Citroën and Citroënism

In this original work on the history of Citroën, from 1878, the birth of the founder to the integration of the Citroën brand within PSA then Stellantis, Joël Broustail constructs a transversal historical story, from the personality of André Citroën to the constitution of a global industrial group, including the upheavals of History, from the Belle Époque to the 21st century. He describes in particular “Citroënism” as a particular historical expression of automobile fascination, among other automobile religions of the 20th century. It analyzes, based on Citroën, the issue of innovation in business strategies. He contrasts Michelin's management of the Citroën company (from 1935 to 1974) with Peugeot's management of the Citroën brand since 1974, which led to an erosion of the brand's image, further accelerated since its integration into Stellantis.

Based on a meticulous story, supported by numerous sources and an abundant statistical apparatus, this multidisciplinary work integrates technological dimensions, with a detailed study of the technical choices made by Citroën, as well as financial ones, with the analysis of financial and accounting documents, cultural and societal dynamics, with the place of the automobile in society and the imagination, political forces, from the dominant anti-Semitism of the first 20th century to industrial public policies, etc.

At the end of this long story, of the rise and fall of André Citroën to PSA and Stellantis via Michelin, from the Belle Époque to the 21st century via the Trente Glorieuses, the author engages in a broader reflection on the challenge of innovation in an economy of the common good, especially in the French and European mature environment: what reflections and hypotheses can we draw from this historical and industrial saga for the economist or politician? How, in particular, can we reconcile entrepreneurial freedom, economic dynamism and the contemporary imperatives of universal social protection and sustainable development?

Joël BROUSTAIL, professor at Sorbonne University and researcher at SIRICE (Sorbonne - Identities, international relations and civilizations of Europe), is the author of numerous publications, from the history of religious minorities to the diffusion of innovations. He has held various responsibilities, notably in Asia and the Middle East, and teaches in several international universities.

An alumnus of the École Normale Supérieure, HEC Paris and the Sorbonne, he holds an Agrégation (French highest teaching qualification) both in History and Management as well as a Ph.D in Business Administration.