Technological challenges - World-wide cooperation - Motorsport teamwork -Marketing solidarity 

A brief history

The partnership dates back to the late 60's, when it began as a simple technical-cooperation agreement: Total developped an oil-specific formulation allowing the "DS", back then the spearhead of France's automobile industry, to eliminate the problems of ignition and fouling.

It has since expanded to include four fields: technology, sales & marketing, motor-racing and training.

An industrial partnership

Citroën, in the eyes of many motorists, remains closely associated with hydraulic suspension, a groundbreaking idea for its time, and one still much in vogue today.

But something only few people know is that Total was closely involved in the success of that technology. Indeed, for years now, the suspension fluids for vehicles ranging from the DS to the C5 have been developed by engineers from both brands working together.

The industrial partnership between both brands focuses primarily on developing oils for petrol and diesel engines. These lubricants are produced by Citroën?s technical specifications, and used during new engine development.

A world-wide partnership

Total is Citroën's main lubricant supplier in the European Union (through our different national subsidiaries), as well as in Brazil and Argentina, and also benefits from Citroën's presence in emerging Eastern European markets such as Russia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland, as well as, more recently, in China.

A motorsports partnership

Total takes part alongside Citroën whenever it is involved in a motor sports event.

In 2001, the Xsara WRC distinguished itself, winning the rally in Corsica for the second time. In the European Rally Cross Championship and Kenneth Hansen won his 8th European Champion title in 2001.

Total supplies the lubricants jointly developed for the WRC by the Total research centre and Citroën Sport.

Total is proud to take part in all those events with Citroën and all the more so given its partner brand's handsome series of victories.

Furthermore, participation in sports events allows Total to subject its products to a formidable real-life series of test, where conditions constantly verge on the extreme.

A Marketing and training partnership

TOTAL provides a wide range of sales-fostering services to Citroën's distribution network. These include :

• Site diagnoses (assessing the dealership's after-sales service ? as in France, for example),
• Second-hand vehicle guarantees,
• Customed-on-premises technical and behavioural training for staff (as is the case most noticeably in Spain, where Citroën has built a solid presence),
• Oil change facade signs, as it is currently the case in France and Spain.

Total is taking part in developing of "Citroën Chrono Service" by designing and installing sales materials bearing both brand names.