Celebrating 50 Years of the GS — In Serbia
It would be pretty hard to get this many GS together in North America, but in Serbia where there is enthusiasm as well as repair facilities still operational today, GS ownership is flourishing.
In 1959, the Yugoslav moped manufacturer Tomos (Tovarna Motorjev Sežana, or Sežana Motorcycle Company), based in Koper, Slovenia entered into a joint venture with Citroën to produce automobiles under license at their Koper plant, and sell them in the Yugoslav market. The import of cars was prohibited so this arrangement allowed Citroën to access the market. Vehicles were imported in ’knockdown kit form’, with assembly being performed in Yugoslavia.
In 1972, Tomos, Citroën and Iskra, an automotive components manufacturer, formed a new company called Cimos to manufacture both sub-assemblies and complete cars.
Sales of the first GS started in 1971 and for the first three years Cimos imported complete cars but in 1975 local assembly of the GS Club Berline and GS Special Break (both with 1222 cc engine) began in a new factory in Nova Gorica. Later, the Pallas and GS X versions were added. From 1979, the GS Super version with the 1299 cc engine was available and from 1980, the GA model with the 1299 ca engine was imported.
Cimos sometimes used the twin-headlight fixtures developed for export markets on their base model GSs (because the manufacturer of these lamp units had over produced them) although never on the higher end Pallas model.
A total of around 15,000 GS and 1,500 GSA were assembled in Yugolavia and there are still “good pick’ins” of GS and GSA to be found in both Slovenia and Serbia to this day.
Witness these photos from August 23, 2020, when a few of the more devoted owners got together to mark its 50 year anniversary: