microcarfan
  • Pre-war voiturette
  • France
  • Four wheels
  • Two or three seats

Citroën 5HP

Also known as Citroën Type C, Citroën 5CV, 7.5HP (in Britain), “Petit Citron”

It came in pale yellow, so the French called it the petit citron, the little lemon. Its tail came to a point, so they also called it the hen’s bottom. Citroën’s advertising showed a young woman at the wheel, and the car it sold her had a starter, lights and a spare wheel, at the price of a cyclecar.

A yellow open two-seater with black wings on dry grass, an orange Citroën 2CV parked behind it.
Yellow Citroën 5HP two-seat Torpédo of 1922 at the Bonny-sur-Loire wine fair, Loiret, in July 2019.Photo: Cjp24, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

At a glance

The spec plate

Citroën 5HP

Type C · Levallois and Paris

Built
1922–⁠1926Shown in October 1921; built from spring 1922 to May 1926
Country
FranceChassis at Levallois, bodies at the Quai de Javel, Paris
Maker
S.A. André CitroënEngineer: Edmond Moyet
Engine
856 cc four-cylinderCooled by thermosiphon with no water pump; three speeds and reverse
Power
11 hp8.2 kW
Length
3,200 mm
Weight
543 kg
Seats
2 or 3The Trèfle put the third seat behind and between the front two
Wheels
4Engine at the front, the rear wheels driven through a torque tube and differential
Price new
8,500 FThe two-seat Torpédo, 1922; 10,800 F in 1923
Production
about 81,0001922–⁠26
Survives
about 3,000Some 4 per cent of those built
Top speed
60km/h60 km/h40 mph (64 km/h) by the Lane Motor Museum

How big is it?

True proportion

3.20 m

It is 230 mm longer than a Fiat 500, about 1.8 adults laid end to end.

  • 543 kg: about seven adults
  • Two seats, or three in the cloverleaf Trèfle
  • One door, on the passenger’s side
Drawn at true proportion. The track is 3.6 metres long; the adult stands at the same scale. The Peel P50 is the smallest production car, on every page for comparison.

The story

History

André Citroën admired Henry Ford. In the war he had mass-produced shells, and after 1919 he used his factories to build cars on Ford’s lines.1 His first was the 10HP Type A of 1919, followed by the B2. The second design of his own, the 5HP, was to sit below them: a small car, complete, and cheap.12

French tax rules of the time favoured the cyclecar, a light car of no more than 350 kg. Citroën ignored the class. He aimed instead at the small-car market, which Peugeot and Renault dominated.1 His engineer was Edmond Moyet. Like Jules Salomon, the designer of the Type A, Moyet had come to Citroën from Le Zèbre, and he had just designed the very similar Amilcar CC.1 Eric Favre, writing in Gazoline, credits Salomon with designing the 5HP with Moyet, and goes further: he says it was derived directly from Le Zèbre drawings, a claim no other source read makes.3 Our page of the designers has more on both men.

A car with everything

The Type C, as it was officially called, was shown at the Paris Salon in October 1921; English Wikipedia says November.41 The first two-seat Torpédos were delivered in May 1922, on a short chassis called the C2, and they came in pale yellow.12 The price was 8,500 francs. That was about 60 per cent of the 13,900 francs asked for Citroën’s B2, and less than the 10,000 francs of Peugeot’s cyclecar, the Peugeot Quadrilette.1

For the money a buyer got what most cyclecars left out: an electric starter and electric lighting, five wheels with tyres, and a differential.1 The engine was an 856 cc four of 11 hp, cooled by thermosiphon with no pump, and its power went to the back wheels by way of a three-speed gearbox, a torque tube and a banjo axle.41 The body was built the old way, with panels nailed to a wooden frame, and the 5HP was the last Citroën made like that. It had one door, on the passenger’s side, opening forwards.1 Chassis were assembled at Levallois and the bodies fitted at the Quai de Javel in Paris. The Lane Motor Museum says the Levallois plant reached 250 cars a day.41

Citroën sold it to women. All the 5HP’s advertising showed it driven by a young woman, a first for the firm.41 It sold it in new ways, too: on credit, with spare-parts lists and repair manuals, repairs at fixed prices and exchange parts from the factory.1

A small open two-seater with a spare wheel on its flank, a man and a woman aboard, on cobbles.
Plate II · 1927 A two-seat Torpédo of a Paris driving school, photographed in December 1927: the pointed tail and the single door on the passenger’s side.Photo: Agence Rol, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The cloverleaf

The car changed almost every year. After six months the coil ignition gave way to a magneto, which was more reliable. A Cabriolet with wind-down windows came in March 1923; collectors call it the “Coupé Docteur”, a misnomer.1 In 1923 the price stood at 10,800 francs.2 From October 1923 every body sat on the C3 chassis, 100 mm longer, and two new ones joined the range: a three-seater with a folding seat at the front, of which 8,000 were built, and a delivery car for 125 kg, of which 1,083 were made.1 In June 1924 Michelin’s low-pressure balloon tyres became standard, which did much for the grip and the ride.1

