60 YEARS OF THE CITROEN AMI 6

On the 25^th April 1961, Citroën unveiled its latest model and issued a warning to all motorists:

“If you believe that the characteristics of a car - performance, comfort, safety - necessarily on the number of horsepower, the amount of superfluous chrome trim or high cylinder capacity and corresponding fixed costs are to be measured, then do not concern yourself further with the Ami 6!”

As a further demonstration of how this car was not for ‘squares’, Citroën issues this extremely ‘hip’ sales film:

Aside from the music, a highlight of this epic is how it showcases the rather incredible bodywork created by Flaminio Bertoni. Some described the Ami as ‘uncompromising’ while others said it was ‘distinctive’. But never could it be confused for any other car.

The Ami’s origins date from the late 1950s when Citroën initiated ‘Project M’, a new model to bridge the gap between the 2CV and the ID19. It would serve as a competitor to the Renault Dauphine and appeal to the affluent female driver. The company’s president, Pierre Bercot, further stipulated the new model needed four doors, ‘three-box’ styling, a large boot, room for five and an engine of under 1-litre.

Financial constraints resulted in the future Ami 6 employing the Deux Chevaux’s floorplan and running gear; the engine was a 602cc version of the 2CV’s ‘Flat Twin’ unit. There were also rectangular headlamps – a ‘first’ – while Bertoni devised a reverse-angled rear screen to lengthen the roof. The great designer may have stated the Ami looked “…as if it had already run over three pedestrians…”, but it was his favourite design.

In France, Citroën promoted Ami as the perfect car for the bourgeois household but presented dealers with a significant challenge across the Channel. Neither the 2CV nor the Bijou had enjoyed great success in the UK while the cost was another issue. Unlike the ID/DS, Citroën never assembled the Ami 6 at their Slough plant and import duties raised the Ami 6’s price to £823 14s 9d – nearly £300 more than a Mini De Luxe.

Above all, there were those idiosyncratic looks at a time when quite a few suburbanites still regarded the Ford Anglia 105E as beyond the pale. Autocar stated: “…some will undoubtedly be appalled by its appearance…”, but its writers also thought “…it is one of the most comfortable cars in which they had ever ridden”. Similarly, The Motor referred to an appearance that was “…utterly different from ‘ordinary’”. Motor Sport regarded the Ami as “…the best of the cyclecar-type economy cars…” and wished Citroën “every success” with it.

Alas, the great British motorist remained unconvinced. By 1964, Citroën offered the five-door ‘Break’ estate, which became France’s best-selling car. The UK, on the other hand, had to wait until 1967. Even then, prospective customers were warned: “Imports are strictly limited. Citroën very strongly advise as early an application as possible.”

The somewhat more conventional looking 8 replaced the Ami 6 in March 1969, so that Citroën could better compete with the Peugeot 204 and the Simca 1100. By that stage, there appeared to be no UK-market, early Berlina still in use, which is to be much regretted.

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