Monday, August 05, 2002
ICCCR Meeting in USA (2002)
ICCCR (International Citroën Car Club Rally) MEETING IN AMHERST
(Aug. 9-11, 2002)
HENRI J. CITROËN ‘S SPEECH
Ladies and gentlemen, my friends,
We are quite impressed to be here in Amherst with so many fans of the Citroën cars and the Citroën technology. We can talk of a Citroën mystique. I feel proud to belong to this family and to be the grandson of someone who raised so much passion.
On behalf of my family, I would like to congratulate Cherise and Michael Cox, two wonderful friends really dedicated to the cause of the Citroën clubs, who have organized this extraordinary event for years. If I were a candidate for any political position, I would definitely appoint them as my campaign managers.
Many thanks to those fans who spent their savings to bring their cars and their eagerness here.
Thanks to the Citroën company and to the other sponsors who made this meeting possible.
I am supposed to say a few words about the Citroën family today. I can say she is well and alive and living … everywhere. It is a rather small family.
André Citroën had one daughter and two sons.
Unfortunately, my father Bernard, who is 85, the only survivor of André Citroën’s sons and daughter, could not come since he is very ill. As you may know, he wrote a book about his father’s life and his own life : “La conjuration de Javel”. He describes the plot organized by several businessman who eventually made his father loose control of the Citroën company in 1935. Since those businessmen are mentioned under pseudonyms, many publishers refused to print his manuscript.
My late uncle Maxime, who was an industrialist, left one daughter and three sons : Claire is an artist living in Paris, André is living nearby, in Boston, and also in Paris. Jean and René also have their residence in Paris : they all live on different kind of investments. They have a total of four daughters and two sons.
My late aunt, Jacqueline, who was general secretary of Chanel, left one son, André de Saint-Sauveur who is a retired banker.
I have two brothers :
- Philippe, who is director of the French National Railway Network; he has one daughter and two sons;
- Bernard lives in London where he holds a good position in the BNP Paribas bank. He previously lived in New York City.
Staying very often in Paris, I personally live most of the time in Venezuela where I created two companies : one representing a number of steel and mechanical French industries. By the way, one of my principals is the gear industry created by my grandfather in 1901, which is now called CMD Gears and is a worldwide leader in its field. My other company is dedicated to public relations and communications and my main client is the French oil Group TotalFinaElf and you may think that I followed the long-standing and well-known advertisement which says : “Citroën prefers Total”. What a coincidence! CMD Gears, TotalFinaElf, two winks of destiny.
I came here with my son Charles-Henri, who is studying in a business school in Paris and with my youngest daughter Anne-Rosalie who is 10 and wears a name who will make you remember some records achieved by a very special car during the 30’s. My other daughter Clémentine, who is studying biology at the University of Paris, could not come: previously, she lived some time in the USA where she was training at the Bollettieri Sports Academy trying to become a professional tennis player.
I am sorry to say that following the example of André Citroën who had absolutely no interest in driving cars (he always let his wife or his chauffeur drive them), our family members are not car fans. Nevertheless we are impressed by the beauty of old cars and by their owners who try to make them everyday more beautiful. And we feel quite happy when the Citroën company, in which the family unfortunately has no shares, is successful and manages to create new striking models and market them worldwide. That helps to maintain the Citroën mystique.
As you can see, only a few persons wear the Citroën name in France but millions of cars wear it on their body, which make it impossible to forget my name when walking in the streets or driving around. I am, often asked if it is not too hard to bear that household name. In a way it is inasmuch as my grandfather did so much during his short life.
You probably remember his activities, first as producer of gears, especially the helical gear which is the origin of the double chevron symbol of the Citroën Automobiles, then as efficient producer of most shells and munitions used by the Allies during WW1. After 1919, he became the first European mass producer of cars and he earned the nickname of the “French Henry Ford”. He admired, as I do today, the creativity of North America : as a matter of fact, he found, during his trips to the USA, many ideas which he managed to develop and transform into reality. Examples:
- the principles of scientific management set up by engineer Frederick Taylor, the father of time and motion studies, principles he applied immediately and fully in the production of shells and, later, of cars. The application of Taylor methods by André Citroën inspired his friend Charlie Chaplin who filmed the movie “Modern Times” to mock him!
- the all-steel-bodied car, in application of a technique he purchased from Philadelphia industrialist Edward Budd.
- The idea of the Traction Avant came partially from the USA.
He was a master of public relations : many experts say he was the founder of the marketing techniques still used today :
- To create early familiarity with the brand, he produced Citroën car toys at a large scale, reaching sales of 800.000 units in 1933! He wanted the first words of every baby to be : “Mom, Dad, Citroën”.
