That is exactly the car I was thinking of, I guess I was thinking Citroen was just a model made by Peugeot. But that is indeed the butt ugly car I remebered. Now does anyone know what the name means (either one), it can't be good.
Citroën comes from André Citroën who founded the company in 1919.
Citroën made the first mass production front wheel drive steel monocoque production car (it's the long way of saying unibody FWD) in 1934, the Traction Avant. It had an very advanced suspension for it's time, combined with being low slung, which gave it good handling characteristics.
I have to say it's a real beauty:
As for Peugeot, geminiviper has that one covered
:
They are a French company, and second largest in the EU. They ride decently. Emile Peugeot is the name of the founder. They started out as a coffee mill company in early 1800s. They went to bicycles and then to cars. They have an interesting history. In 1978 they took over Chrystler EU.
The third big French brand is also named after the founders, Louis Renault (The engineer) and his brothers Marcel and Fernand (Management).
Speaking of French people who founded car companies... ...Louis-Joseph Chevrolet, of French descent was a Swiss American race car driver and co-founder (with William C. Durant, also of French descent) of the Chevrolet Motor Car Company.
The next one didn't make any cars, but in 1701 he founded Detroit, which was to become the Motor City. A 17th-century French explorer Antoine Laumet de la Mothe, Sieur de Cadillac. No need to tell which GM brand that's named after him.
I can understand why you thought Citroën is a model made by Peugeot.
Peugeot bought Citroën in the mid seventies, and they share a lot of components, like other carmakers owning different brands.
Speaking of Citroën in a funny car names thread, how could I forget their mid size van, the Citroën Jumpy?
Then you got their bigger van, the Jumper:
Doesn't really sound like cars you'd want to transport eggs or porcelain in, do they?