André Citroën’s vision of a motor car for the masses
Extensively restored in Tyrol in the 1990s
A piece of French motoring history
At 100 years old, still ready for the road
When Citroën introduced the B14 in 1926, André Citroën was already busy turning the French motor industry on its head, taking his inspiration from America. Assembly-line production, large volumes and a car that was affordable to more than just the very wealthy. Henry Ford sends his regards – only in French.
The B14 was a development of the B12 and received a four-cylinder engine of just over 1.5 litres. Around 22 bhp may sound modest today, but then again it had less than a tonne of car to move. Compared with its predecessor, top speed rose to 80 km/h. It was hardly intended for the great chase anyway. Far more important were robustness, ease of use and enough room for family and luggage.
Technically, Citroën had plenty to offer. Four-wheel brakes had by then become standard, the all-steel body represented modern mass production, and the B14 was lighter and more economical than its predecessors. Four- or six-light saloon, Torpedo, cabriolet, coupé or commercial vehicle – Citroën offered one for almost every purpose.
The B14 was built for only a short time, but in considerable numbers. More than 127,000 examples were produced, almost 9,000 of them at the German factory in Cologne. By 1928, its successor, the C4, was already waiting in the wings. The pace of development was rapid; after all, André Citroën wanted to put the whole of France on wheels. To do so, the B14 did not need to be particularly sophisticated or especially fast. It needed to be affordable, to work and to get as many people onto the road as possible.
This Torpedo came from France to its last owner in Tyrol as early as the 1990s. Over many years of painstaking and affectionate work, he restored the car together with a Francophile friend to a standard that still impresses almost 30 years later. In 1998, the Austrian authorities eventually gave the Citroën B14 its official blessing.
Now 100 years old, it reminds us just how quickly progress was already gathering pace in Europe at the time. The Torpedo fascinates with its many details and remains ready at any moment for a journey back to those early years of motoring, when the automobile was steadily finding its way into everyday life.