In October 1924 came the version the car is remembered for, the Trèfle. Its third seat was at the back, in the middle, with its passenger’s legs between the two front seats, so that from above the three made a cloverleaf.412 The Lane museum, which owns a 1924 Trèfle, puts its production at 20,000 to 30,000, more than 10,000 a year until the end, and its price at 10,700 francs.4 The earlier folding-seat car is known as the “faux Trèfle”.1 English Wikipedia warns that Citroën’s archives were destroyed in wartime, which let errors and legends about the type names spread.1

By 1924 about 30,000 5HPs a year were being built, half of Citroën’s sales.1 In 1925 France changed its unit of fiscal power from HP to CV, so the car became the 5CV.1 It was built with right-hand drive, for France and for export to Britain, the Commonwealth, Sweden, Argentina and Australia. In Britain it was sold as the 7.5HP, finished by the importer at Slough, where Citroën built a factory from 1925.1

At the wheel

The accelerator was the middle pedal, between the clutch and the brake.1 The brakes were the weak point. There were none at the front; the pedal worked a brake on the transmission and a hand lever worked the rear wheels, and a driver who did not balance the two could break a half-shaft. Many cars were later altered to couple them.41 First and second gear sang, and sang louder as they wore. It used about 5 litres of fuel per 100 km (56 mpg).1 Pierre Dumont, writing about Citroën in 1976, was won over:

The 5 CV Citroën ran at 60 km/h, a speed it seemed to be able to maintain indefinitely, and it was incredibly robust. It was a great success, as much because of its qualities, its elegance, especially as a cabriolet, as its price.

Pierre Dumont, Quai de Javel, Quai André Citroën, 1976, in English Wikipedia’s translation; the French original was not seen.1

Ended by its maker

André Citroën stopped the 5HP himself in May 1926, against general opinion, to make room for the all-steel B14. An all-steel successor, the C4, was planned and dropped as too costly.1 Citroën’s heritage site says the firm went back to building only larger cars.2 The Cabriolet and the Trèfle were the last to go, in June.1

It had done its damage. With the Austin Seven, the 5HP showed that a small car could be complete and still sell at a cyclecar’s price, and between them they ended the cyclecar boom.1 Many 5HPs lived on as utility vehicles and tractors.1

View from behind over a single rear seat set between two front seats toward the steering wheel.
The Trèfle from behind: one rear seat between the two front ones, the cloverleaf of its name.Photo: KlausNahr, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Front view of a small open car with a flat radiator, two headlamps and plate 9251-I4, an instructor and a pupil aboard.
Plate I · 1927 The driving-school Torpédo head-on in Paris, December 1927.Photo: Agence Rol, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
A red open car at the head of a long line of small vintage cars parked along a wooded lane.
A 1924 Cabriolet leading a line of 5HPs on a club run in June 2018.Photo: Jean Pierre Roland, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Pictures

More photographs, old and new

The car 42

  • A bright blue tourer with one bonnet side raised and black wings, behind a rope barrier in a mall. Opens a larger view

    1 Blue Citroën 5HP Type C of 1926 with its bonnet open at the Pôle Sud shopping centre, Basse-Goulaine, in January 2021.

  • A red tourer with red wheels, a brass radiator and a black hood on a red stand. Opens a larger view

    2 Red Citroën 5HP Type C of 1925 at Expomotor, Braga, in October 2010.

  • A blue open two-seater with a brass radiator shell and plate 566 QH 42, on a carpeted show stand. Opens a larger view

    3 Blue Citroën 5HP two-seat Torpédo on the short C2 chassis at Époqu’Auto, Lyon, in November 2024.

  • A red tourer with a black hood on a cobble-pattern floor beside a mannequin mechanic and a veteran car. Opens a larger view

    4 Red Citroën 5HP Type C3 of 1924 on display at the Pôle Sud shopping centre, Basse-Goulaine, in January 2022.

  • A yellow tourer with a black hood and a spare wheel at its side, in a hall with other old cars. Opens a larger view

    5 Yellow Citroën 5HP Type C of 1924 with its hood up at a vintage show in Liège in May 2010.

37 more picturesFewer pictures
  • A yellow open car with its hood folded, yellow wheels and a pointed tail beside a stand café. Opens a larger view

    6 Yellow Citroën 5HP Type C3 of 1925 on the Citroën stand at the Paris Motor Show in October 2018.

  • A blue tourer with a black hood and black wings parked on a lawn beside a cream tourer. Opens a larger view

    7 Blue Citroën 5HP Type C with its hood up on grass at a classic car meeting in September 2010.

  • A red open two-seater with black wings and a nickel radiator on a grey floor among other old cars. Opens a larger view

    8 Red Citroën 5CV Type C3 at an indoor oldtimer show in Hungary in October 2008.

  • A green open tourer with green wheels parked in a street before a classical stone colonnade, modern cars alongside. Opens a larger view

    9 Green Citroën 5HP Torpédo in front of the Place Stanislas buildings, Nancy, in April 2012.

  • A pale blue open two-seater with black wings, brass-rimmed lamps and a flat radiator, in a museum hall. Opens a larger view

