic reliability be suspected? Well, the truth is yes. Since, as we have seen, Citroën's big problem was the lack of a mid-range. Just the point where every massive manufacturer risks finances, trying to maximize its sales in segments B and C. Thus, Citroën offered old-fashioned entry-level models and cutting-edge exclusive vehicles or, at least, medium-high level vehicles. And on top of that, money was spent flaunting design flair with the SM and flirting with the almost unknown Wankel single-cylinder engines.
In short, at the beginning of the seventies Citroën was about to close down. A situation that the French state with its interventionist tradition could not consent to. So in 1976 the merger between Citroën and Peugeot was finalized at the request of the government. And wow, the truth is that in light of the times it is clear that it was not a bad idea. In the end, the creativity and technological daring of Citroën paired well with the prudence in business exhibited by the house of Souchaux. A complementary sum that strongly boosted the PSA Group to this day. Something that, in relation to this new model necessary for Citroën, finally brought the necessary capital.
CITROËN LNA, HOW NOT TO CANNIBALIZE YOUR BROTHER
By 1976, the situation seemed most propitious for the appearance of this new and long-awaited B-segment model for Citroën. However, there was an essential problem called Peugeot 104. A car that had been running well for four years, although just for 1976 received the first facelift responsible in addition to establishing its most remembered image. Thus, Citroën launching a new model that would be direct competition for the 104 made no financial sense at all. So how to solve this paradox?
Well, on the one hand, the Peugeot 104 had its image updated, making it a hatchback more in keeping with the times. Something that would also be used for the new Citroën. Which would bear the name of Citroën LNA. That's the way it is, the 104 and the LNA would not only share the same base but would be practically the same visually. With this, and beyond some details of equipment inside, the only way to position them in different market niches was mechanics.
For this reason, while the 104 mounted four-cylinder in-line engines between 1.1 and 1.4 liters to deliver from 50CV to 93CV -the S2 version mounted two double-body carburettors- the Citroën LNA would use the simple mechanics of the 2CV. That is, although they may seem the same, the truth is that between the 104 and the Citroën LNA were almost three decades apart in mechanical evolution for compact models. Of course, at least the 602cc twin-cylinder had an electronic starter in the LNA and some improvements that raised the power to 32CV. Even so, 17 less than those given by the less performing version of the 104.
In any case, the truth is that the Citroën LNA had a not insignificant sales index in France. Where the public read it as an affordable and practical model for day-to-day in the city. For this reason, two years after its launch, PSA equipped the Citroën LNA with a 652cc engine twinned with the one mounted on the Visa. A model presented during that same 1978 thanks to which Citroën finally had a clear, own and differentiated bet for the B segment. However, far from removing the LNA from the middle to be completely replaced by the Visa, the PSA Group extended the life of our protagonist until 1986, reaching manufacture in the Villaverde plant. Of course, with 1.124cc and 48CV engines.
In addition, its resemblance to the Talbot Samba was more than evident -although the Citroën LNA had a narrower wheelbase- since it borrowed the main lines of the 104 just as the LNA itself had done before. One more test to understand the Citroën LNA. To the Talbot Samba and the Peugeot 104 like one of the best examples that European motorsport has given when it comes to illustrating the concept of Badge Engineerig. That is, marketing the same product under different brands although, in this case, the mechanical changes were notable for at least two years. Two years in which the 2CV engine continued to live under another body.
Photographs: PSA
