Gerry's own Citroën Page

"The art of good driving is to arrive first, when no-one knows that you have passed them by"

"Sans déranger qui que se soit, arriver le premier"

Clubs

Souvenirs de sa mère

souvenirs

La DS et ses rèves de sa mère, la Traction.

The Godess dreams of her heritage and remembers her mother, surefootedly negotiating an Alpine pass.

The Freed micro collection .......

We have owned a 1923 c3 5HP, Traction 11BL- Slough Built, a French built but RHD 11BL, an AMI 6 break, one of the first GS 1220 Breaks, Citroën Currus HY Camping Car, GS Rallye 1015cc, A Connaught installed Arnott Supercharged ID19 and countless DS including Hydraulic, 4 gear and five gear manuals, 6 and 12 volt, LHS2 and LHM, built from 1957 to 1974, Pallas and DSuper, a CX 2400 Pallas, BX19TRI, 3 litre SM, Berlingo Multispace, C5 2.2L HdI Exclusive in France and Australia. Panhard 24CT

En ce moment, nous roulons en Mazda 6, Citroën C5 Hdi série 1 et Panhard 24CT

Le HY72 de 1965, rallongé et aménagé comme un camping-card’origine.

Avec le Type H, Citroën ont créé une plate-forme utilitaire capable de transformation en plusieurs configurations pour une multiplicité d'applications. Une brochure des années cinquante dit « Chaque métier peut, sans grand frais de modifications, adapter des aménagements a la présentation d'origine ». Par exemple, ils ont proposé Ambulance, Car Tourisme, Transport de Tonneaux, Epicerie, Laboratoire, Transport de Bétail, Cycles Moto, Fonderie, Car de Démonstration, Tapissier, Boulangerie et Oui, Le Camping ! Mais pas un mot de Panier à Salade. Pour faires les modifications, ils ont approuvé quelques carrossiers dont les mieux connus sont Heuliez, Currus et Gruau.

En 1965, un Stéphanois a commandé un Camping-Car de Citroën. Citroën en réponse ont envoyé un camion standard, empattement court, de la chaîne à Currus pour aménagement. Currus ont rallongée la coque 70 cm, gardé la sainte couleur gris et fait l'intérieure. Il comprend un canapé fixe et en face un lit basculant, qui forme ensemble un lit confortable à 4m carré. Au dessous du lit, il y a une table basculant. On peut manger ou dormir mais pas à la fois. Un placard était installé pour un frigo à gaz, mais il ne pas survécu. A l'arrière, il y a une petite cuisine avec un réchaud à camping gaz et un évier avec quelques placards. Deux ouvertures était vitrées, coté conducteur. Le camion avait un moteur à essence de 1600 cm3 et la mécanique n'a pas été modifiée du tout.

Le camping car était livré en décembre 1965 et utilisé seulement pour les vacances d'été sur la Côte d'Azur. La famille a grandi et un troisième siège avait été installé entre le deux avant. L'occupante à son tour s'est marié, a adopté le camping-car et a continué avec les vacances. Hélas, la génération suivante est occupée à d'autres intérêts. Le camping car après service pendant trois générations s'est reposé au garage. Après quelques années il était, tristement, mis en vente. Je l'ai acheté dans son jus en 2004 et avec 30,000 kms au compteur. Après un retour rapide au Bassin, nous sommes parti pour Interlaken en Suisse; quatre mille kilomètres en total, avec un minimum d'entretien. Après notre retour j'ai refait le moteur et le freinage. La carrosserie était 100% saine, mais j'ai décapé la peinture, grise et fatiguée. Il a adopté un couleur Jaune Primevère du nuancier 2cv. Avec nous, il a traversé le pays quelques fois et visiter l'Ecosse. Les 30 mille kilomètres de son premier trente huit ans, nous avons double en quatre.

Il roule fièrement sur demande, un témoignage de la fiabilité du modèle conceptualisé il y a quelques soixante dix ans.

Avril 2010

and its dinghy a model 5000 Velosolex circa 1970
et son annexe, une modèle 5000 VeloSolex 197?

Le camion en Appris avec le toit nu et les porte et le capot en gris

et en Jaune Primavere et Blanc de Cygne mais sans portes

et parmi les tulipes Avril 2006

La GS au Port du Bétey, Andernos. à noter - le numéro d'immatriculation, parfait pour le voyage de Bordeaux à ICCCR Harrogate GB.

When we left Australia we sold to Club members
Avant notre depart d 'Australie, nous avons vendu

Our Traction 11BL - still in pieces.
Une traction 11BlL de 1949, fabriquée en France, direction à droite, sous restauration.

