The Citroën & DS Conservatory celebrated its 20th anniversary
The Citroën & DS Conservatory celebrated its 20th anniversary on Sunday November 28, 2021
On November 28, 2021, exactly 20 years after its inauguration by Mr. Pierre Peugeot, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of PSA Peugeot Citroën, and Mr. Claude Satinet, Managing Director of Automobiles Citroën, the Citroën & DS Conservatory welcomed many people who marked its history to celebrate this anniversary in Aulnay / s Bois.
The morning was reserved for employees (former and current), volunteers, clubs of L’Amicale Citroën & DS, and partners of L’Aventure (including the brands), also in the presence of the press, in particular L’Argus, Citroscopie, Passionately Citroën, Planète 2 CV and François Allain from the program Vintage Mecanic on RMC Découverte. Among the personalities present, Mr. Claude Satinet and Henri-Jacques Citroën, grandson of André Citroën.
In his welcome speech, Xavier Peugeot, president of the L’Aventure Peugeot Citroën DS association, paid tribute to those who contributed to this extraordinary collection and reaffirmed his desire to move it to a a new site, in order to “continue this fabulous story”. “Trust us, despite the difficult economic situation, we are working to make it happen… We want to choose a site that will have a historical meaning, but also an economic meaning, which cannot be ignored. Our desire is to continue to enhance and enrich this collection. »
Xavier Crespin, director of the Association, also praised the work of the teams, employees and volunteers in preparing for this event, and took advantage of this symbolic moment to announce the restoration in 2022, by L’Aventure Citroën, of an emblematic object in the history of Citroën: the clock in the central assembly hall of the Quai de Javel plant. Once restored, this exceptional piece will be showcased in the future exhibition space.
In the afternoon, the Conservatoire opened its doors to the general public who were able to discover the collections, admire the Citroën 19_19 and DS Divine concept cars and attend several demonstrations of the B2 Scarabée d’Or half-track in front of the Conservatoire. where vehicles from club collectors from L’Amicale Citroën & DS France were also exhibited. It was also an opportunity to discover the 4 volumes of the Grand Livre Citroën recently published which documents the 100 years of Citroen’s automotive adventure.
Despite the pandemic, the event was a complete success.
With nearly 300 exhibits, the Conservatoire remains the largest international collection of Citroën vehicles. Under the metal beams of the building, this extraordinary fleet is wisely classified into decades (from 1919 to the 2000s) then by type: sport, adventure, utilities, unusual vehicles, concept cars and prototypes.
Since 2019, a new space has been created devoted to vehicles in the DS Automobiles range.
The Conservatory teams also offer guided tours and spaces to organize exhibitions and tailor-made events.
If you wish to contribute to the perpetuation of this history and these collections, join our Association! In addition, as a member of L’Aventure Peugeot Citroën DS, you benefit from many advantages: free access to the Citroën & DS Conservatory, reductions on certificates, on spare parts (ACTIVE member) and on our online store. Join the Adventure -> https://adherents.laventurepeugeotcitroends.fr
