Citroen AMI 6 Berline - 1968

When Citroën unveiled the Ami 6 in April 1961, it set out to bridge the yawning gap between the humble 2CV and the space-age DS. Flaminio Bertoni—already father to the Traction Avant, 2CV and DS—scribbled a saloon with a daring reverse‑rake rear screen that kept the glass clean in the rain and created a long, airy roofline over a compact footprint. The shape was as divisive as it was memorable; even today, one glimpse shouts Ami.

Underneath sat thoroughly Citroën hardware: a light A‑series platform, ultra‑compliant interconnected suspension, inboard front brakes and a front‑mounted air‑cooled flat‑twin. At launch the 602 cm³ engine delivered a modest output, but by 1968 the car gained the stronger 28 hp (DIN) M28 unit, the variant enthusiasts shorthand as Berline 28 hp. With that engine, the Ami at last cruised happily at modern secondary‑road speeds while retaining its uncanny ride comfort.

Though the Ami 6 Berline grabbed headlines for its looks, it was the 1964 Break (estate) that really caught France’s heart, quickly outselling the saloon and, remarkably, helping the Ami range top the domestic sales charts in 1966. The Ami’s brief was clear: more comfort and civility than a 2CV without the DS’s price. It delivered soft seats, useful space, true economy and that famous magic‑carpet suspension, while the flat‑twin sipped fuel. Critics in period praised its ride and practicality but ribbed its performance (pre‑28 hp) and polarising rear end.

Citroën loved to trumpet the car’s modernity. The Ami 6 was among the first mass‑produced cars to wear legal rectangular headlamps in France, supplied by Cibié—a detail that became an advertising signature alongside the back‑to‑front rear window. Period TV spots and magazine ads leaned into the eccentric elegance: a small car for cultured, economical motorists. On French streets of the mid‑sixties, the Ami was ubiquitous—teachers, shopkeepers and young families piling in, the estate models doing sterling duty for artisans.

Rivals were strong: Renault’s immensely versatile R4, Simca’s tidy 1000 and Fiat’s 600/850 all nibbled at the same clientele. Yet the Ami carved its niche with comfort, ride, and that unmistakable silhouette. The 28 hp update late in life gave it the urge it always deserved, and in 1969 the baton passed to the smoother‑faced Ami 8. More than a quirky footnote, the Ami 6 left a concrete legacy: it proved there was room in Citroën’s range for a friendly, affordable family car that still dared to be different—and it kept the flat‑twin legend alive for another generation.