Old Blue / Citroën Type C 1920s, Belgium

Old Blue is an abandoned Citroën Type C car. This beautiful 1920s vehicle is quietly resting in the garage of an abandoned house in Belgium. I explored this location as I explored abandoned places in Belgium in the winter of 2019. This was actually the final location of the tour before heading to catch the ferry home.

Citroën Type C T3-2 (1924-1926) – “Torpedo 3-seater Trefle ” ( Clover leaf )

The Citroën Type C was manufactured between 1922 and 1926. During this time 81,000 cars were produced. The car is also known as as the Citroën 5HP, or 5CV.

This car appears to be a Citroën Type C T3-2, produced between 1924 and 1926. This model replaced the earlier T2 (1922-1923) and T3-1 (1923-1924) models. One clear feature that differentiates this car from previous models, is the mounting position of the spare tyre. The T3-2 features a rear mounted spare, whereas previous models had the spare mounted on the drivers-side door.

Compared to the preceding Citroën Type C T3-1, the T3-2 has two fixed front seats. The front passenger seat in the T3-1 folded down to enable access to the single rear seat situated behind this. This brings us on to another distinguishing feature of the T3-2, in this model the rear passenger seat is aligned with the center of the vehicle. This rear seat was accessed through a small gap between the front seats. Either side of this seat are two small storage compartments, accessed by lifting little lids. The layout of the seats, when viewed from above resemble a three leaf clover (the car was often nicknamed “Clover Leaf”. Combined with the sleek torpedo-shape of the chassis, brings us to the second nickname of this model, “Torpedo Trefle” (Torpedo Clover Leaf).

The interior is leatherette upholstery, black in blue versions of this model. The floor is a black brush carpet. This model also had storage pockets in the door on the drivers side.