Citroën LNA
Encyclopedia
The Citroën LN and Citroën LNA (Hélèna) are supermini
automobile
s produced by the French manufacturer Citroën
between 1976 and 1986.
The LN was introduced in 1976 as a reworked version of Peugeot
's 104 Z
, and was powered by the economical 602 cc two-cylinder
gasoline engine of the Citroën 2CV
. Equipment levels were low, but the LN's key selling points were its cheap price and low running costs.
There was evidence of defensiveness at the press launch, possibly because a car that looked like a Peugeot but was assembled at a Citroën plant and fitted with a Citroën engine sharply refuted assurances that the two marques would retain their individuality. Those assurances had been provided by the same press departments just a few months earlier, when Citroën had again run out of money Peugeot had taken control. When pressed, Citroën explained that the LN project had been rushed through because of "the need to supply customers and the [dealership] network with a model to strengthen Citroën's position at the lower end of the market" which was hardly a ringing endorsement of a range which at the time included the Ami
and the Dyane
as well as the venerable 2CV
which would continue in production long after any of the others.
Citroën sold the LN in its native France only, but its more powerful replacement, the LNA, was introduced in November 1978 and was exported to most of the rest of Europe (including right-hand drive versions for Great Britain). It had the more powerful and modern 652 cc two-cylinder engine of the Citroën Visa
and later a 1.1 L four-cylinder engine was added which had a top speed of nearly 90 mph (145 km/h) on the LNA 11E and 11RE. But like the smaller-engined LN, the LNA was cheap to buy and cheap to run.
At the same time the LNA was launched, its Peugeot-sourced bodyshell also spawned the Talbot Samba
which had square headlights and a different, slightly longer, rear body part. LNA production ceased in the summer of 1986, while the Talbot Samba survived another year. The Peugeot 104 remained in production until 1988 even though its successor, the 205
, had been launched five years earlier.
Supermini car
A supermini is a British term that describes automobiles larger than a city car but smaller than a small family car. This car class is also known as the B-segment across Europe, and as subcompact in North America....
automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
s produced by the French manufacturer Citroën
Citroën
Citroën is a major French automobile manufacturer, part of the PSA Peugeot Citroën group.Founded in 1919 by French industrialist André-Gustave Citroën , Citroën was the first mass-production car company outside the USA and pioneered the modern concept of creating a sales and services network that...
between 1976 and 1986.
The LN was introduced in 1976 as a reworked version of Peugeot
Peugeot
Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...
's 104 Z
Peugeot 104
The Peugeot 104 is a supermini motor car designed by Paolo Martin and produced by the French car manufacturer Peugeot between 1972 and 1988.- Production history :Saloon launch 1972...
, and was powered by the economical 602 cc two-cylinder
Flat-twin
A flat-twin is a two cylinder internal combustion engine with the cylinders arranged on opposite sides of the crankshaft. It is part of the class of flat engines, sub-type "boxer", and shares most characteristics of those engines.-Motorcycle use:...
gasoline engine of the Citroën 2CV
Citroën 2CV
The Citroën 2CV |tax horsepower]]”) was an economy car produced by the French automaker Citroën between 1948 and 1990. It was technologically advanced and innovative, but with uncompromisingly utilitarian unconventional looks, and deceptively simple Bauhaus inspired bodywork, that belied the sheer...
. Equipment levels were low, but the LN's key selling points were its cheap price and low running costs.
There was evidence of defensiveness at the press launch, possibly because a car that looked like a Peugeot but was assembled at a Citroën plant and fitted with a Citroën engine sharply refuted assurances that the two marques would retain their individuality. Those assurances had been provided by the same press departments just a few months earlier, when Citroën had again run out of money Peugeot had taken control. When pressed, Citroën explained that the LN project had been rushed through because of "the need to supply customers and the [dealership] network with a model to strengthen Citroën's position at the lower end of the market" which was hardly a ringing endorsement of a range which at the time included the Ami
Citroën Ami
The Citroën Ami is a supermini produced by the French automaker Citroën from 1961 to 1978. The Ami and stablemate Citroën Dyane were replaced by the Citroën Visa and Citroën Axel . The Ami was for some years the best-selling car model in France...