    10 Blue Citroën 5HP two-seat Torpédo of 1922 at the Haynes International Motor Museum, Sparkford, in September 2025.

  • A pale yellow open two-seater with black wings and wheels driving along a park road past parked cars. Opens a larger view

    11 Pale-yellow Citroën 5HP two-seat Torpédo on the road at a classic car meeting in May 2015.

  • A red tourer with a black hood, red wheels and a rally plate on its bumper, an orange saloon behind. Opens a larger view

    12 Red Citroën 5HP Type C Torpédo of 1925 with yellow wheels at a classic car meeting in July 2011.

  • A yellow tourer with yellow wheels, black wings and a black hood on a red-paved street before shopfronts. Opens a larger view

    13 Yellow Citroën 5CV Type C Torpédo of 1926 with its hood up in a street in Laredo, Cantabria, in May 2010.

  • Side view of a bright blue open two-seater with blue wheels and black wings on a show stand. Opens a larger view

    14 Blue Citroën 5HP two-seat Torpédo on the short C2 chassis in profile at Époqu’Auto, Lyon, in November 2024.

  • Side view of a pale yellow two-seater with a black hood, a spare wheel and a green petrol can on its flank. Opens a larger view

    15 Yellow Citroën 5HP two-seat Torpédo of 1922 on the C2 chassis, hood up, at Historici, Roudnice nad Labem, in November 2019.

  • A red tourer with a beige folding hood and red wheels on a gravel floor beside a costumed mannequin. Opens a larger view

    16 Red Citroën 5HP Type C of 1925 with a beige hood at the Musée Automobile Reims Champagne in July 2010.

  • Side view of a yellow tourer with black wings and wheels and a folded black hood on a dark tiled floor. Opens a larger view

    17 Yellow Citroën 5CV Type C3 of 1925 with its hood folded at the Toyota Automobile Museum, Nagakute, in August 2025.

  • Side view of a yellow car with a black hood and a wooden trunk on its tail, a man leaning on it. Opens a larger view

    18 Yellow Citroën 5HP in profile on the Barcelona–Sitges rally in March 2014.

  • Rear three-quarter view of a yellow two-seater with a pointed tail, a black hood and a spare wheel at the side. Opens a larger view

    19 Yellow Citroën 5HP two-seat Torpédo of 1922 on the C2 chassis from the rear quarter at Historici, Roudnice nad Labem, in November 2019.

  • Rear three-quarter view of a red car with a black hood and a brown leather case on its pointed tail. Opens a larger view

    20 Red Citroën 5HP Type C of 1925 with a suitcase strapped to its tail at a rally in Steyl, the Netherlands, in June 2013.

  • Rear three-quarter view of a yellow car with a pointed tail, red rear lamps and its hood folded. Opens a larger view

    21 Yellow Citroën 5HP Type C3 of 1925 from behind on the Citroën stand at the Paris Motor Show in October 2018.

  • Rear three-quarter view of a yellow car with a black folded hood and a spare wheel on its pointed tail. Opens a larger view

    22 Yellow Citroën 5CV Type C3 from the rear quarter at the Toyota Automobile Museum, Nagakute, in February 2012.

  • Rear three-quarter view of a yellow car with a beige hood, its tail lid raised over a spare wheel, on grass. Opens a larger view

    23 Yellow Citroën 5HP Type C from behind with its tail lid open, June 2012.

  • Front view of a red tourer with a nickel radiator, two large lamps and plate 547 GK 51 on a gravel floor. Opens a larger view

    24 Red Citroën 5HP Type C of 1925 head-on at the Musée Automobile Reims Champagne in July 2010.

  • A red car with a black hood and plate AM-41-93 driving toward the camera along a tree-lined street. Opens a larger view

    25 Red Citroën 5HP Type C of 1925 on the road at a rally in Steyl, the Netherlands, in June 2013.

  • Side view of a red car with a black hood and red wheels moving across grass in front of a crowd. Opens a larger view

    26 Red Citroën 5HP Type C of 1925 driving past in profile at a rally in Steyl, the Netherlands, in June 2013.

  • A yellow car with a black hood and plate BU-1974 parked at the edge of a city avenue. Opens a larger view

    27 Yellow Citroën 5HP on the Barcelona–Sitges rally in March 2014.

  • A yellow open car with costumed passengers driving past onlookers on a tree-lined pedestrian street. Opens a larger view

    28 Yellow Citroën 5HP in a period-costume parade on the Rambla, Terrassa, Catalonia, in May 2014.

  • A beige open two-seater with a louvred bonnet in a row of red and black Citroëns in a museum hall. Opens a larger view

    29 Beige boat-tail Citroën 5HP two-seat Torpédo at the Conservatoire Citroën, Aulnay-sous-Bois, in October 2013.

  • A yellow open two-seater with a grey folding hood and black wings, in a museum hall with lamp posts. Opens a larger view

    30 Yellow Citroën 5HP two-seat Torpédo with its hood up at Autoworld, Brussels, in May 2011.

  • A yellow two-seater with yellow wheels, a spare on its flank and a black hood, a blue small car in front. Opens a larger view

    31 Yellow Citroën 5HP two-seat Torpédo on the C2 chassis, hood up, at the Cité de l’Automobile, Mulhouse, in November 2014.

