Citroen is celebrating 85 years in Australia which it says is the longest continuous presence on the local market of any brand.

THE celebrations will be marked with a range of special edition models starting with the Citroen C4, its best selling model in Australia.

The Citroen C4 85th anniversary features an integrated Bluetooth communications package, five-disc CD stacker, 16in alloy wheels and a dual zone climate control ventilation system included in a driveaway price of $31,990, representing a saving of up to $4000 on the Citroen C4 HDi EGS on which it is based. Powered by a 1.6 litre 80kW turbodiesel engine it is matched to the Citroen EGS gearbox that combines the performance and economy of manual with the convenience of an automatic.

This enables the Citroen C4 HDi to offer fuel economy of 4.5 L/100 km, while on the open road it sips just 3.9L/100 km.

Citroen's presence in Australia is much more than retailing cars, the French car maker has played an integral role in opening up and developing transport in Australia and it is for this reason that a Citroen is one of only two cars in the National Museum of Australia in Canberra.

"Citroen's place in the National Museum of Australia is just as well deserved as Vegemite and the Violet Crumble Bar, the other iconic names that appeared in the same year as Citroen's Australian debut," Citroen Australia general manager Miles Williams said.

"Citroen has played a unique role in Australian history, in opening up the country and paving the way for thousands of other cars to follow."

Citroen claimed its place in Australia's history when 22-year- old Neville Westwood bought one of the first Citroens to arrive in Australia, a Citroen 5CV which already had 48,000km on the clock and used it to become the first person to complete an automotive circumnavigation of Australia.

Starting from Perth on August 4, 1925 he headed north, transporting the car across rivers on inflated cattle skins, filling the tyres with grass, battling weather and heat, and returning to Perth on December 30, 1925.

Such a drive today - more than 18,000km on the modern roads - is still a considerable undertaking. In 1925 it was nothing short of epic, with few roads, accurate maps and, of course, little in the way of roadside help.

The Citroen completed the journey with only minor repairs and stayed with the Westwood family until 2005 when the National Museum acquired and completed a full restoration on it so it could be displayed at Australia's leading museum of the nation's history.

In the year that Citroen arrived in Australia, another 5CV became the first light car to cross Australia from coast to coast, with the team of W. J. Phipps and J. Seery crossing the continent in a 5000km journey in just 18 days, again another remarkable feat given the conditions and it was completed with no mechanical problems.

"The fact that we are marking the 85th anniversary of Citroen in Australia with the C4 HDi EGS, one of the most economical cars available in Australia, is highly appropriate," Mr Williams said.

"Back in 1923 Phipps and Seery completed the run from Adelaide to Freemantle at an average of 43mpg, so then, as now, Citroen is providing Australian car buyers with highly economical cars that are ideal for Australian conditions."

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