The engine, front suspension and transmission have all been overhauled. Work was in progress on the body shell.

The XM 2 litre Turbo which decided to drop a timing belt just before we left.
La XM turbo 2litre de 1993, achetée en Angleterre. En apprenant notre depart, elle a cassé sa courroie de distribution, en colère.

and sadly, the 5cv roadster with its custom built trailer.

et avec nos regrets, la 1923 5cv Bébé , 2 places, carrosserie roadster Australienne, plus sa propre remorque

When we left France we sold
Avant notre depart d 'Australie, nous avons vendu

La GS Rallye

Le HY

Honda Insight

The Berlingo under the oak trees in our Andernos home restoration project.

Sous les chênes, devant le projet de restauration à Andernos

Living in London made daily car use difficult, so this was our weekend shopping trolley...

A Londrès une voiture n'était pas pratique, mais pour les weekends dehors et pour les hypermarchés ..............

. Anchors away

April 2003

It is a 1993 XM 2.0 litre Turbo Auto sedan. We bought it as a one owner, 75000 miles. So far it is not living up to its reputation and is perfectly reliable, with everything working when purchased except the Webasto sun roof motor (now replaced). I have replaced the front 3 spheres, the pump, regulator and accumulator and fitted a tow bar. At the front I changed the brake pads and fitted new Michelin XSE tyres (now part worn)

We travelled extensively in France in this car touring at average speeds of 150kmh. (Now no longer possible as Chirac is applying the British speed camera regime.) We brought the car back to Australia (it now has 155,000 kms on the clock) as Yo so much loved being chauffeured in it. The jury is still out as to whether its lack of air conditioning is a nuisance or outweighed by the unreliabilty issues. The motor is a PSA 8 valve Turbo unit similar to that fitted on the Xantia. The interior trim is a blue/grey cloth and is in excellent condition. The front and rear plastic bumpers have suffered in various European parking skirmishes and I was in the process of replacing them when we packed. It was registered in NSW in Dec 2002 and is now known as YJY 355.

Now sold, it lives with a member of the NSW Club.

The 11BL 1949-50 Traction was in pieces in the garage and is now in Graham's good hands, being restored....

Nov 1999

The work to do

....and here is the process of pressing the splined shafts out of the front suspension bushes, prior to getting replacements from the ever resourceful Depanoto. It is a 20 tonne press and the manual says 70 tonnes may be needed. That proved a bit much for the home workshop. They were freed with several days soaking in kerosene, then heated under pressure with a oxy flame (after drying out the kero!).

Separation des SilentBlocs de la suspension avant, avec une presse de vingt tonnes et un chalumeau oxy acetylene.

This car was French specified and built and delivered to the Northern Territory. It had several interesting owners and adventures there before being bought by a Sydney family. They restored it and painted it red. We bought it from them in 1996, sadly neglected and partially dismantled, to start another rebuild project

It featured in car magazines as a Concours vehicle in the late 1960's. It has the 'Pullman' upholstery and a sadly worn out Webasto sun roof but otherwise is a standard model. It was modified to 12v electrics and fitted with an alternator. The brakes were improved with a vacuum servo. Both non-standard modifications make good practical sense and I was proposing to keep them.

The engine and front transmision, and sub frame where quickly done but the bodywork has proceeded painfully slowly. It will be finished some time real soon......

May 2003

Since dismantling it, I have rebuilt the front end with new silentblocs, Konis and rebuilt the drive shafts with new bearings. The gearbox has been overhauled, I have sleeved the gear selector turret to remove play and replaced the clutch bearing. The engine has been overhauled and a new exhaust system fitted. At the rear no work has been done except to fit new Konis. The car has now been assembled for transport and everything is loose, ready to restart the restoration.

Here it is at May 16th 2003.

Traction in May 2003

encore en Avril 2005 - une transformation incroyable

Here it is as of April 2005 - an unbelievable transformation, carried out by la famille Schenk - carrosiers extraordinaires

Kevin hands over the 5cv to Gerry Freed - a proud new owner
Le vendeur de la 5cv

Prix aux Concours du Quatorze Juillet 1999
and here it is a year later, winning its class (as the only entrant) in the Bastille Day Concours, July 1999
The Traction restoration was interrupted by the arrival of the 5cv.

