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A Brief History Of The Citroen World Racing Team

The Citroen Racing Team has a long and storied history and is one of the most well-established racing teams in all of motorsports. Starting all the way back in 1956 with their first entrance to endurance rally events using the then brand new Citroen DS up to a modern day where Citroen is a leading name in both endurance rally racing as well as the touring car circuit.

Humble Beginnings

With the release of the Citroen DS, Citroen saw their first opportunity to get into the world of competitive motorsports. The DS had great success is rallying where sustained speeds on poor surfaces are essential. It took a couple of years and some innovation before Citroen picked up there first win but in 1959 the DS stormed the competition to take home the top prize at the Monte Carlo Rally.

From there the Citroen DS saw repeated success across the world in the rallying circuit. Picking up a further nine championship titles in the following twenty or so years in challenging rallies including Rally Du Maroc as well as two home victories in the Tour de Corse in France.

An Absence and Return

Citroen hit hard times in 1974 when it was forced to file for bankruptcy and as a result, the racing team had to take a back seat to the more important task of getting the company back up and running. After a period of years though Citroen returned triumphantly to the world of racing in the 90s with the Citroen ZX which won the Rally Raid Manufacturer’s Championship an incredible five times consecutively between 1993 and 1997.

Entering the World of Touring Cars

Whilst Citroen had always been known for their prowess in the rally world, it wasn’t until 2013 that they entered the competitive world of touring cars. With their Citroën C-Elysée WTCC, developed in mere months due to the skill of their engineers, Citroen took fourteen victories from the first fifteen races in the 2014 World Touring Car Championships and eventually took the Manufacturer’s WTCC Championship five races before the end of the season. This was the season that also saw the Citroen WTCC pilots take the first three ranks of the Drivers’ World Touring Car Championship.

So from humble beginnings to modern day success, it looks like the Citroen Racing Team is here to stay.