Topic: Solved: PN #644 -- 1928 electric Citroen AC6, a VoltTimer participant

[pnegyesi]

A fun puzzle for rookies (and maybe experts, we will see)

ID the car. It is easy. But tell me why this is so unusual? Tell me the background and depending on how detailed it is I give you 1 or 2 points

[pnegyesi]

Experts?

[58_spyder]

It is a Citroen AC4 or AC6, I am not sure if you need something specific on the car in the photo or if you are after the info on the AC series, being "toute acier", all steel cars and the later development of the moteur flotante, the floating engine?
Even the pope used to have a Citroen AC6 with a lot of gold if I remember correct.

[pnegyesi]

as I said, the donor is easy, but this particular car has some very unusual features So in order to get a point, so you need to dig a bit deeper

[58_spyder]

Does it have servo assisted braking.

In the 1920’s servo assisted braking was only fitted to the most expensive American automobiles. So it came as a surprise that André Citroën decided to fit this device as standard equipment to the B14F, introduced in 1926 and later to the AC4 and C6. These servo’s were mounted on the chassis and built by Citroën having obtained a licence from Westinghouse. Nowadays parts for these French-built servo assisted brakes are hard to find. A possible source could be original Westinghouse servo’s, but it is not known from which type or model Citroën took the licence. Some possibilities are the Westinghouse model numbers K5030, LN5034 or UC5050. Does somebody know for sure? If so, mail us! It might open up a whole new market for spares.

[pnegyesi]

no, you are focused on the history of Citroen, but you need to look elsewhere for this one

[Avalanche]

I'll bet not many of them came with a GoPro mounted to the back window... 

[pnegyesi]

okay, so it has a modern gadget. Did you spot anything else which is unusual?

[luisps]

I really don't know what is unusual in that car, but looking to the picture there are to points that calls my attention:
1.- There is a device in the center of the rear window that is unusual
2,- The driver is looking to the right side of the dashboard.
As a that time no electronic cameras or electronic screens haven't been invented yet, I'm thinking in some optical device that may project the rear view to a blank screen placed on the right side of the dashboard  making the functions of the internal rear mirror.

[pnegyesi]

 
Okay, maybe this view will help

[58_spyder]

I can only think of the car being armoured (blindé in French) or it being transformed into an electrical car.
The only thing that I saw on the first picture was the shape of the sill, it seems to be bended.

[oko94]

This car is a participant of the 2014 VoltTimer contest, which is supported by the Mobilis initiative of the hungarian city of Győr. The aim is to convert classic cars to electric power (hence the VoltTimer / oldtimer pun).

[pnegyesi]

58_spyder touched a nerve, but oko94 pulled through and gave me the complete answer. So I am awarding him two points. Congrats