Friendly Citroen 6,8 and Super

The Citroen Ami 6 is curious model about economic Berline produced by the manufacturer Automobile French Citroen of 1961 to 1969. It derived from it a very popular range of vehicles declined in several forms.

The Citroen Ami were based on the 2CV, with a driving of 602 cm {{exp|3}}, and were manufactured with Rennes-the-Janais and Forest in Belgium.

The Citroens Friendly

Friend 6

1961-1969

The purpose of friend 6 appears with the catalog of the mark in 1961, and is to supplement the offer between popular the 2CV and the revolutionists DS. With this intention, the car recovers the best assets of its consœurs : the robustness and handling of the 2CV (driving twin-cylinder cooled by air assembled on a frame derived from the deuche with pot of suspension and beaters with inertia…), the comfort and completion of the DS (marrowy seats, stealing monobranche, handles of door and orders of DS…).

But the car is not satisfied with copier : it innovates. Initially on the technical plan with a body adopting a reversed rear window (Line in Z), following the example English Ford Anglia, giving easy access to the trunk without removing comfort with the passengers.

It is also the first car in the world with rectangular headlights developped at the point by Cibié all the others always having round headlights. One has seeks to obtain a deeper mirror giving a considered luminous flow denser. Only that requires the increase in the diameter. The headlight is thus truncated in top and bottom.

It innovates finally on the sociological level since all the advertizing documents of the time present it like the 2nd car, ideal for Madam. Its name would be besides related to a word game with English (Miss).

This line which makes run much ink, one owes it to the creator of the Traction Before, the 2CV and DS : Flaminio Bertoni . It is the last car which it will draw for Citroen, before dying out in 1964 after having restylé the front face of the DS.

The car meets a big hit quickly, in spite of defects of youth like a too thin sheet, and equipment Spartan.

Quickly, the range comes to be packed of a station-wagon , which exceeds soon in production the figures of the Berline. The explanation comes as much from its line more conventional than of its adaptation proven well to rural environment. Moreover, the nonconventional shape of the rear window was a defect Aérodynamique (creation of a Vortex) corrected in fact by the station-wagon.

From a mechanical point of view, the car has a new cubic capacity for the Citroen twin-cylinder of 602 cm ³ (to remain economic, because only 3 CV tax) of a power of 22 CH SAE (1961), 25,5 CH (1964) to evolve/move with 35 CH SAE (32 ch DIN, carburizing double-body-1967). The brakes are with drum on the 4 wheels, with wings and coupled with the gear box with the front one. The box is at 4 speeds 1st not being synchronized. The car slips by to close to 105 km/h (for the engine 22 CH), and acts foot to the floor, as the schedule of conditions envisages it.

As from June 1966 for the trucks and September 1966 for the station-wagons, electrical equipment passes in 12 V and 4 headlights round on model Club only (1967 for the station-wagons Club and 1968 for the trucks Club, with the more refined and elegant completion). Mrs. Yvonne de Gaulle rolled in Ami6 truck. Ami6, it is the kilometer comfort the least expensive world, it remains the vehicle more sold in France in 1966, and was built to more than one million specimens.

Friend 8

1969-1978 In March 1969 it succeeds Friend 6, while bringing only one more traditional and less tormented line. However it begins again by a identical majority of the elements of body (case, doors, back roof, wings). The restylage was made partly by Robert Opron, the designer of the years 1970. One owes him GS, the CX, and especially the SM.

Friend 8 takes again the range of his devancière, the versions “Comfort” (stripped), and them versions “Club” (more cossues and finished better), as well as the station-wagon, always very snuffed by the customers. The truck, it, gives up the reversed rear window , but does not profit for all that a forage ladder, or pane downward. Mechanical side, it always acts of the twin-cylinder of 602 cm ³ associated with the gear box with 4 reports/ratios re-examined and corrected on Friend 6 in 1967. The profit of power makes it possible Friend 8 to be seen equipped with brakes discs with before stuck at exit of box. The suspension gives up the beaters with inertia, and gains anti-roll bars. At the time of its presentation Citroen knows that Friend 8 will be last the Friend. Indeed dice the 1974 digits of production is located in lower part of 100.000 specimens; one far from the 169.000 Friend 6 is sold in 1967. At the time of the repurchase by Peugeot of Citroen in 1974, Citroen chooses to continue the production of Friend 8 station-wagon and truck. As of September Citroen introduces the Super Friend, who announces the future philosophy of the mark. The sales of Friend 8 will crumble dice 1974, passing 90.000 specimens in 1974 to 54.000 specimens in 1976. Citroen does not have time to deal with the succession of the Friend, in this period of doubt. The mark goes presented new models like the LN in 1976 and especially the Visa which will take part for much in the setting in retirement of Friend 8. In September 1978 the truck Ami 8 leaves the automobile scene followed in May 1979 by the station-wagon. They are replaced by the Visa which will never have version station-wagon. It will be necessary to await the arrival of station-wagon ZX in 1994 for Friend 8 station-wagon has finally a true successor.

Super friend

The launching of GS with its four-cylinder motor flat cooled by air of 1 015 cm 3 (55 CH DIN) was not a big hit; its power being weak, it had wiped criticisms of the press and the customers. In front of the already produced surplus of engine, the manufacturer decides to equip FRIEND 8 with it. The car then reaches easily the 140 km/h, and has a daring temperament.

Outside it is characterized by its Calandre. The cap is longer to place the engine and the box. The carossery is the same one but the sheet is thicker (12/100e mm), which contributes with the engine, with the total increase in mass. The quartz halogen lamps in option, could also contribute to its distinction. Inside, gear shift lever to the floor, a hand brake in central position (located in the place of the gear shift lever of Friend 8) and a cockpit more cossu make the difference with FRIEND 8. In lower part the suspension is supplemented by two bars anti Roulis, kind of torsion bar binding the two arms of wheel of the same axle.

Good car, located in midrange, the Super Friend did not find its place, considered to be too expensive in a too skimped range. It will be produced with close to 42 000 specimens, in truck or station-wagon.

Friend with Rotary engine

the Citroen M35

M35 is a prototype intended to put the rotary engine Wankel into practice. It was manufactured with 267 specimens, out of the 500 envisaged.

It is not a Friend with the clean direction of the term, but it however takes again of it a majority of the elements of body. At the time, it was worth 14.000 Francs, that is to say the price of D Special. Citroen held it for its best customers who were to commit themselves rolling 15 at least; 000 kilometers per annum.

The great advantage of this vehicle, in addition to the experimentation of the rotary engine, is that of the concept very innovating and for all to say revolutionary, of a setting to the test in thesame ones of the users. Citroen then repurchased the majority of M35 to destroy them, faithful in that to its hateful principles….

External bonds

Personal site surl' Ami6
the super Friend on a site devoted to the GS

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