Coming soon to all good booksellers - an impressive and authoritative new book from an exciting new automotive publisher.

The full story of the Citroën marque in the United Kingdom from 1923 to 2003 (together with the history of the Citroën factory at Slough between 1926 and 1966) is told in an impressive new book to be published in February 2004 by Dalton Watson Fine Books Ltd, specialists in high-quality automotive literature.

Though entirely independent, Eighty Years of Citroën in the United Kingdom is never-the-less the only officially authorised and endorsed account of the Double Chevron company’s British activities ever produced. It traces the founding and development of Citroën Cars Ltd and its successor Citroën UK Ltd between 1923 and 2003, and documents the right-hand-drive vehicles built at the Slough Works between 1926 and 1966, together with all those models subsequently imported from France between 1966 and 2003.

The book relates that although Citroën is currently enjoying unprecedented popularity in the UK with annual sales exceeding 160,000 vehicles, it was not always so successful. Despite the fact that the company is actually one of the oldest names in the British motor industry, being the second longest-established of all foreign and imported makes in Great Britain., on more than one occasion in the past its French owners considered closing down its operations here and withdrawing from the British market.

Pre-war, post-war and even wartime production is fully listed and lavishly illustrated by almost 400 historic press and publicity pictures from the Citroën archives (216 b/w and 170 full colour) together with numerous examples of contemporary advertising material, and also by a series of stunning full-colour photos showing some of the very best surviving historic cars, either restored or in their original state.

Eighty Years of Citroën in the United Kingdom will surely appeal to all Citroën owners and enthusiasts world wide, together with a more general readership interested in the development of popular motoring and the motor industry in the United Kingdom. A major aspect of its attractions lies in the very high quality of design, reproduction and printing it offers for a relatively modest price, perhaps unequalled by any previous book on Citroën matters published in any language. Indeed, its appeal will be recognised by all collectors of fine motoring books

The book’s informative but entertaining text of over 80,000 words reviews the complete span of right-hand-drive vehicles sold in the UK, including the conventional rear-wheel-drive cars of the Andre Citroën era 1919-1934, the Traction Avant of 1934-1956, the Citroën Kegresse, the 2CV of 1949-1990, the DS and ID series of 1955-1975 as well as the Citroën-Maserati SM of 1970-1975 and the later GS/GSA, CX and BX models. A final chapter discusses the familiar modern-day right-hand-drive Citroëns seen on the British roads today, from the XM, Xantia and Xsara right up to the latest C2, C3 and C5 models. It also features an appendix providing extensive information and data covering production, sales and chassis numbers, never previously published

Its author, John Reynolds, is a life-long Citroën enthusiast who, as a professional motoring writer and journalist, has made a special study of the Double Chevron marque.
His previous books on Citroën subjects include a biography of the company’s founder Andre Citroën (soon to be re-issued under the Dalton Watson imprint) , an account of the life-story of the Citroën 2CV and a study of the genesis and technical evolution of the Citroën DS and ID models. He has also contributed to numerous British, French, Dutch and Japanese motoring journals including Classic Cars, Classic & Sportscar, Automobilia, Retroviseur, 2CV Magazine, CitroExpert, CitroPassion, Super Car Graphic, Autocar and the Daily Telegraph Saturday Motoring Review.

An old-established and much-respected name in motor book publishing, the Dalton Watson firm has recently been revived under new ownership and management. Its rapidly expanding catalogue already includes books on Rolls-Royce, Bentley and Maserati, while a full programme of new titles on other automotive subjects is planned for the immediate future.

Purchase of the book and further details of contents, price and availability of this and other fine books from Dalton Watson may be found on the Dalton Watson Fine Books web site.

www.daltonwatson.com

e-mail info@daltonwatson.com or telephone (USA) +1 847 945 0568