Citroën Prototype Y
Encyclopedia
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...
, conducted by 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...
in the early seventies. It was superseded by project Citroën VD (VD standing for Voiture Diminuée).
The goal of Prototype Y was to give birth to a small, robust and modern car which would have fitted into the Citroën range between the 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...
and the GS
Citroën GS
The Citroën GS and Citroën GSA are small family cars produced by the French automaker Citroën. The GS was voted European Car of the Year for 1971, and was probably the most technologically advanced car in its class when launched, with class leading comfort, safety and aerodynamics.-Market...
.
The first prototypes were based on the Fiat 127
Fiat 127
The Fiat 127 is a supermini produced by the Italian automaker Fiat between 1971 and 1983. It was introduced in 1971 as the replacement for the Fiat 850...
platform, since Citroën was pursuing at that time an alliance with Fiat
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
(the only result of this alliance in the end was the Citroën C35
Citroën C35
Citroën C32 and Citroën C35 were vans produced by Citroën from 1974 to 1992. This van was the result of a cooperation with Fiat and was sold under the name Fiat 242 in Italy, be it with Fiat engines. Both vehicles were produced in Italy till 1987, and then in France by Chausson, when Fiat...
/ Fiat 242
Fiat 242
Fiat 242 was a van which was produced by Fiat in the 1970s. This van was the result of a cooperation with Citroën and was sold under the name Citroën C35 in France. Both vehicles were produced in Italy till 1987, and then in France by Chausson, when Fiat discontinued the 242....
). Later models employed a torsion bar suspension set up.
In 1974, 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...
acquired Citroën, forming the PSA Group, and the project to replace the Ami was redefined as "Citroën VD", and then incorporated the floor pan of the Peugeot 104
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...
, thereby permitting the use of the 104 engine and transmission. The 104-based 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...
thereby replaced the Prototype Y. There was also a badge-engineered
Badge engineering
Badge engineering is an ironic term that describes the rebadging of one product as another...
Citroën version of the 104 with only minor changes from it — the Citroën LN/LNA
Citroën LNA
The Citroën LN and Citroën LNA are supermini automobiles produced by the French manufacturer Citroën between 1976 and 1986....
.
The original design from Project Y was sold to Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
where it become the Oltcit
Oltcit
The Oltcit was a Romanian car developed in co-operation with Citroën of France in the 1980s. It is a small three-door hatchback, based on the Citroën Prototype Y and built in Craiova at the Automobile Craiova plant.-History:...
, which has cosmetic similarities to the Visa, and was sold under the commercial name of Citroën Axel
Citroën Axel
The Citroën Axel was a supermini automobile produced between 1984 and 1990 and developed in co-operation by Citroën of France and Automobile Craiova, a joint venture company with the Romanian government....
in some Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
an markets.