Citroen Caddy

Datchoo

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Tadpole
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Dun Laoghaire, Ireland
I'm researching history of Citroen B2 Caddy Sport models (1922-1923). Does anyone know if any were imported into Australia? If so, we're they Right-hand drive?
 
I'm researching history of Citroen B2 Caddy Sport models (1922-1923). Does anyone know if any were imported into Australia? If so, we're they Right-hand drive?
Hi, they certainly were offered for sale here in Australia. I have a pictorial ad from the Queensland agent of the time showing a B2 caddy as one of the available options
 

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In June the same year the same paper reported:

Recently the. Maughan-Thiem Motor Company placed in their showroom a Citroen Caddy. This has attracted a good deal of attention, as it is of particularly striking design, with beautiful lines. The Citroen agents in Melbourne have advised that
they attained a speed of 75 miles an hour in a Citroen Caddy, during tests made in preparing the car for an attempt to break the Adelaide to Melbourne record.

Maughan-Thiem is still trading. Not in Cits, alas.

More here - https://www.maughanthiemstory.com.a...hiem-Motor-Company-pty.-Limited-1912-1982.pdf

Enjoy the 40 car day out!
 
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Looking about I found this account of a test run in 1924. Roads out of Sydney were then atrocious tracks. The trip was to the Illawarra and included the descent of Bald Hill at Stanwell Park, and the climb up Bulli Pass,which was still extremely fearsome and narrow in the 50s - you went up in your lowest gear. These roads were dangerous. The drops are 300 metres. They have been eased now, but the long Mt Ousley motorway hill climb has replaced them for most traffic.

About the same time the little Cit held the Sydney to Newcastle record. It was faster than I could do on bitumen before the Calga bypass and motorway were built, and they were running on rutted unmade dirt. I presume they didn't add in time waiting for the Hawkesbury River ferry, but maybe they did. Normal people in those days caught the train. I have a photo of my father in the 20s on what was a good bit of the Pacific Highway - it was two deep wheel ruts across a grassy paddock. It didn't change much until Brisbane.



citroen test 1924.jpg
 
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Many thanks gentlemen for all that info. I did see that B2 Caddy on the prewar car site and have been in touch with the owner in Mastricht NL. He has done some work (wheels/engine/etc) on it since it sold at auction in 2018, but he's selling it in its "preserved" condition. Did I see that someone is re-building/restoring a Caddy in Australia? I'm currently on a similar project.
 
For the sake of Datchoo in Ireland, here is an old view from Bald Hill looking south. Those early Citroens descended to the dirt road to Wollongong visible near the beach. Bulli Pass ascends the escarpment in the background. Bald Hill is nearly 1000 feet up. Bulli Pass only a little less.

balh hill.png
 
For the sake of Datchoo in Ireland, here is an old view from Bald Hill looking south. Those early Citroens descended to the dirt road to Wollongong visible near the beach. Bulli Pass ascends the escarpment in the background. Bald Hill is nearly 1000 feet up. Bulli Pass only a little less.

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Wow! Definitely for thrill seekers using 1920s brakes down those hills...
 
you have inspired me to drive my '23 B2 "Roadster" into town this morning to do the shopping.
Interesting comments and news articles.
Thanks Michael
 
Here it is today from the top. Fairly level country just drops into the sea. Now there's seaside housing along the coast, and hugely widened paved and improved roads. In the background is the Sea Cliff Bridge, a local attraction. The road was reconstructed as a parallel bridge over the sea to avoid the boulders that fall on the old road that works around the cliff. The south coast railway follows the terrain around at a higher level, but it has tunnels to help.

The performance of the small Citroens on those then poor roads and long steep hills was impressive.

bald-hill-1.jpg
 
Here is the 1924 ad I mentioned. If you like I can email a high res version as Tiff
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or jpg.
It looks from the drawings that it and the other two cars are all left hand drive, but there is a bit of uncertainty about it
 
But, I also found I have this scanned newspaper photo from the same time showing a Caddy outside the Brisbane Citroen agency It looks right hand drive I think, but again not totally clear. I’ll look for the story that goes with this tomorrow.
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But, I also found I have this scanned newspaper photo from the same time showing a Caddy outside the Brisbane Citroen agency It looks right hand drive I think, but again not totally clear. I’ll look for the story that goes with this tomorrow.
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Here is the article that this photo came from. The Caddy is being driven by Mr Barnes, managing director of Brisbane Electrical Co, the Queensland Citroen agent.
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