  • A cream open tourer with a beige hood, black wings and a nickel radiator on a grey museum floor. Opens a larger view

    32 Cream Citroën 5HP Type C of 1922, hood up, at the Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile, Turin, in May 2026.

  • A blue tourer with a black hood and blue wheels on a gravel floor beside its museum label. Opens a larger view

    33 Blue Citroën 5HP Type C3 Torpédo of 1925 at the Cité de l’Automobile, Mulhouse, in November 2014.

  • A yellow tourer with black wings and a nickel radiator, its hood folded, beside a museum label. Opens a larger view

    34 Yellow Citroën 5CV Type C3 at the Toyota Automobile Museum, Nagakute, in February 2022.

  • A weathered dark blue car with faded paint, a torn hood and a lifted bonnet side on a concrete floor. Opens a larger view

    35 Unrestored Citroën 5CV Type C3 at the Unternehmenspark Kassel collection, Germany, in 2013.

  • A pale blue open car with black wings behind a red rope, a red sports car beside it. Opens a larger view

    36 Blue Citroën 5HP Type C of 1922 at the Haynes International Motor Museum, Sparkford, in May 2017.

  • A cream open two-seater with black wings on a terracotta tile floor beside a yellow small car. Opens a larger view

    37 Cream Citroën 5HP Type C in the Monaco Top Cars Collection in September 2016.

  • A pale yellow open car with a nickel radiator and one bonnet side raised, before a painted field backdrop. Opens a larger view

    38 Pale-yellow Citroën 5HP Torpédo of 1923 with its bonnet open at the Cité de l’Automobile, Mulhouse, in December 2022.

  • A deep red tourer with gold coachlines, red wheels and a black hood under a wooden canopy. Opens a larger view

    39 Red Citroën 5HP Type C of 1923, hood up, on a display stand in September 2019.

  • Front view of a red tourer with yellow lamps next to a small red child-size copy on a gravel floor. Opens a larger view

    40 Red Citroën 5HP beside the Citroënette children’s car at the Cité de l’Automobile, Mulhouse, in October 2011.

  • A yellow two-seater with a grey hood and plate SS 2413 on a dark tiled floor beside a Ford. Opens a larger view

    41 Yellow Citroën 5HP of 1922 at the Museo de Historia de la Automoción, Salamanca, in April 2008.

  • Front view of a narrow car with a flat radiator, two lamps and plate DZ-17-40 under showroom lights. Opens a larger view

    42 Yellow Citroën 5HP two-seat Torpédo of 1922 on the C2 chassis, head-on at Historici, Roudnice nad Labem, in November 2019.

The car: Torpédo 3 places Trèfle (T3-2) 20

  • A maroon tourer with black wings and a black folding hood parked before an ivy-covered wall. Opens a larger view

    43 Maroon Citroën 5CV Trèfle of 1925, hood up, at Aubigny-sur-Nère, Cher, in September 2019.

  • A maroon tourer with a black hood and a wooden box on the running board, parked on a marked tarmac lot. Opens a larger view

    44 Maroon Citroën 5CV Trèfle of 1925, a box on its running board, at Aubigny-sur-Nère, Cher, in September 2019.

  • A yellow three-seater with black wings and a Citroën club badge on its bumper, on dry grass. Opens a larger view

    45 Yellow Citroën 5HP Trèfle of 1925 at an outdoor show in August 2022.

  • A red open three-seater with black wings, brass horn and plate SY 5686 on dry grass inside a marquee. Opens a larger view

    46 Red Citroën 5HP Trèfle of 1925 at the Great Dorset Steam Fair in August 2022.

  • A yellow three-seater with a black hood and plate TW 113 on a red carpet at a busy indoor show. Opens a larger view

    47 Yellow Citroën 5HP Trèfle of 1925 at the NEC Classic Motor Show, Birmingham, in November 2019.

15 more picturesFewer pictures
  • A red open three-seater with black wings and plate 919 SF 39 on gravel before a village house. Opens a larger view

    48 Red Citroën 5HP Trèfle of 1925, registered 919 SF 39, outside a village house in France in August 2008.

  • A tan open three-seater with black wings and a Citroën radiator script on a shiny white mall floor. Opens a larger view

    49 Tan Citroën 5HP Trèfle of 1925 on show at the Pôle Sud shopping centre, Basse-Goulaine, in January 2022.

  • A red open three-seater with a brass radiator and red wheels parked in a row of vintage cars. Opens a larger view

    50 Red Citroën 5HP Trèfle with red wheels at a classic car meeting in Konz, Germany, in July 2013.

  • Side view of a maroon open tourer with a black hood and black disc wheels on a gravel drive. Opens a larger view

    51 Maroon Citroën 5HP Trèfle three-seater of 1924 in profile with its hood closed, February 2019.

  • Side view of a red open three-seater with black wings and wheels parked before a stone house with a wooden door. Opens a larger view

    52 Red Citroën 5HP Trèfle of 1925 in profile outside a village house in France.

  • Rear three-quarter view of a red open three-seater with a pointed tail, parked on dry grass under a marquee. Opens a larger view

    53 Red Citroën 5HP Trèfle of 1925 from behind at the Great Dorset Steam Fair in August 2022, its third seat centred behind the front pair.