- He installed road signs, with his name on it, all over France;
- He installed all the required equipment to illuminate the Paris monuments permanently, as a gift to the Parisian inhabitants.
- He organized the adventurous and outstanding crossings of Africa (La Croisière Noire) and Asia (La Croisière Jaune).
- He set up the tallest publicity ever in world history : his lit name all along the 1000 feet Eiffel Tower!
- He was the inventor of the sale technique known today as direct mail marketing: thousands of mailings were dispatched each week throughout France. And no computer was existing at those times.
As John Reynolds writes in his book about André Citroën : “It was the hallmark of André Citroën’s genius as an industrialist that his interest in, and mastery of, large scale volume production methods did not stop short at the factory gates but extended right down the line into distribution, sales and customer service”
He was a man always going forward and fast : as he said in 1924, “One advances faster by taking giant steps instead of little shuffles”. “When an idea is good, its price becomes of no importance”, he used to say. Ambitious and reckless, but effective.
The fact that André Citroën was one of the world pioneers who turned the production of cars into a conquering industry, that he had been one of the foremost players of the international automotive game, was recognized in 1998 by the Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn which chose him as the first French inductee. A major event for our family and French industry. I represented the family and received the trophy on its behalf : on that day, I really felt the importance of his contribution to industrial and business progress.
There is a widespread and everlasting recognition indeed. We can talk of a mystique.
Even in Venezuela, for example, where there are no Citroën cars, the brand is known. Very often, when I am calling someone’s secretary, she tells me after I say may name : “like the car?”. Impressive, is not it ?
Until recently, the collaborators of my grandfather met every year in Paris for a lunch to recall their souvenirs and simply be together; now, their sons still gather in March to follow their fathers’ tradition. Several times, many years ago, I shared those special moments with those collaborators, privileged witnesses of the epic : with emotions, they recalled the moments they spent with my grandfather, the “boss”, they recalled the general atmosphere of utmost creativity and inventiveness in the Citroën company at times when everything was possible. André Citroën’s behaviour, action, imagination and will, and, last but not least, charisma, gave birth to the mystique. And the dramatic end of his life reinforced the legend.
The ICCCR is a definite proof that there is a Citroën mystique. And we do appreciate it.
And we thank you.
(Aug. 9-11, 2002)
HENRI J. CITROËN ‘S SPEECH
Ladies and gentlemen, my friends,
We are quite impressed to be here in Amherst with so many fans of the Citroën cars and the Citroën technology. We can talk of a Citroën mystique. I feel proud to belong to this family and to be the grandson of someone who raised so much passion.
On behalf of my family, I would like to congratulate Cherise and Michael Cox, two wonderful friends really dedicated to the cause of the Citroën clubs, who have organized this extraordinary event for years. If I were a candidate for any political position, I would definitely appoint them as my campaign managers.
Many thanks to those fans who spent their savings to bring their cars and their eagerness here.
Thanks to the Citroën company and to the other sponsors who made this meeting possible.
I am supposed to say a few words about the Citroën family today. I can say she is well and alive and living … everywhere. It is a rather small family.
André Citroën had one daughter and two sons.
Unfortunately, my father Bernard, who is 85, the only survivor of André Citroën’s sons and daughter, could not come since he is very ill. As you may know, he wrote a book about his father’s life and his own life : “La conjuration de Javel”. He describes the plot organized by several businessman who eventually made his father loose control of the Citroën company in 1935. Since those businessmen are mentioned under pseudonyms, many publishers refused to print his manuscript.
My late uncle Maxime, who was an industrialist, left one daughter and three sons : Claire is an artist living in Paris, André is living nearby, in Boston, and also in Paris. Jean and René also have their residence in Paris : they all live on different kind of investments. They have a total of four daughters and two sons.
My late aunt, Jacqueline, who was general secretary of Chanel, left one son, André de Saint-Sauveur who is a retired banker.
I have two brothers :
- Philippe, who is director of the French National Railway Network; he has one daughter and two sons;
- Bernard lives in London where he holds a good position in the BNP Paribas bank. He previously lived in New York City.
Staying very often in Paris, I personally live most of the time in Venezuela where I created two companies : one representing a number of steel and mechanical French industries. By the way, one of my principals is the gear industry created by my grandfather in 1901, which is now called CMD Gears and is a worldwide leader in its field. My other company is dedicated to public relations and communications and my main client is the French oil Group TotalFinaElf and you may think that I followed the long-standing and well-known advertisement which says : “Citroën prefers Total”. What a coincidence! CMD Gears, TotalFinaElf, two winks of destiny.
