| André Citroën AKA André Gustave Citroën Born: 5-Feb-1878
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: 3-Jul-1935
Location of death: Paris, France
Cause of death: Cancer - Stomach
Remains: Buried, Cimetière de Montparnasse, Paris, France
Gender: Male
Religion: Jewish
Race or Ethnicity: White
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Engineer, Business Nationality: France
Executive summary: Europe's Henry Ford Military service: French Army (to Captain, WWI) André Citroën was an avid fan of the works of Jules Verne, and decided upon a career in engineering as he watched the Eiffel Tower rise in his childhood. The dieresis (ë) in his last name is an affectation, added by Citroën in his late teens. As a young man he worked for Automobiles Mors, an early French automaker, until he invented an improved gear mechanism and began manufacturing it in 1904. His gear-making company earned a reputation for excellence, and won a prestigious contract to build the steering gears for the ill-fated RMS Titanic.
During World War I Citroën served in the French Army, and oversaw the design and implementation of mass production facilities for French artillery. After the war he applied a similar factory philosophy to autobuilding. Citroën's Type A car, introduced in 1919, was Europe's first mass-produced ready-to-drive vehicle -- unlike previous vehicles, purchasers did not need to hire technicians to complete the vehicle's assembly and test drive it. His low-priced cars were among Europe's most popular models for many years, and Citroën's other innovations include the first spare-parts catalog, Europe's first consumer credit firm, and the automobile industry's first extended warranty program. Citroën was a gambling man, which contributed to his and his company's bankruptcy in 1935. After being ousted from the company he sank into depression and died mere months later. The business merged with Peugeot in 1974, and is now known as PSA Peugeot Citroën. Father: Lévie Citroen (jeweler, d. 1884 suicide)
Mother: Macha Kleinan Citroen
Wife: Georgina Bingen Citroën (m. 27-May-1914, four children)
High School: Lycée Louis-le-Grand, Paris, France (1894)
University: BS, École Polytechnique (1900)
PSA Peugeot Citroën Founder & President of Citroën (1904-35)
Automotive Hall of Fame
Bankruptcy 1935
Dutch Ancestry (paternal)
Jewish Ancestry (paternal)
Polish Ancestry (maternal)
French Ancestry
Risk Factors: Depression
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