and the Dyane
Citroën Dyane
The Citroën Dyane is an economy car/supermini produced by the French automaker Citroën from 1967 to 1983. Based on the Citroën 2CV, 1,444,583 examples were manufactured...
as well as the venerable 2CV
Citroën 2CV
The Citroën 2CV |tax horsepower]]”) was an economy car produced by the French automaker Citroën between 1948 and 1990. It was technologically advanced and innovative, but with uncompromisingly utilitarian unconventional looks, and deceptively simple Bauhaus inspired bodywork, that belied the sheer...
which would continue in production long after any of the others.
Citroën sold the LN in its native France only, but its more powerful replacement, the LNA, was introduced in November 1978 and was exported to most of the rest of Europe (including right-hand drive versions for Great Britain). It had the more powerful and modern 652 cc two-cylinder engine of the Citroën Visa
Citroën Visa
The Citroën Visa is a supermini that was produced by the French car marque Citroën from 1978 to 1988.-Development History:The Citroën Prototype Y to replace the 2CV based Citroën Ami that dated back to 1960 in the early seventies, was originally developed in co-operation with Fiat...
and later a 1.1 L four-cylinder engine was added which had a top speed of nearly 90 mph (145 km/h) on the LNA 11E and 11RE. But like the smaller-engined LN, the LNA was cheap to buy and cheap to run.
At the same time the LNA was launched, its Peugeot-sourced bodyshell also spawned the Talbot Samba
Talbot Samba
The Talbot Samba is a supermini car manufactured by the PSA Group in the former Simca factory in Poissy, France, and marketed under the short-lived modern-day Talbot brand. Based on the Peugeot 104, it was the only Talbot not inherited from Chrysler Europe, engineered by PSA alone. It was also the...
which had square headlights and a different, slightly longer, rear body part. LNA production ceased in the summer of 1986, while the Talbot Samba survived another year. The Peugeot 104 remained in production until 1988 even though its successor, the 205
Peugeot 205
The Peugeot 205 is a supermini produced by the French car manufacturer Peugeot between 1983 and 1998. It was declared 'Car of the Decade' by CAR magazine in 1990. The 205 won 1984 What Car? car of the year.-History:...
, had been launched five years earlier.
Technical specifications
| Type | V 06 / 630 | R 06 / 630 | V 06 / 644 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bore | 77 mm (3 in) | 74 mm (2.9 in) | 77 mm (3 in) |
| Stroke | 70 mm (2.8 in) | 70 mm (2.8 in) | 70 mm (2.8 in) |
| displacement | 652 cc | 602 cc | 652 cc |
| Volumetric ration | 9 / 1 | 9.5 / 1 | 9.5 / 1 |
| Working compression | 11 bars | 11 bars | 11 bars |
| Max power | 36 PS @ 5500 rpm | 32 PS @ 5750 rpm | 34.5 PS @ 5500 rpm |
| Max torque | 5.3 kgm @ 3500 rpm | 4.2 kgm @ 3500 rpm | |
| 5.1 daN.m | 4.8 daN.m @ 3500 rpm | ||
| Max RPM | 5850 rpm | 6000 rpm | |
| Camshaft values | for 1 mm rising | ||
| R.O.A | 7° after TDC | 0°5' after TDC | |
| R.F.A | 42° after BDC | 49°15 after TDC | |
| A.O.E | 35° before BDC | 35°55 after TDC | |
| A.F.E / R.F.E | 6° before TDC | 3°30 after TDC | |
| Transmissions | |||
| 1st gear | 11/50 | 11/50 | |
| 2nd gear | 18/45 | 18/45 | |
| 3rd gear | 28/46 | 28/46 | |
| 4th gear | 34/39 | 34/39 | |
| backward gear | 11/46 | 11/46 | |
| transmission ratio | 8/33 | 8/35 | 9/35 |