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!
....