Njengophawu ngokwalo, ilogo yeCitroën ibisoloko ithetha izinto ezintsha, uyilo, ukuzonwabisa kunye nolonwabo phantse inkulungwane. Kodwa yintoni le "imilenze ezantsi" i-V ithetha ntoni emva kwayo yonke loo nto? Ngokufutshane, umfuziselo ufuzisela i-bi-helical gear – ewe, injalo loo nto – ephuhliswe yaze yasetyenziswa yinjineli u-Andre Citroën, umseki wophawu lwesiFrentshi. Makhe silazi ngokweenkcukacha ibali?
Uphawu lwesiFrentshi lwazalwa luvela kwingqondo ka-Andre Citroën. Ebudeni beMfazwe Yehlabathi I, injineli yakha izixhobo zomkhosi wamaFrentshi; kamva, emva kwemfazwe, uCitroën wafumana umzi-mveliso esandleni, kodwa ungenayo imveliso yokuvelisa. NgesiPhuthukezi esilungileyo, bekukho imela, kodwa kungekho sisi...
Kuze kube yi-1919, injineli yaseFransi yagqiba ekubeni iqalise ukuvelisa iimoto, ngokuqala ngemodeli yendabuko yohlobo A. Igama lifunyenwe - njengabanye abaninzi abavelisi, inkampani yamkela isiteketiso somsunguli wayo. Isazisi esibonakalayo sahlala sichazwa, kwaye ukhetho lwaphela luyi-chevron ephindwe kabini (i-inverted "double V"-shaped gear, esetyenziswa kwizixhobo zomkhosi kunye ne-dynamos) efunyenwe yi-Citroën kwiminyaka embalwa ngaphambili.
Kodwa ayisiyiyo yonke loo nto: intsomi inalo ukuba uphawu lophawu sisipho kunyana ka-André Citroën, ixhoba leMfazwe yeHlabathi yokuQala. Akunakwenzeka ukuba kwibhonethi nayiphi na i-Citroën sinokufumana imida efanayo naleyo yeposi yezempi (ii-V ezimbini eziguqulweyo), inkumbulo yosapho oluyinyani oluye lwaqhutyelwa kude kube namhlanje. Nangona kunjalo, le nyaniso ayizange iqinisekiswe.
Emva kweenguqu ezithile kule minyaka idlulileyo – eyona nto yayinzima yayikukungeniswa kwedada elimhlophe ngo-1929, njengoko ubona kulo mfanekiso ungasentla – kumsitho wesikhumbuzo seminyaka engama-90 yohlobo, ngoFebruwari ka-2009 iCitroën yabonisa uphawu lwayo olutsha. Ngechevron enamacala amathathu aphindwe kabini kunye negama lebhrendi elikrolwe kwifonti entsha, iCitroën ijonge ukuzihlaziya ngokupheleleyo, igcine iintshukumo kunye nesimanjemanje ebisoloko yaziwa ngayo.