Citroën 11 Berline Gazogene

Driven by coal
 
If you are asked about the most successful French cars, The Citroën 11CV quickly comes to mind. Of course, when this era began in 1934, no one could have guessed this success. The construction of the later 11CV was the implementation of specifications of the company boss personally. André Citroën envisioned a vehicle that primarily meet three important criteria – it had to be fast, economical, and safe.

The most powerful four-cylinder version had a 1,911cc in-line engine installed above the front axle, the type designation is 11CV. This stood for the formula of the control horsepower, in which the displacement was classified. The engine produced 56 hp and consumed about 12 liters of gasoline per 100 kilometers. Production continued int Second World War.

With the occupation of France by German soldiers, however, the rationing of gasoline for civilian use was ordered and the vehicle engines were converted to wood gas operation. The necessary adjustments were made by the company ‘Fab Elgazo Tarbes’, which fitted two powerful cylinders into the body below the front bumper, each of which pulled up to the bonnet on the side of the fenders. Coal was poured into these two metal containers and ignited. After about 30 minutes, enough methane gas was produced, which rose to the top and was fed into the carburetor. Of course, the engine did not develop the usual power, but even if only a third of the former horsepower was available, the car at least was running!