Citroen B11 (1938)
André Citroën, an engineer, set up a factory to make gearbox mechanisms with right angle bevel gears. In 1908 he took over the Mors automobile factory, managing to revive it. Thanks to his friendship with Henry Ford, he became familiar with the techniques used in the USA to produce large series. This allowed him to design and install large factories to supply war material to the French government during the First World War.
The origin of the 11 CV must be found in the conditions established by André Citroën for his engineers with a view to the new model to be developed: he wanted to manufacture a light car, weighing less than 800 kg, capable of traveling at 100 km/h, transport four passengers, and consume less than 10 liters per 100 km. The incorporation to the firm, in 1933, of the aeronautical engineer André Lefèbvre, coming from the firms Voisin and Renault, was fundamental for the development of this project. He presented the sketch of a small car with front-wheel drive and monocoque bodywork, known as Petit Voiture (PV), equipped with a 7 fiscal horsepower engine. The body design was the work of Flaminio Bertoni, an Italian designer who also created the bodies of the Citroën 2CV and the advanced DS. The project received the approval of Citroën, manufacturing the first prototypes in August 1933. On March 23, 1934 it was presented to selected dealers, being baptized as 7CV, version A. On April 18 its official presentation took place.
During the 1934 Paris Salon, Citroën, in addition to presenting the 7 CV update with its B series, announced the new 11 CV model. This vehicle, following the guidelines established by the 7 CV, had a body with a very similar monocoque design that was wider and longer, as well as front-wheel drive. The range of the 11 CV model was basically made up of the following variants: Light (AL/BL ) and Normal, manufactured between 1935 and 1939, with a power of 46 horses. Of the first 75,000 units were manufactured and of the second 40,000. The difference between the Normal and Light versions was that the former were slightly longer and wider.