Miguel Sánchez
One of the great virtues of the Citroën 2CV is that of being a truly global car. Not only for its versatility when it comes to mixing asphalt and riding skills. But, also, for having been manufactured in up to eight plants distributed between Europe and South America. In this way, beyond contributing to the motorization of the popular classes in post-war France, this Citroën is an indispensable part of the collective memory in many countries. Also in Argentina. Where the chevron brand was installed as a company with a national factory back in 1960. Starting a business adventure that lasted two decades until its absorption by Eduardo Sal-Lari Industries.
But let's go by parts. In France, the Citroën 2CV began to be sold in 1948. Conceived before the Second World War as an accessible and simple utility vehicle, it finally saw the light after the war to be an undisputed protagonist in the economic recovery. Not only from France, but also from other countries such as Spain. And it is that, given the expansion carried out by Citroën during the fifties, the company opened its plant in Vigo in 1958. Thus, just as FIAT did, the French brand saw internationalization as its main source of profit for the near future. Therefore, in 1960 he founded his own subsidiary in Argentina.
A country in whose market it was already present, selling units of the 2CV imported from France and Belgium for years. Of course, being a foreign vehicle, customs fees made it considerably more expensive. Something deeply inconvenient for a model that had two of its most identifying flags in the economy and the low price of access. For this reason, and just as Ford did in 1917 by creating a plant in Buenos Aires for the assembly of the Model T, the French brand founded in 1960 Citroën Argentina SA. All this to manage the new Jeppener factory, which was shortly transferred to the one in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Barracas. The place where, in 1969, the production of the first Citroen 3CV.
NATIONAL VARIANTS, A CONSTANT IN SOUTH AMERICA
No matter how versatile and global a car is, no one is unaware that depending on the country, each design needs adaptations. Required by both geographical and economic factors, these can range from improved protection against rust to the appearance of national models focused on very specific market niches. For example. Regarding the first, the bodies of the Brazilian FIAT 127 received a treatment appropriate to the humidity of the tropics. And regarding the second Volkswagen of Brazil came to create its own models like the SP2.
A sports car as apparent as it is not very powerful. Obviously insufficient for the performance European parameters, but quite worthy if we analyze the narrow niche reserved for sportsmanship in Brazil in 1972. Thus, Pointing out the existence of a certain creative freedom for the different national subsidiaries of the large automobile groups is no less hackneyed. Even more so if, looking at Spain itself, we examine the differences between French Renaults and those produced at FASA in Valladolid. Some of them related to suspensions due to the worse state of the Iberian pavements.
With all this, the appearance in 1969 of the Citroën 3CV must be understood as an interesting commercial operation. Let's see. In Europe, for that year models like the 2CV were already falling into very specific market niches. Niches, let's say, residual and increasingly minority. Especially together with certain country uses where this utility vehicle performed remarkably well. All this due to the way and manner in which the growth of the urban middle classes had influenced motoring. Leaving behind models like this one or the 600 as the democratization of consumption advanced.
However, the case of Argentina was different. Characterized by less access to the mobile fleet by the popular classes, its market still received excellently simple and economical vehicles such as the 2CV. Characteristic that did not finish erasing a necessary updating in terms of power, since the traffic had become more intense, fast and aggressive. In addition, given the enormous distances with which the field in South America is characterized, a more comfortable engine was something quite attractive. In this way, although the Citroën 2CV was still a valid car for the middle and popular classes in the Argentine market, the update that led to the 3CV was seen as essential.
CITROËN 3CV, MORE ENGINE FOR NEW TIMES
The Citroën 2CV has multiple benefits that are well known by any fan of classic vehicles. However, the truth is that by the end of the sixties its meager twin-cylinder engine was already getting somewhat outdated. At this point, the Argentine version of the model never managed to get more than 18 CV with the displacement of 425cc. Point at which we arrive at the main characteristic of the Citroën 3CV, since displacement was increased to 602cc being able to deliver up to 32CV.
We are talking about an improvement that orbits around 44% more power, severely noticeable in the response of the Citroën 3CV both in the city and on the highway. Also, hydraulic shock absorbers included to reduce the typical pitching produced by friction with horizontal springs. It also improved the electrical system, going from having a dynamo to mounting an alternator. Less visible mechanical differences than those given in the front doors, which went from having a suicide opening to pivoting at the front.
Regarding the interior, the new dashboard was combined with the pedals that, in the Citroën 3CV, were hanging instead of coming out from the ground as in the 2CV. In short, beyond the engine our protagonist received a certain facelift with which to face the seventies. Something he got, since more than 76.000 units of the passenger car and more than 17.000 of the van version were produced until sales ceased in 1980. Year in which Citroën Argentina SA decided to close due to the economic contraction of that market, selling its facilities to Eduardo Sal Lari. The businessman who, with some aesthetic changes, continued the production of the Citroën 3CV under the name of IES Super América. But that is another story that another day we will tell you.
Photographs: PSA / Munafo / IES
