──Citroen 11 Berlin Gazogene (France 1938) ~Car that ran on coal~
- When it comes to the most successful French car, the Citroën 11CV immediately comes to mind.
- Of course, when this model was born, no one could have predicted its success.
- The subsequent 11CV was a special edition built personally for the boss of the company.
- André Citroën primarily envisioned a car that met three important criteria - it had to be fast, economical, and safe.
- The most powerful four-cylinder version has a 1,911cc in-line engine mounted above the front axle and is model number 11CV.
- This represents controlled horsepower and displacement was classified.
- The engine developed 56 hp and consumed about 12 liters of gasoline per 100 kilometers.
- Production continued during World War II.
- However, when France was occupied by the Germans, civilian gasoline was rationed and the engines were modified to run on charcoal gas.
- The modification was done by a company called [Fab Elgazo Tarbes] and consisted of two large tanks attached to the bodywork under the front bumper, each pulled up from the side of the fender and up to the bonnet.
- These two metal containers were filled with coal and lit.
- After about 30 minutes there was enough methane gas to rise and be sent to the carburetor.
- Of course, the engine did not have the usual power, but about a third of the previous horsepower was available, so at least the car ran!
( This is a machine translation. Please allow for possible misinterpretations in the text. )