Introductory text
Flaminio Bertoni is not short of original ideas for the M Project. It's true that budgetary restrictions impose a reworking of the 2CV platform and its 2-cylinder engine in order to increase the displacement. Other constraints relate to the famous reverse-sloping rear window that allows a compromise between passenger compartment roominess and trunk volume.
And what about the name? Well, Citroën would like to feminise and urbanise its clientele, so it associates the English term "Mrs" with the figure 6 of its horsepower. A deliberate decision illustrated by the "chic Parisian" style of the advertising around its launch on 24th April 1961.
The Ami 6 finds its target and then capitalises on its success with the launch of its station-wagon version in 1965. Four years later, it is replaced by the trendier Ami 8 with a modern, less radical hatchback rear end in the saloon version.