This Citroën Proves That Endangered Classics Are Most Often Normal Cars

Story by Max Crozon // Photography by Alex Placet

I’m Max, a French guy of almost 30 years old. The rare car here is a Citroën LN from 1977.

This model is not often seen any more because it was only produced from August 1976 to November 1978, when it morphed into the LNA and became after the LNA. The “A” is for “améliorations,” or “improvements,” in English.

The LN was launched after Peugeot bought Citroën in 1975. The deal was to create a cheap car using existing parts from the two manufacturers. So, the chassis and the body come from the Peugeot 104, the little 602-cc flat twin comes from the Citroën 2CV, the lights come from the Citroën Dyane, and the gearbox comes from the Citroën GS. Almost 130,000 LNs were produced, but as throwaway economy cars, few survive.

My wife’s uncle is a fan of Citroën, and a flat twin addict. He owns two 2CVs; one from the mid-’50s and the other from the early-’80s. He found and bought this LN from an old man who was not driving it anymore.

The first time my wife drove the car in the summer of 2014, she fell in love with it. The color, the houndstooth seats, and the mojo of this late ’70s machine are attractive. So, when we knew that it was for sale, we immediately bought it. We’ve own the car since July 2015, and it’s now a weekly driver. But, in almost 40 years, this LN only rolled about 40,000 kms (~25,000 miles).

We had a baby on May 2015, and sadly, there are no safety belts on the back seat so we can’t drive with him. I particularly love to drive it early in the morning on a Sunday, on winding roads on the Drôme, where we live. On sunny days, I can see the mountains from the Ardèche and the Alps.

It’s beautiful, and it’s a real pleasure to go slowly. We can see the landscapes with another view, now, from our little LN.