I came here with my son Charles-Henri, who is studying in a business school in Paris and with my youngest daughter Anne-Rosalie who is 10 and wears a name who will make you remember some records achieved by a very special car during the 30’s. My other daughter Clémentine, who is studying biology at the University of Paris, could not come: previously, she lived some time in the USA where she was training at the Bollettieri Sports Academy trying to become a professional tennis player.
I am sorry to say that following the example of André Citroën who had absolutely no interest in driving cars (he always let his wife or his chauffeur drive them), our family members are not car fans. Nevertheless we are impressed by the beauty of old cars and by their owners who try to make them everyday more beautiful. And we feel quite happy when the Citroën company, in which the family unfortunately has no shares, is successful and manages to create new striking models and market them worldwide. That helps to maintain the Citroën mystique.
As you can see, only a few persons wear the Citroën name in France but millions of cars wear it on their body, which make it impossible to forget my name when walking in the streets or driving around. I am, often asked if it is not too hard to bear that household name. In a way it is inasmuch as my grandfather did so much during his short life.
You probably remember his activities, first as producer of gears, especially the helical gear which is the origin of the double chevron symbol of the Citroën Automobiles, then as efficient producer of most shells and munitions used by the Allies during WW1. After 1919, he became the first European mass producer of cars and he earned the nickname of the “French Henry Ford”. He admired, as I do today, the creativity of North America : as a matter of fact, he found, during his trips to the USA, many ideas which he managed to develop and transform into reality. Examples:
- the principles of scientific management set up by engineer Frederick Taylor, the father of time and motion studies, principles he applied immediately and fully in the production of shells and, later, of cars. The application of Taylor methods by André Citroën inspired his friend Charlie Chaplin who filmed the movie “Modern Times” to mock him!
- the all-steel-bodied car, in application of a technique he purchased from Philadelphia industrialist Edward Budd.
- The idea of the Traction Avant came partially from the USA.
He was a master of public relations : many experts say he was the founder of the marketing techniques still used today :
- To create early familiarity with the brand, he produced Citroën car toys at a large scale, reaching sales of 800.000 units in 1933! He wanted the first words of every baby to be : “Mom, Dad, Citroën”.
- He installed road signs, with his name on it, all over France;
- He installed all the required equipment to illuminate the Paris monuments permanently, as a gift to the Parisian inhabitants.
- He organized the adventurous and outstanding crossings of Africa (La Croisière Noire) and Asia (La Croisière Jaune).
- He set up the tallest publicity ever in world history : his lit name all along the 1000 feet Eiffel Tower!
- He was the inventor of the sale technique known today as direct mail marketing: thousands of mailings were dispatched each week throughout France. And no computer was existing at those times.
As John Reynolds writes in his book about André Citroën : “It was the hallmark of André Citroën’s genius as an industrialist that his interest in, and mastery of, large scale volume production methods did not stop short at the factory gates but extended right down the line into distribution, sales and customer service”
He was a man always going forward and fast : as he said in 1924, “One advances faster by taking giant steps instead of little shuffles”. “When an idea is good, its price becomes of no importance”, he used to say. Ambitious and reckless, but effective.
The fact that André Citroën was one of the world pioneers who turned the production of cars into a conquering industry, that he had been one of the foremost players of the international automotive game, was recognized in 1998 by the Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn which chose him as the first French inductee. A major event for our family and French industry. I represented the family and received the trophy on its behalf : on that day, I really felt the importance of his contribution to industrial and business progress.
There is a widespread and everlasting recognition indeed. We can talk of a mystique.
Even in Venezuela, for example, where there are no Citroën cars, the brand is known. Very often, when I am calling someone’s secretary, she tells me after I say may name : “like the car?”. Impressive, is not it ?
Until recently, the collaborators of my grandfather met every year in Paris for a lunch to recall their souvenirs and simply be together; now, their sons still gather in March to follow their fathers’ tradition. Several times, many years ago, I shared those special moments with those collaborators, privileged witnesses of the epic : with emotions, they recalled the moments they spent with my grandfather, the “boss”, they recalled the general atmosphere of utmost creativity and inventiveness in the Citroën company at times when everything was possible. André Citroën’s behaviour, action, imagination and will, and, last but not least, charisma, gave birth to the mystique. And the dramatic end of his life reinforced the legend.
The ICCCR is a definite proof that there is a Citroën mystique. And we do appreciate it.
And we thank you.
