There is still a lot of Citroëns made, and Citroën is in fact one of the most popular brands in a many European countries. Even though they are very common in EU, it is not likely to see them sold in the US in the near future.
The French car brands Citroën and Peugeot are not likely to be sold in US soon
The CEO of Stellantis, the new parent company of recently-merged Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Group, has said the Peugeot and Citroen brands are not likely to make a reappearance in the United States any time soon. Stellantis’ global lineup includes a dizzying array car brands including Jeep, Dodge Ram, Fiat and Alfa Romeo. All of these brands are sold in the U.S., but there are also Peugeot, Citroen and DS, Opel and Vauxhall that aren’t going anywhere soon.
Citroën left US in 1974
PSA Group previously established a small North American headquarters in Atlanta, as part of its plan to sell Peugeots in the United States by 2026.
Peugeot was the last French automaker that sold cars in the U.S. but has not had dealers since the 1980s. Citroën was forced out of the American market by Citroen in 1974. Both French brands are well-known in Europe and South America. Peugeots can even be found as far north as Mexico. Peugeot dealers can be found just one mile from the Mexican border, between San Diego and El Paso.
Why French cars are not sold in US?
French cars in the USA had a problem because Citroën and Peugout were made for French people. Because of the higher fuel costs in Europe, they were smaller and more efficient. They were made for comfort and easy handling, not speed or acceleration. Citroën is very much known for it’s small cars.
Another reason, was the reliability of the cars at the time. Americans had become used to levels of reliability from their cars like Toyota had. The reliability if a Citroën and Peugout wasn’t that good back in the 70’s and 80’s.