Citroën Ami

Citroën Ami
Manufacturer	Citroën
Parent company	PSA Group (from 1976)
Production	1961—1978
Class	Supermini
Body style(s)	4-door sedan 5-door estate
Layout	FF layout
Engine(s)	602 cc Flat-2 1015 cc Flat-4
Related	Citroën 2CV Citroën FAF

Citroën Ami 6

The Ami 8 featured a more conventionally positioned back window

Dashboard and shift lever of Ami 6

The Citroën Ami is a supermini produced by the French automaker Citroën from 1961 to 1978. The Ami and stablemate Citroën Dyane were replaced by the Citroën Visa. The Ami was for some years the best-selling car model in France.

Overview

As with Renault 4, Citroën was responding to a market need for a vehicle slightly larger and less rustic than the 2CV. The Ami is a rebodied 2CV with certain mechanical upgrades to compensate for the added weight. Most variants are powered by a two-cylinder flat engine. The Ami and the 1961 Ford Taunus were the first vehicles with rectangular (as opposed to round) headlamps.

Versions

The Ami 6 sedan is distinguished by an unusual reverse-raked rear window, similar to the 'Breezaway' rear screen fitted to the contemporary Mercury Monterey in the US, or the Ford Anglia in the UK. A similar design feature is used on the current three door Citroen C4 and also the Renault Megane. The later Ami 8 saloon has a fastback rear window. It was redesigned by the French car design and bodywork company, Heuliez. Most notable changes were the front part and bonnet and the sloping, rather than inverted, rear window on the saloon. The estate version of the Ami 8 had a similar general appearance to that of the Ami 6 although the later car's tail-lights were integrated into the rear wings. The Ami Super was a flat-4 variant powered by the engine of the GS and produced between 1973 and 1976. A small series of prototype coupés, the M35 were produced as test vehicles for loyal customers — testing the Comotor Wankel engine. This engine briefly reached production form with the GS Birotor.

Trivia

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• Although not its commercial name, in France the Ami was often referred to as the Citroën 3CV (trois chevaux, or "three horses", CV originally being the initials for "cheval-vapeur" -- horsepower --, but used here for "chevaux fiscaux" in short. The "cheval fiscal" was a French fiscal unit based on the power of the car ; smaller figures usually meant economical cars), after the Citroën 2CV (deux chevaux, "two horses"). The 3CV nickname was never applied to the Ami 8, only to the Ami 6.
• The Ami's seats were easily removable. Sales pitches of the Ami included photographs of the seats being used as picnic chairs.
• The 2CV is remembered as the (long-suffering) steed of Thomson and Thompson, the detectives in The Adventures of Tintin, but an Ami 6 can be seen in the Castafiore's Emerald, the doctor's car, in a memorable gag involving Professor Calculus.
• Famous owners of the Ami include Yvonne de Gaulle.

External links

• hans tacq's AMI6 page
• Ami 8 at Citroenet
• Ami 6 at Citroenet
• P CITROËN AMI6
• 2CV district CitCity
• Ami6/Ami8/Ami Super/M35 links Citroën World