  • Rear three-quarter view of a tan three-seater with black wings and a folded hood on a white tiled floor. Opens a larger view

    54 Tan Citroën 5HP Trèfle of 1925 from behind with its hood folded at the Pôle Sud shopping centre, Basse-Goulaine, in January 2022.

  • A red open three-seater seen from behind, its folded black hood over the tail and a crowd beyond. Opens a larger view

    55 Red Citroën 5HP Trèfle with its hood folded at Konz, Germany, in July 2013, showing the single rear seat between the front pair.

  • Rear three-quarter view of a red three-seater with a grey hood and a spare wheel on its tail, visitors behind. Opens a larger view

    56 Red Citroën 5HP Trèfle with its hood up at a classic car meeting in Konz, Germany, in July 2012.

  • Front view of a tan car with yellow Citroën lettering on the radiator, two lamps and a rope barrier around it. Opens a larger view

    57 Tan Citroën 5HP Trèfle of 1925 head-on at the Pôle Sud shopping centre, Basse-Goulaine, in January 2022.

  • Close front view of a nickel radiator shell with a chevron badge, a motometer and two large headlamps. Opens a larger view

    58 Radiator and headlamps of the red 1925 Citroën 5HP Trèfle registered 919 SF 39, photographed in France.

  • A beige open three-seater decked with flower bouquets, costumed people walking alongside in a town street. Opens a larger view

    59 Beige Citroën 5HP Trèfle dressed with flowers for a parade in June 2007.

  • A light blue open three-seater with a black hood and light blue wheels on a gravel museum floor. Opens a larger view

    60 Light-blue Citroën 5HP Trèfle of 1924 at the Cité de l’Automobile, Mulhouse, in December 2022.

  • A dark blue open three-seater with a nickel radiator and a starting handle, among other cars in a museum. Opens a larger view

    61 Blue Citroën 5HP Trèfle of 1924 at the Lane Motor Museum, Nashville, in July 2024.

  • A maroon open three-seater with a beige hood behind a child mannequin and a small pedal car. Opens a larger view

    62 Maroon Citroën 5HP Trèfle of 1924 at the Musée de l’Automobile, Valençay, in August 2024.

The car: Torpédo 3 places à strapontin (T3-1) 4

  • A pale yellow tourer with a black hood and plate PU 5525 on grass before a dealer’s gazebo. Opens a larger view

    63 Yellow Citroën 5CV three-seat Torpédo with the boat-deck tail at a British show in August 2008.

  • A dark green open tourer with green wheels, a toolbox on the running board and plate BF 4547, on grass. Opens a larger view

    64 Green Citroën 5HP three-seat Torpédo of 1924 at Knebworth House, Hertfordshire, in August 2012.

  • A small blue open tourer with black wings and a chevron radiator, one man at the wheel and another holding the door. Opens a larger view

    65 Blue Citroën 5HP Torpédo three-seater of 1924, the T3-1 with a folding front jump seat, with its owners in March 2019.

  • Rear three-quarter view of a green open car with a pointed boat-shaped tail and a spare wheel on its flank. Opens a larger view

    66 Green Citroën 5HP three-seat Torpédo of 1924 from behind at Knebworth House, Hertfordshire, in August 2013, showing its “cul de poule” tail.

The car: Cabriolet (TL) 6

  • A maroon open car with a black radiator surround parked on gravel beside a brown sister car. Opens a larger view

    67 Maroon Citroën 5HP Type C3 Cabriolet of 1924 at a classic car meeting in May 2017.

  • A maroon cabriolet with a black roof and side windows and plate BF 6174 standing in a grassy field. Opens a larger view

    68 Maroon Citroën 5HP Type C3 Cabriolet of 1924 with its hood and side windows closed, on grass in August 2013.

  • A brown cabriolet with a fabric roof, side screens and brown wheels parked on gravel before a hedge. Opens a larger view

    69 Brown Citroën 5HP Type C3 Cabriolet of 1924 with hood and side screens closed, May 2018.

  • A red cabriolet with a black roof and black wings on a pale show floor, a Traction Avant behind. Opens a larger view

    70 Red Citroën 5HP Cabriolet with its hood up at Rétromobile, Paris, in February 2019.

  • A brown open car with plate SL 9819 being driven along a village road past white houses. Opens a larger view

    71 Brown Citroën 5HP Type C3 Cabriolet of 1924 on the road in England in March 2017.

  • A maroon open cabriolet and a brown one with its hood up, parked together on gravel before a hedge. Opens a larger view

    72 Two Citroën 5HP Type C3 Cabriolets of 1924 side by side at a classic car meeting in October 2015.

Inside and details 12

  • Looking forward over a rounded cream tail into a small cockpit with a steering wheel and leather trim. Opens a larger view

    73 Cockpit of the beige boat-tail Citroën 5HP two-seat Torpédo seen over its tail at the Conservatoire Citroën in October 2013.

