Rally Cars Codexery

Citroën Visa

Last updated

The Citroën Visa was a front-wheel drive car launched in September 1978, filling the gap between the 2CV/Dyane and the GS in Citroën's range.[1][2] Following Peugeot's acquisition of Citroën after the 1974 oil crisis, the Visa project (originally "Projet VD") adopted the Peugeot 104's floor pan, engine, transmission, and chassis, making it the inaugural vehicle to implement PSA Peugeot Citroën's strategy of sharing platforms across brands.[3]

How it changed

Robert Opron began work on a 2CV replacement in 1965, creating the G-mini prototype with a Cd of 0.32, but negative client feedback halted development.[4][5] After cooperation with Fiat ended, Citroën designed its own platform, which became the Visa after Peugeot's takeover in 1974.[3][6] The Visa offered two engine layouts: a longitudinally mounted flat-twin and a transversely mounted four-cylinder.[7][8] The flat-twin models used a mapped electronic ignition developed with Thomson, while the four-cylinder used the Peugeot 1124 cc Douvrin engine.[2][1]

Citroën's engineers modified the Peugeot engines for better fuel economy, but by the 1.4-litre models the engines were taken over unmodified.[7] The Visa featured a soft, long-travel independent suspension with MacPherson struts at the front and trailing arms at the rear.[9][8] In March 1981 the Visa received a facelift by Heuliez and was called the Visa II.[10][8] For the 1985 model year the Visa received a new dashboard and self-cancelling turn signals, a first for Citroën.[10]

The Visa was assembled in China by Liuzhou Wuling from 1991 to 1994 as the Wuling LZW 7100.[11][12][13]

What the maker and period sources say

Scarlett reported that the flat-twin's 652 cc engine used "nicasil" bore coating originally developed for the Citroën Comotor Wankel engine.[1] The same source stated the Visa's electronic ignition was "genuinely entirely electronic" and developed by Thomson with Citroën.[1] Scarlett noted the Visa Super used the Peugeot 104's transverse engine and transmission, with modifications to gear ratios and cooling.[1] The Citroënet account states the Visa was launched at the 1978 Paris Salon and was "one of the few cars available with a choice of in-line or transversely mounted engines"[8]

The CarNewsChina article states that Citroën "had absolutely nothing to do with the whole venture" involving the Wuling LZW 7100 assembly in Liuzhou.[12]

References

  1. Scarlett, "Mère Peugeot's Citroën", 30 September 1978. facts only, no text reused. citroenet.org.uk
  2. Wikipedia, "Citroën Visa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "The Glasgow Herald - Google News Archive Search", news.google.com; Scarlett, "Mère Peugeot's Citroën", 30 September 1978; Scarlett, "Mère Peugeot's Citroën", 30 September 1978 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Citroën Visa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Projet Y - Citroënet" (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Citroën Visa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Marsh, "Citroën G-mini prototype and projet EN101", Citroenet.org.uk (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Marsh, "Citroën G-mini prototype and projet EN101", Citroenet.org.uk. facts only, no text reused. citroenet.org.uk
  6. "Projet Y - Citroënet". facts only, no text reused. citroenet.org.uk
  7. Wikipedia, "Citroën Visa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: De Leener, "Gedetailleerde Wegtest: Citroën Visa 14 TRS", Uitgeverij Auto-Magazine, 1985-02-07, p. 121 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  8. "Citroën Visa - Citroënet". facts only, no text reused. citroenet.org.uk
  9. Wikipedia, "Citroën Visa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Citroën Visa - Citroënet"; Hogsten, "Modern mjukis", Specialtidningsförlaget AB, 1982-09-22, p. 27 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  10. Wikipedia, "Citroën Visa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: De Leener, p. 128 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  11. Wikipedia, "Citroën Visa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Feijter, "History: The Wuling LZW 7100, a Citroen Visa made in China", CarNewsChina, 2012-02-01; Ingen Schenau, "The last Citroën Visa's", China Car History, 2025-02-02 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  12. Feijter, "History: The Wuling LZW 7100, a Citroen Visa made in China", CarNewsChina, 2012-02-01. facts only, no text reused. carnewschina.com
  13. Ingen Schenau, "The last Citroën Visa's", China Car History, 2025-02-02. facts only, no text reused. chinacarhistory.com

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Citroën Visa (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

More in Rally Cars

Citroën XsaraDatsun 510Fiat 124 Abarth RallyeFiat PuntoFiat UnoFord AngliaFord Escort (Europe)Ford Escort RS CosworthFord FiestaFord KaFord Puma (coupé)Ford RS200

Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

Spotted an error? Know more?

Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced

Comments

Loading…
Open in the interactive codex →