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A 4x4 military vehicle |
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Derived
from the Méhari 4x4, the Citroën “A 4x4” a light cross-country military
vehicle with four-wheel drive and metal body, has received official
recognition from the French Army, which is considering an order for
5,000 of them. During this 20-month period, in order to test the vehicle's sturdiness and mechanical reliability, 168,000 miles were covered on tracks and across country by ten A 4x4 prototypes. The vehicle is powered by a 652-cc air-cooled flat-twin engine with integral electronic ignition, developing a maximum DIN power of 34 HP at5,750 rpm, and a maximum DIN torque of 36 lb.ft at 3,500 rpm. The gearbox, with 7 forward speeds and reverse, includes a reducer gear on three ratios and a dog clutch on the prop shaft to the rear wheels. The rear axle differential can moreover be locked. This offers six possible modes of propulsion: normal running
(4x2 without reducer gear), front-wheel drive with reducer gear (4x2),
4-wheel drive (4x4) with or without reducer gear, and with or without
the rear differential locked. Speed up to 70 mph.
Weight in running order: 1850 lbs. |
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A united Europe was already in existence, but in practice each country put military vehicle purchases out to tender to private industry.The French army used the Méhari as a light field runabout but it was not capable of transporting more than a few soldiers and their guns and something more robust was required. Renault submitted its TRM 2000, Peugeot and Mercedes collaborated in the two-ton category and Citroën submitted the A 4X4 - a variant of the FAF with the mechanics of the four-wheel drive Méhari. This vehicle would be assembled in Mangualde in Portugal and because the original version of the 602cc engine was not deemed powerful enough, it was fitted with the two cylinder 652cc engine from the LN and Visa.. Ten of these vehicles were delivered to the Ministère de la Defense in Paris for extensive testing over 270,000 km. The test drivers were positive about its capabilities - "It is an extraordinary vehicle, managing slopes of 50 percent, even with a full load. Thanks to the special Michelin tyres the handling is excellent, the Ami Super derived suspension gives unprecedented comfort in this class. The gearbox with seven ratios solves all problems and consumption in the field is three to six litres per hour. When we see how the vehicle performs with five people on board in a mud bath at the Satory test track, we can not but congratulate Citroën. A worthy successor to the plastic Méharis that the French army had purchased over the years.” In April 1981 Citroën issued a press release in which it
stated that the A 4x4 had been approved by the French army and an order
of five thousand was expected (see above). This was, however
premature since despite the excellent test results the French army
decided to concentrate on a heavier 4x4 and the requirement for a light
vehicle was dropped. The army instead placed an order for the
Peugeot/Mercedes P4. |
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Above
this vehicle (chassis number 600205, manufactured in 1985) was supplied
to the Yugoslav Army in the early 80s and this photo was taken in the Cimos
factory test ground in Koper. |
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| © 1981 le Double Chevron/2013 - 2016 Citroënët | Thanks to JL |
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