  • A wooden-rimmed steering wheel, a small instrument panel and a pleated black bench seat inside a yellow car. Opens a larger view

    74 Cockpit of the yellow 1922 Citroën 5HP two-seat Torpédo on the C2 chassis at Historici, Roudnice nad Labem, in November 2019.

  • A wood-rimmed steering wheel before a varnished wooden dashboard and pleated black leather seats. Opens a larger view

    75 Cockpit of the red 1925 Citroën 5HP Type C Torpédo at a classic car meeting in July 2011.

  • A white-spoked steering wheel before a grey metal dashboard with one round gauge, a brick wall beyond. Opens a larger view

    76 Dashboard of a 1922 Citroën 5HP two-seat Torpédo on the C2 chassis, its ammeter the only instrument, March 2016.

  • A white-spoked steering wheel in front of a polished mahogany dashboard with two small gauges. Opens a larger view

    77 Mahogany dashboard of a Citroën 5HP Cabriolet, March 2019.

7 more picturesFewer pictures
  • A green-painted four-cylinder engine with yellow plug leads under a raised blue bonnet side. Opens a larger view

    78 The 856 cc side-valve four-cylinder engine of the blue 1926 Citroën 5HP Type C at Basse-Goulaine in January 2021.

  • A black four-cylinder side-valve engine with a brass carburettor, plugs and dynamo inside a brown bonnet. Opens a larger view

    79 Engine bay of a 1924 Citroën 5HP Type C3 with the bonnet side lifted, May 2018.

  • A yellow louvred bonnet meeting a nickel radiator shell with a blue chevron badge and motometer. Opens a larger view

    80 Bonnet, radiator cap and chevron badge of a yellow Citroën 5HP at the Automuseum Dr. Carl Benz, Ladenburg, in October 2008.

  • A chrome winged radiator cap with a blue Citroën gauge above a chrome radiator shell and chevron badge. Opens a larger view

    81 Motometer and winged mascot on a white Citroën 5HP two-seat Torpédo at an oldtimer show in Hungary in October 2008.

  • A bare ladder frame on four wheels with an engine, gearbox and steering wheel, a blue car behind. Opens a larger view

    82 Bare Citroën 5HP Type C rolling chassis at the Conservatoire Citroën, Aulnay-sous-Bois, in October 2013.

  • A chrome radiator-cap thermometer with a gauge window above a double chevron badge, the yellow bonnet below. Opens a larger view

    83 Motometer radiator cap with the double-chevron emblem on the yellow 1922 Citroën 5HP two-seat Torpédo at Historici, Roudnice nad Labem, in November 2019.

  • A winged radiator cap with a yellow chevron emblem above a chrome radiator shell and a blue badge. Opens a larger view

    84 Winged mascot over the chevron badge of the red Citroën 5CV Type C3 at an oldtimer show in Hungary in October 2008.

Inside and details: Torpédo 3 places Trèfle (T3-2) 5

  • An engine-turned metal dashboard with round gauges, a black steering wheel and pedals on a rubber mat. Opens a larger view

    85 Dashboard of the red 1925 Citroën 5HP Trèfle registered 919 SF 39, photographed in France.

  • A thin wooden steering wheel before a plain metal dashboard, pedals and a black seat, people outside. Opens a larger view

    86 Dashboard and pedals of a Citroën 5HP Trèfle at Aigrefeuille-sur-Maine in September 2013.

  • A green four-cylinder engine with yellow wiring, a horn and a carburettor beside a red radiator. Opens a larger view

    87 Engine bay of a Citroën 5HP Trèfle, 2007.

  • A chrome radiator thermometer with a blue chevron face, a village street blurred behind. Opens a larger view

    88 Citroën motometer on the radiator of the red 1925 Citroën 5HP Trèfle in a French village, August 2008.

  • A galvanised petrol can held by a leather strap beside a varnished wooden box on a ribbed running board. Opens a larger view

    89 Petrol can and wooden box on the running board of the maroon 1925 Citroën 5CV Trèfle at Aubigny-sur-Nère, Cher, in September 2019.

Period photographs 1

  • A view from above of a small open car: a tapering bonnet, a steering wheel and three leather seats in a cloverleaf. Opens a larger view

    90 Citroën 5HP Torpédo three-seater Trèfle of 1924 seen from directly above in a Citroën catalogue photograph, its two front seats and the third behind between them forming the cloverleaf.

