Citroen (toy division)
13 years in operation (1923–1936)
About Citroen (toy division)
The Citroen automobile company produced an authorized line of scale model tin and die-cast toy cars of their own vehicles as promotional items. These miniature reproductions of real Citroen automobiles are prized collector items.
Founding
André Citroën, who created the toy line not as a business venture but as an advertising strategy aimed at children who would be car buyers in twenty years.
History of Citroen (toy division)
Citroën is the rare case of a car manufacturer producing its own toys in earnest. From 1923 the company made pressed-steel and tinplate models of its own cars — the B2, the B14, the C4 and C6, the Rosalie — along with pedal cars large enough to be driven, and sold them through Citroën dealerships alongside the real vehicles.
The reasoning was explicit and is quoted in the company's own material: a child given a Citroën will ask for a Citroën. The models were accordingly accurate in outline and livery, carried the double-chevron badge, and in some cases had working steering, lights wired to a battery and opening bonnets. They functioned simultaneously as toys, as showroom display pieces and as brand advertising.
The programme ended in the mid-1930s with André Citroën's financial collapse and the Michelin takeover of the company, which had no appetite for a toy division. The models were sold in modest numbers to begin with and survive in small numbers now.
Timeline
- 1923Citroën begins producing toy and pedal-car replicas of its own vehicles
- 1926The models are sold through Citroën dealerships as brand advertising
- 1930The range covers most of the current Citroën passenger-car line
- 1936Toy production ends following the Michelin takeover of Citroën
Notable & Best-Selling Toys
- Citroen B12 tin toy car
- Citroen C4 model
- Citroen Kegresse half-track toy
- Citroen 5HP tin car
Identifying & Dating Citroen (toy division) Toys
- Models are marked with the Citroën double chevron and usually "Jouets André Citroën" or "Citroën" with "Made in France" on the base or chassis.
- The model corresponds to a real production car, so identifying the full-size vehicle dates the toy to within a year or two.
- Construction is pressed steel or heavy tinplate with painted rather than lithographed finishes on the better models — a French rather than Nuremberg approach.
Collector's Notes
- These are scarce and expensive, and the pedal cars especially so. The market overlaps heavily with automobilia, and Citroën marque collectors compete with toy collectors for the same objects.
- Original paint and original chevron badges are decisive. Repainted examples are common and the badges have often been replaced with reproductions.
- Check for correct wheels and tyres. Period rubber has usually perished and been replaced, which is accepted, but the wheel centres should be right for the model.
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Frequently Asked Questions
When was Citroen (toy division) founded?
Citroen (toy division) was founded in 1923, based in Paris, France.
Is Citroen (toy division) still in business?
No. Citroen (toy division) ceased operations in 1936, after 13 years in business.
What is Citroen (toy division) best known for?
Citroen (toy division) is best known for Citroen B12 tin toy car, Citroen C4 model, Citroen Kegresse half-track toy, among other toys.
Where was Citroen (toy division) located?
Citroen (toy division) was based in Paris, France.
What kinds of toys did Citroen (toy division) make?
Citroen (toy division) is categorized under tin toys, die-cast, vehicles.
Who founded Citroen (toy division)?
André Citroën, who created the toy line not as a business venture but as an advertising strategy aimed at children who would be car buyers in twenty years.
How can you identify genuine Citroen (toy division) toys?
Models are marked with the Citroën double chevron and usually "Jouets André Citroën" or "Citroën" with "Made in France" on the base or chassis. The model corresponds to a real production car, so identifying the full-size vehicle dates the toy to within a year or two. Construction is pressed steel or heavy tinplate with painted rather than lithographed finishes on the better models — a French rather than Nuremberg approach.
Are Citroen (toy division) toys valuable?
These are scarce and expensive, and the pedal cars especially so. The market overlaps heavily with automobilia, and Citroën marque collectors compete with toy collectors for the same objects. Original paint and original chevron badges are decisive. Repainted examples are common and the badges have often been replaced with reproductions. Check for correct wheels and tyres. Period rubber has usually perished and been replaced, which is accepted, but the wheel centres should be right for the model.