Citroën & DS Conservatory 20th Anniversary Celebration
The Citroën & DS Conservatory in Aulnay sous Bois (near Charles De Gaulle airport and referred to in the past as Le Conservatoire Citroën), celebrated its 20th anniversary on Sunday, November 28, 2021, exactly 20 years after its inauguration.
Mr. Pierre Peugeot, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of PSA Peugeot Citroën, and Mr. Claude Satinet, Director General of Automobiles Citroën and the Citroën & DS Conservatory welcomed many people who have marked its history to celebrate this anniversary.
In his welcome speech, Xavier Peugeot, president of the L’Aventure Peugeot Citroën DS association, paid tribute to those who contributed to the constitution of this extraordinary collection and reaffirmed his desire to offer it a new site, in order to promote the fabulous story. “Trust us, despite this difficult economic context, this does not call this project into question, we are working to make it happen… We want to choose a site that will have a historical meaning, but also an economic meaning. Our desire is to continue to enhance and enrich this collection.”
The morning was reserved for employees (former and current), volunteers, clubs of L’Amicale Citroën & DS, and partners of L’Aventure (including the Brands), and also the press, in particular; L’Argus, Citroscopie, Passionately Citroën, Planète 2 CV and François Allain from the vintage mechanic show on RMC Découverte. Among the personalities present were Mr. Claude Satinet and Henri-Jacques Citroën, grandson of André Citroën.
Xavier Crespin, director of the Association, also praised the work of the teams, employees and volunteers for the preparation of this event, and he took advantage of this symbolic moment to announce the restoration in 2022, by L’Aventure Citroën, of an emblematic object of Citroën history: the clock in the central assembly hall of the Quai de Javel plant. Once restored, this exceptional piece will be showcased in the future exhibition space.
In the afternoon, the Conservatory opened its doors to the general public who were able to discover the collections, admire the Citroën 19_19 and DS Divine concept cars and attend several demonstrations of the Autochenille B2 Scarabée d’Or in front of the Conservatory. Vehicles from L’Amicale Citroën & DS France club collectors were also on display. Here is a link to a photo-video montage of the event:
It was also the opportunity to discover the 4 volumes of the Citroën Grand Livre recently published which retrace 100 years of automotive adventure.
Despite a complicated health context, the atmosphere was festive and warm to mark this event. With nearly 300 pieces, the Conservatory maintains the largest international collection of Citroën vehicles. The extraordinary fleet is wisely classified by decades (from 1919 to the 2000s) then by thematic islands: sport, adventure, utility, unusual vehicles, concept cars and prototypes. Since 2019, a new space has been entirely devoted to vehicles from the DS Automobiles range.
The Conservatory’s teams also offer guided tours and spaces to organize exhibitions and tailor-made events.
If you want to contribute to the sustainability of this history and these collections, you can join the Association! As a member of L’Aventure Peugeot Citroën DS, you can benefit from: free access to the Citroën & DS Conservatory, reductions on certificates, on spare parts (for active members) and their online store. Join L’Aventure at: https://adherents.laventurepeugeotcitroends.fr