Central School
Strategic Concepts & Mechanics
Primary Evidence
"Everything is to be done. You have to rely on yourself, make do with nothing. There is no rubber school, no books, and this time, no teacher. It’s a field too marginal, too uncertain. Engineers, even if they graduate from the Central School, the Arts and Crafts, or even chemical schools, can only provide partial answers. Graduates, therefore, in Edouard’s eyes, will only have secondary importance. The workers—because they are in direct contact with manufacturing problems—are best positioned to solve them. They must be trusted. For the new boss—who openly admits his total incompetence—his role is clear: he must help these workers make progress. It’s necessary to go into the field, question their ideas and methods. The company’s philosophy is being developed."
"Translated by engineers working with André Lefèvre, this idea of the “minimum automobile”—intended primarily for farmers and craftsmen—would become the famous quip: “An umbrella on four wheels.” After the “fact-finding surveys” conducted under the direction of a Central School engineer, Duclos, among ten thousand people to identify the real needs of this modest clientele targeted by Boulanger—the first automotive marketing experience and perhaps the secret of the car’s exceptional longevity—the TPV, or “very small car,” gradually emerged from limbo."