Picture credits (90)
  1. 1 Llann Wé², CC BY-SA 4.0
  2. 2 José Gonçalves, CC BY 3.0
  3. 3 Finoskov, CC BY-SA 4.0
  4. 4 Llann Wé², CC BY-SA 4.0
  5. 5 AlfvanBeem, CC0
  6. 6 Matti Blume, CC BY-SA 4.0
  7. 7 Sabliere, CC BY-SA 3.0
  8. 8 János Tamás, CC BY 2.0
  9. 9 Alexandre Prévot from Nancy, France, CC BY-SA 2.0
  10. 10 Calreyn88, CC BY-SA 4.0
  11. 11 A1AA1A, CC BY-SA 4.0
  12. 12 Artur Andrzej, CC0
  13. 13 Spanish Coches, CC BY 2.0
  14. 14 Finoskov, CC BY-SA 4.0
  15. 15 Rob Hille, CC BY-SA 4.0
  16. 16 AlfvanBeem, CC0
  17. 17 TTTNIS, CC0
  18. 18 Ferran from Amposta, CC BY 2.0
  19. 19 Rob Hille, CC BY-SA 4.0
  20. 20 Alf van Beem, CC0
  21. 21 Matti Blume, CC BY-SA 4.0
  22. 22 Iwao from Tokyo, Japan, CC BY 2.0
  23. 23 Arnaud 25, CC BY-SA 3.0
  24. 24 AlfvanBeem, CC0
  25. 25 Alf van Beem, CC0
  26. 26 Alf van Beem, CC0
  27. 27 Ferran from Amposta, CC BY 2.0
  28. 28 Enfo, CC BY-SA 4.0
  29. 29 Klaus Nahr from Germany, CC BY-SA 2.0
  30. 30 Thomas Quine, CC BY 2.0
  31. 31 Zairon, CC BY-SA 4.0
  32. 32 Marie-Lan Taÿ Pamart, CC BY 4.0
  33. 33 Zairon, CC BY-SA 4.0
  34. 34 先従隗始, CC0
  35. 35 Buch-t, CC BY-SA 3.0 de
  36. 36 Hugh Llewelyn from Keynsham, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0
  37. 37 Victor Grigas, CC BY-SA 4.0
  38. 38 Loudumo, CC BY-SA 4.0
  39. 39 TTTNIS, CC0
  40. 40 Helena from the Netherlands, CC BY 2.0
  41. 41 Hugh Llewelyn, CC BY-SA 2.0
  42. 42 Rob Hille, CC BY-SA 4.0
  43. 43 Cjp24, CC BY-SA 4.0
  44. 44 Cjp24, CC BY-SA 4.0
  45. 45 Calreyn88, CC BY-SA 4.0
  46. 46 andreboeni, CC BY 2.0
  47. 47 Vauxford, CC BY-SA 4.0
  48. 48 Guymartin1, CC BY-SA 3.0
  49. 49 Llann Wé², CC BY-SA 4.0
  50. 50 Berthold Werner, CC BY-SA 3.0
  51. 51 Lionel Santon, CC BY-SA 4.0
  52. 52 Guymartin1, CC BY-SA 3.0
  53. 53 andreboeni, CC BY 2.0
  54. 54 Llann Wé², CC BY-SA 4.0
  55. 55 Berthold Werner, CC BY-SA 3.0
  56. 56 Berthold Werner, CC BY-SA 3.0
  57. 57 Llann Wé², CC BY-SA 4.0
  58. 58 Guymartin1, CC BY-SA 3.0
  59. 59 Jean Pierre Roland, CC BY-SA 4.0
  60. 60 Loudumo, CC BY-SA 4.0
  61. 61 TaurusEmerald, CC BY-SA 4.0
  62. 62 Olinone, CC0
  63. 63 Charles01, CC BY-SA 3.0
  64. 64 Charles01, CC BY-SA 3.0
  65. 65 J.-M. Sabouraud, CC BY-SA 4.0
  66. 66 Charles01, CC BY-SA 3.0
  67. 67 Migo47, CC BY-SA 4.0
  68. 68 Migo47, CC BY-SA 4.0
  69. 69 Migo47, CC BY-SA 4.0
  70. 70 Y.Leclercq, CC BY-SA 4.0
  71. 71 Migo47, CC BY-SA 4.0
  72. 72 Migo47, CC BY-SA 4.0
  73. 73 Klaus Nahr from Germany, CC BY-SA 2.0
  74. 74 Rob Hille, CC BY-SA 4.0
  75. 75 Artur Andrzej, CC0
  76. 76 Migo47, CC BY-SA 4.0
  77. 77 Migo47, CC BY-SA 4.0
  78. 78 Llann Wé², CC BY-SA 4.0
  79. 79 Migo47, CC BY-SA 4.0
  80. 80 Klaus Nahr from Germany, CC BY-SA 2.0
  81. 81 János Tamás, CC BY 2.0
  82. 82 Klaus Nahr from Germany, CC BY-SA 2.0
  83. 83 Rob Hille, CC BY-SA 4.0
  84. 84 János Tamás, CC BY 2.0
  85. 85 Guymartin1, CC BY-SA 3.0
  86. 86 Llann Wé², CC BY-SA 3.0
  87. 87 Goéland, CC BY-SA 3.0
  88. 88 Guymartin1, CC BY-SA 3.0
  89. 89 Cjp24, CC BY-SA 4.0
  90. 90 Citroën, Public domain