Read my Magazine Article on the history of this car

It is a 2 door, 2 seater 5HP C3/4 made in 1924 and shipped to Australia as a chassis to save on very high duties. It has a locally built body from Missenden Body Works in Camperdown, Sydney (defunct) and was one of a very popular model that competed with the Model T Ford for the rural horse replacement market.
Rigidly mounted is a 4 cylinder 850cc motor, sidedraught Solex bronze carby, thermo-syphon cooling with a fan assist, an electric starter, 6v electrics, and an RB magneto. The car has some very advanced manufacturing features. The crankcase, bell housing and the brake shoes are all cast aluminium.
The chassis is a simple rectangular frame with cross braces in steel with quarter elliptical springs - no dampers. The transmission is a 3 crash gear + reverse gear box with a single plate dry clutch, a canvas universal between 3 point fixings to a tail shaft in a tube integral with the back axle. It is, of course, rear wheel drive as they all were until the Traction. The brakes are amazing as they now work to specification, which by today's standards is hardly at all. The car was built as right hand drive which was an option in France at the time. The pedals from left to right are clutch, accelerator and then brake. The foot pedal operates on a drum brake behind the gearbox. If this is operated alone, the back end can spin on the diff. The hand brake operates two tiny drums on the rear axle. As a parking brake it is marginal. A panic stop requires a foot on the brake, one on the clutch, two hands on the wheel to hold it straight and two hands on the hand brake. Ergonomics it has not.

The dynamo is on the crankshaft between the front of the engine and the starting handle. As it runs only at crankshaft speed, charging is negligible. Top speed is 28 mph and acceleration hardly apparent with Yo and me on board.

We do not know the history until 1942, when it was bought by Frank,a farmer in the outback to replace a Knight sleeve valve Pierce that used too much gas for the wartime restrictions. He restored it twice, at one stage its motor was removed and used for pumping water. When he sold up, it was bought by a local identity to keep it in the small township of Gilgandra. Eventually, he could not look after it either and asked the Club to sell it for him. We bought it two years ago and I have done a lot of detail work on it but it needs much more, to make a real show car. There are a number of these cars in running order, mostly with small town histories. I consider it an important part of motoring history in Australia, representative of Andre's early export successes. It was an identical car that first circumnavigated Australia in 1925, when the towns were linked by dirt roads and tracks.
We won our class at the Citroen meets because we are the only representative of the era. It is too fragile to drive any distance, so I took it around on a custom built trailer, which although practical is a little beneath its dignity. This car was on display at the Illawarra Motor Museum, close to the first motorcycle to tour Australia in the same era.

It has now gone to a good home in Mystery Bay.

Daily transport in the US was this lovely 1973/4 3 litre SM Auto

En Californie notre transport journalier était cette parfaite SM 3 litre Auto, Carburateur et sans couvercle de phares

This car had one lady owner from new until February. It is so difficult to own an SM in Australia because of the Right Hand Drive conversion, this it was an opportunity not to be passed up. She looked after the car in the manner which its thoroughbred heritage deserves. It was garaged, kept under a fitted cover and maintained to manufacturer's schedule by experts. Everything about it has the feel of used but never abused. It cruises between radars effortlessly at 100 mph with plenty in reserve. The wear and tear of 27 years is negligible and it retains the character the original build, so often lost in modern restorations. It needs detailing, primarily to the paintwork, to win Concours but that was my intention, now cut short by a premature return to Aussie. This has to be the most polished and most comfortable Citroen for long distance travel that I have ever owned. My usual approach is to wash cars when I first buy them to see what I am getting, leave them to be covered in the anonymity of road dirt, then clean them for sales presentation. This one is different - it is noticed and one has to meet admirers' expectations. So it is cleaned, polished and presented for every car park encounter. Its last outing under our ownership was the 2000 Palo Alto Concours where we spent a warm day using the height control and the rear lock in the boot with the jack on each side demonstrating aerobatics SM style.

We have our restored 1974 Safari DS23 Hydraulic for weekend transport, back in Aussie

The dentist's practice mouth

This is a clone photographed in our back garden during a technical day. Ours is a rare British delivered model ordered with the Hydraulic gear change, rarely seen on the Safari. It was built towards the end of the model run. We bought it in 1989, mechanically sound but with a well worn body with some under floor corrosion. We dismantled and stripped it to bare metal, replaced the rusty bits with good BHP steel and had it re-sprayed and re-upholstered to the original colours. It took about two years as a very part time project to re-assemble and trim it. Since then it has been mainly used for Club meetings. That may sound nothing, but some of the bashes over dirt roads that we enjoy of a weekend evoke memories of European rallying in the 1960's. In 1998, with help from Club members, we removed the motor and welded new supports for the H frames and the cross-frame members. Keith Cornford and I rebuilt it. Since then, it has had little use but is suffering minor body damage because of an incompatibility of tight garage space and its low down bulbous shape. Its doors have had several unfortunate experiences with the engine/transmission assembly of the Traction, which awaits refitting.

