GS Birotor GG3640 

28 832 KM

YEAR: 05/1974

COLOUR: Brun Scarabé (AC 427)
                  Beige Tholonet (AC 085)

 

MODEL: Rotary engine of 1,990 cc, 107CV (approx 104 bhp) DIN at 6,500 rpm.
3 speed gearbox with torque convertor. No clutch pedal.
Maximum speed: 175km/hr. (approximately 109mph).

After gaining experience with the M35 with a monorotor rotary engine, Citroën unveiled the GS with a birotor engine. 847 examples only were sold between March 1974 and January 1975.

Outer differences:
   larger wings
   metallic grey wheel rims with unique hubcaps (like first CX)
   stainless steel alloy exhaust pipe opening
   monograms on the boot and front right wing
   registration plate mounted on a stainless steel plate

Inner differences:
   dashboard is of the Jaeger type
   seats have integrated head rests, same as on the GS X

Due to the drop in sales as a result of the great fuel consumption in the middle of the fuel crisis (more than 13 liters every 100 kms) and a reputation of unreliability, Citroën offered a large fee to retrieve the cars. Most of the registration certificates had to be returned to the prefectures, but a few of these GS ended up in the crusher. A part of them were sold to foreigners. About 250 survivors known today.
Price at the time: 24,952 Francs (a DS 20 was priced at 24,400 Francs).

HISTORY: Mr. Briand, a pensioner from the Ain region, bought this Birotor 3295 on the 28th May 1974. He sold it in 1985 to a garage owner from Lyons, Mr. Puyratout.

In 1995 the Citroën dealer Mr. Blondeau drove it to the International Meeting of Citroëns, the ICCR, in Clermont-Ferrand, but the engine seized on the motorway. She was sold ‘as is’ in this condition. The buyer Mr. Vivier was a Citroën dealer from Cannes.

He set out to find a new engine, but without success. In 1999 he offered me the car as it was, but I was undecided. He offered it to me again in the summer of 2009, and again I hesitated. The owner died in the autumn of that year. I bought it from his neighbor, but now at a higher price than originally offered!

It was for a long time one of the two cars in the museum not to work. But thanks to COVID, I finally decided to go ahead with the restoration in 2021. The engine change was more straight forward than I expected (see in the Workshop section). The carburetor adjustment required a lot of care and good technique, however (see the tutorial in the Workshop  section).

After checking all the other mechanical parts, the car finally went back on the road. The period of immobility lasted 27 years.