Variants

Five bodies on two chassis

The Type C family
VariantYearsWhat differsHow many
Torpédo 2 places (T2)May 1922–spring 1925The first car: an open two-seater with the pointed cul de poule tail, on the short C2 chassis and then the long C3Not found
Cabriolet (TL)Mar 1923–June 1926Two seats under a hood with wind-down windows; collectors call it the “Coupé Docteur”, a misnomerNot found
Torpédo 3 places à strapontin (T3-1)Oct 1923–Sept 1924A third seat that folded down at the front; the “faux Trèfle”8,000
Torpédo 3 places Trèfle (T3-2)Oct 1924–June 1926The cloverleaf: the third seat at the back in the middle, its passenger’s legs between the front seats20,000–30,000
Voiture de Livraison (VL)Early 1924–mid-1925A delivery car for 125 kg, with one door and doors at the back1,083

Specification

The Type C on the long C3 chassis, 1924, unless noted

Engine and drive

EngineFour cylinders in line, 856 cc, 55 × 90 mm, one Solex carburettor41
Power11 hp (8.2 kW)41
CoolingThermosiphon, no water pump; a fan on every car from 1 June 192541
IgnitionCoil at first, a magneto from late 19221
GearboxThree speeds without synchromesh, and reverse; straight-cut first and second41
DriveTorque tube to a banjo axle with a chevron-toothed pinion and a differential41

Body and chassis

FrameTrapezoidal ladder frame with cross-members1
BodyPanels nailed to a wooden frame, the last wooden-bodied Citroën; one door, on the passenger side, opening forwards1
SuspensionFour inverted quarter-elliptic springs1Friction dampers at the back of the Cabriolet from 1925
BrakesPedal on the transmission, hand lever on the rear wheels; none at the front41
PedalsAccelerator in the middle, between clutch and brake1
Tyres700 × 80 high-pressure beaded-edge Michelins, then 715 × 115 balloon tyres from June 19241

Dimensions

Length3,200 mm (10 ft 6 in)1
Wheelbase2,250 mm (C2); 2,350 mm (C3)1
Weight543 kg (1,197 lb)1
Width and heightNot found

Performance and running

Top speed60 km/h (37 mph)140 mph (64 km/h) by the Lane Motor Museum4
Consumption5 litres per 100 km (56 mpg)1
Price new8,500 F for the Torpédo in 1922; 10,800 F in 19231210,700 F, about US$419, for the Trèfle, by the Lane museum4

How many were built?

Every figure, with its source

About 81,000 builtAlmost 81,000 in four years, by English Wikipedia’s count. An exact 80,759 appears in a summary of Citroën’s heritage pages that could not be read in full; it agrees, but the figure needs Citroën’s own archive to settle it.

  1. almost 81,000Type Cs, 1922–⁠26One source

    English Wikipedia, translated from the French article1

  2. 80,759Type Cs, 1922–⁠26Unconfirmed

    A search summary of Citroën heritage pages, not read in full5

  • Two sources agreetwo good sources give the figure
  • One sourcea good source, alone
  • Unconfirmeda lead only, not yet checked

Famous for

Three points

  1. Sold to women

    Every advertisement for the 5HP showed a young woman at the wheel.41

  2. The cloverleaf

    The Trèfle seated its third passenger behind and between the front two.412

  3. The end of the cyclecar

    A complete small car at a cyclecar price, it ended the boom with the Austin Seven.1

Racing and records

A feat, not a race

No racing record of the 5HP has been found, but one used Torpédo made a name for itself on the road (more in records and feats).

17,000 km
round Australia in five months of 1925, by two students in a used Torpédo called “Bubsy”, without engine trouble; it is reported as the first car to go round the continent. The National Museum of Australia tells the story in a film, First Car Around Australia.1

Survivors and collecting

Today

About 3,000 survive, some 4 per cent of those built.1 With so many made and so many remade parts, the 5HP is easy to rebuild; the Amicale 5HP Citroën, at Sandillon, looks after them.1 In Nashville, the Lane Motor Museum shows a 1924 Trèfle.4 Artcurial, selling a restored 1924 Trèfle in 2015, praised its ease of driving, robustness and long life, and noted that some were still in daily use 25 years after production stopped. It sold for less than its estimate.6

At auction
CarSalePrice
1924 Type C3 Trèfle, chassis 39293, restoredArtcurial, “Automobiles sur les Champs 2”, 2015, lot 2636€9,435, against an estimate of €10,000–15,000

Sources

Numbered as in the text

No period road test was found, and Citroën’s own production records were not consulted. Sources are given as plain text; the links are on the Credits page.

  1. English Wikipedia, Citroën Type C, read in full; a translation of the French article. It cites John Reynolds, André Citroën: The Man and the Motor Car (Sutton, 1996); Bernard Laurent, Citroën 5HP (2006); Pierre Dumont, Quai de Javel, Quai André Citroën (1976); Willy Schafroth; and Paul Blank.
  2. Citroën Origins (Citroën’s heritage site), introduction to the Type C 5HP, Spanish-language page, read in full.
  3. Eric Favre, “Le Zèbre invente l’auto populaire !”, Gazoline, 2003, read in full.
  4. Lane Motor Museum, “Citroën 5CV Trèfle – 1924”, collection page, read in full.
  5. A search-result summary, 7 October 2026, of Citroën Origins and a Citroën press page; not read in full.
  6. Artcurial, “Automobiles sur les Champs 2” sale, 2015, lot 263: 1924 Citroën Type C3 5HP Trèfle.