Here is a photo of three generations of the marque taken at our house in Mt Ousley when the French Ambassador had a meal with us. There is our Safari and our CX 2400 C-Matic Pallas and the official Embassy car, an XM that was eventually sold privately in Canberra.

SAD NEWS - MAY 2001

DURING A SHORT VISIT TO AUSSIE, I PICKED UP THE SAFARI AT EASTWOOD TO DRIVE IT TO WOLLONGONG, AFTER IT HAD BEEN USED FOR A PRODUCT LAUNCH (PARISIEN SETTING). FOR NO OBVIOUS REASON, IT CAUGHT FIRE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC ON THE EPPING ROAD AND WAS DESTROYED FROM THE FRONT BUMPER TO THE DASHBOARD. IT WAS NOT INSURED AGAINST FIRE, BUT I HAVE RETURNED THE REMAINS TO EASTWOOD, HOPING SOMEONE WILL RESTORE IT OR USE THE SAFARI SHELL. AS WE ARE NOW LIVING IN LONDON, IT IS VERY UNLIKELY THAT I WILL HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DO ANYTHING WITH IT. WE HAD TWELVE HAPPY YEARS TOGETHER AND I WAS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT LEAVING IT LARGELY UNUSED.

MUCH BETTER NEWS - JUNE 2002

WE KNOW WHY IT CAUGHT FIRE - THE BRASS TUBE CARRYING FUEL TO THE CARBURETTOR UNION FELL OUT OF THE UNION AND SPRAYED FUEL OVER THE ENGINE. APPARENTLY THIS IS NOT UNCOMMON AND IS DUR TO THE PRESS FIT BETWEEN BRASS AND A ZINC ALLOY WORKING LOOSE WITH AGE.

JASON HANTOS REBUILT THE CAR AND I UNDERSTAND IT NOW HAS A HAPPY HOME IN QUEENSLAND.

June 2008 After a sojourn in Victoria, now being restored in NSW

My first cit

This is the last remaining photo of my first Citroën ... A Slough built 1952 Light Fifteen, small boot, white sidewall tyres, leather seats, wooden dash, Lucas 12v electrics and chrome trim

The photo dates from 1962/3 and was taken at Fareham in Hampshire, England. I sold it around 1966 for 75 Pounds in Walton-on Thames.

Does it still exist? Rego LTG966.

I have news of it in Aldershot in 1972 which suggests that its engine went into another chassis and it may have died.......

jag Shortly after that we bought a second hand Jag, some four years old which rapidly developed rust holes. We were lucky to get £100 for it at auction.
LJD 616 in Oct 1964 alongside our house in Walton on Thames.
It was a 3.4 litre Auto Mk1 with drum brakes and the smaller rear window. A very beautiful shape with a theoretically solid motor but led down by design faults. At over 100 mph where it was often, it could not cool the rear of the cylinder head or the inefficient gear box, fast enough. It cracked its head several times and the torque converter didn't after a long fast run. Then there was brake fade ...........

Voici notre première DS - une iD19 assemblé à Slough et equipé avec un compresseur et carbureteur Arnott - direction à droite.

Noter la vignette de Mars 66 et l'autocollant du Citroën Car Club of the UK

La fixation du compresseur à la culasse avait detaché sur l'autoroute à Valence à 160 kmh. L'eau à coulé et le moteur à grippé. Elle a été réparé au Garage Mondial qui à donné une voiture de courtoisie - une 2cv! - trois jours après l'ouverture de l'autoroute.

And then there were two Alfa Romeo - a 1600 Guilia Sprint GT which was written off in a head-on in the snow with a Fiat 124

and a 1750 Veloce of which this is the only photo remaining

The Subaru WRX

La voiture de chasse de la gendarmerie.
This is the car every keen driver must own. It is congenitally incapable of driving within the official speed limits and its traffic penetrating ability is incredible. Only suitable for the mildly irresponsible.
The second of our three Subaru owned in Australia.

Julien and I built Yo a Purvis Eureka/Nova/Sterling based on a 1300 Beetle with F and S stick shift automatic. I replaced the motor with a Porsche which I fitted with twin Webers. It ran well with a few excitements, when she got locked in. Unfortunately, the bonnet gel coat was wrecked by cockroaches writing obscene graffiti with permanent markers.

Argue with my 'management' paper on the failings and lessons of Citroën

Discutez mon article au sujet des erreurs et des leçons de l'usine à Javel

Read my 'engineering' paper on Slots and Shims

Lisez mon article concernant les changes socio-economiques accelerées par les développements de la technologie de fabrication de voitures.

Cliquez ici pour mon site

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last update
mise à jour Le 7 Dec. 2019