Citroën Type A 10 HP Torpédo
Citroën's first car put an electric starter, lights and a complete ready-to-drive body into a mass-produced French package.
1919 Citroën Type A 10 HP · Frederic.laurent39 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Research pending
A matching completed auction sale has not been verified for this exact year, body, trim, engine, transmission and market.
Joyride shows this gap instead of substituting an asking price, unsold bid or mismatched special vehicle.
More than a set of wheels.
André Citroën presented the Type A on June 4, 1919, and the first customer received one on July 7. France was recovering from the First World War, so the idea was bold: build complete cars in large numbers instead of selling only a bare chassis. This profile follows the four-seat Torpédo version of the 10 HP.
Look a little closer.
Citroën advertised one price for a complete car with tyres, spare wheel, lights and a hood—equipment buyers often had to add separately in 1919.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
Why the Type A changed French car buying
Citroën applied high-volume production methods to a complete automobile. The launch price was 7,950 francs, and the factory ultimately made 24,093 Type A cars between 1919 and 1921.
Source: Citroën Origins · Type A 10 HP ↗A practical machine, not just a museum pioneer
The long-stroke engine, three forward gears, electric lighting and simple quarter-elliptic springs were straightforward technology that owners could understand. Several body styles made the same mechanical package useful for families, taxis and deliveries.
Source: Stellantis Media · 100 years of the Citroën Type A ↗Where these facts come from
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed September 30, 2026.