Citroën 2CV

History

Pre-production

In 1934, family-owned Michelin, as the largest creditor, took over the bankrupt Citroën company. The new management commissioned a market survey, conducted by Jacques Duclos. France at that time had a large rural population which could not yet afford cars; Citroën used the survey results to prepare a design brief for a low-priced, rugged "umbrella on four wheels" that would enable four people to transport 50 kg (110 lb) of farm goods to market at 50 km/h (30 mph), if necessary across muddy, unpaved roads. In fuel economy, the car would use no more than 3 L/100 km (95 mpg‑imp; 80 mpg‑US). One design parameter required that customers be able to transport eggs across a freshly ploughed field without breakage.

In 1936, Pierre-Jules Boulanger, vice-president of Citroën and chief of engineering and design, sent the brief to his design team at the engineering department. The TPV (Toute Petite Voiture – "Very Small Car") was to be developed in secrecy at Michelin facilities at Clermont-Ferrand and at Citroën in Paris, by the design team which had created the Traction Avant.

Boulanger closely monitored all decisions relating to the TPV, proposing strictly reduced target weights. He created a department to weigh and redesign each component, to lighten the TPV without compromising function.

Boulanger placed engineer André Lefèbvre in charge of the TPV project. Lefèbvre had designed and raced Grand Prix cars; his speciality was chassis design and he was particularly interested in maintaining contact between tyres and the road surface.

The first prototypes were bare chassis with rudimentary controls, seating and roof; test drivers wore leather flying suits, of the type used in contemporary open biplanes. By the end of 1937 20 TPV experimental prototypes had been built and tested. The prototypes had only one headlight, all that was required by French law at the time. On 29 December 1937, Pierre Michelin was killed in a car crash; Boulanger became president of Citroën.

By 1939 the TPV was deemed ready, after 47 technically different and incrementally improved experimental prototypes had been built and tested. These prototypes used aluminium and magnesium parts and had water-cooled flat twin engines with front-wheel drive. The seats were hammocks hung from the roof by wires. The suspension system, designed by Alphonse Forceau, used front leading arms and rear trailing arms, connected to eight torsion bars beneath the rear seat: a bar for the front axle, one for the rear axle, an intermediate bar for each side, and an overload bar for each side. The front axle was connected to its torsion bars by cable. The overload bar came into play when the car had three people on board, two in the front and one in the rear, to support the extra load of a fourth passenger and 50 kilogrammes of luggage.

World War II

On 3 September 1939, France declared war on Germany following its invasion of Poland. An atmosphere of impending disaster led to the cancellation of the 1939 motor show less than a month before it was scheduled to open. The launch of the 2CV was abandoned.

During the German occupation of France in World War II Boulanger personally refused to collaborate with German authorities to the point where the Gestapo listed him as an "enemy of the Reich", under constant threat of arrest and deportation to Germany.

Michelin (Citroën's main shareholder) and Citroën managers decided to hide the TPV project from the Nazis, fearing some military application as in the case of the future Volkswagen Beetle, manufactured during the war as the military Kübelwagen. Several TPVs were buried at secret locations; one was disguised as a pickup, the others were destroyed, and Boulanger spent the next six years thinking about further improvements. Until 1994, when three TPVs were discovered in a barn, it was believed that only two prototypes had survived. As of 2003, there were five known TPVs.

By 1941, after an increase in aluminium prices of 40%, an internal report at Citroën showed that producing the TPV post-war would not be economically viable, given the projected further increasing cost of aluminium. Boulanger decided to redesign the car to use mostly steel with flat panels, instead of aluminium. The Nazis had attempted to loot Citroën's press tools; this was frustrated after Boulanger got the French Resistance to relabel the rail cars containing them in the Paris marshalling yard. They ended up all over Europe, and Citroën was by no means sure they would all be returned after the war. In early 1944 Boulanger made the decision to abandon the water-cooled two-cylinder engine developed for the car and installed in the 1939 versions. Walter Becchia was now briefed to design an air-cooled unit, still of two cylinders, and still of 375 cc. Becchia was also supposed to design a three-speed gearbox, but managed to design a four-speed for the same space at little extra cost. At this time small French cars like the Renault Juvaquatre and Peugeot 202 usually featured three-speed transmissions, as did Citroën's own mid-size Traction Avant – but the 1936 Italian Fiat 500 "Topolino" "people's car" did have a four-speed gearbox. Becchia persuaded Boulanger that the fourth gear was an overdrive. The increased number of gear ratios also helped to pull the extra weight of changing from light alloys to steel for the body and chassis. Other changes included seats with tubular steel frames with rubber band springing and a restyling of the body by the Italian Flaminio Bertoni. Also, in 1944 the first studies of the Citroën hydro-pneumatic suspension were conducted using the TPV/2CV.

Development

Citroën unveiled the car at the Paris Salon on 7 October 1948. The car on display was nearly identical to the 2CV type A that would be sold the next year, but it lacked an electric starter, the addition of which was decided the day before the opening of the Salon, replacing the pull cord starter. The canvas roof could be rolled completely open. The Type A had one stop light, and was available only in grey. The fuel level was checked with a dipstick/measuring rod, and the speedometer was attached to the windscreen pillar. The only other instrument was an ammeter.

Production

In 1949, the first delivered 2CV type A was 375 cc, 6.6 kW (9 hp), with a 65 km/h (40 mph) top speed, only one tail light and windscreen wiper with speed shaft drive; the wiper speed was dependent on the driving speed. There was no fuel gauge; Citroën provided a dipstick below the petrol filler cap. The 2CV was the first car designed around and released with radial tires.

The car was heavily criticised by the motoring press and became the butt of French comedians for a short while. The British Autocar correspondent wrote that the 2CV "...is the work of a designer who has kissed the lash of austerity with almost masochistic fervour". One American motoring journalist quipped, "Does it come with a can opener?"

Despite critics, Citroën was flooded with customer orders at the show. The car had a great impact on the lives of the low-income segment of the population in France. The 2CV was a commercial success: within months of it going on sale, there was a three-year waiting list, which soon increased to five years. At the time a second-hand 2CV was more expensive than a new one because the buyer did not have to wait. Production was increased from 876 units in 1949 to 6,196 units in 1950.

Grudging respect began to emanate from the international press: towards the end of 1951 the opinion appeared in Germany's recently launched Auto, Motor und Sport magazine that, despite its "ugliness and primitiveness" ("Häßlichkeit und Primitivität"), the 2CV was a "highly interesting" ("hochinteressantes") car.

In 1950, Pierre-Jules Boulanger was killed in a car crash on the main road from Clermont-Ferrand (the home of Michelin) to Paris.

In 1951, the 2CV received an ignition lock and a lockable driver's door. Production reached 100 cars a week. By the end of 1951 production totalled 16,288. Citroën introduced the 2CV Fourgonnette panel van. The "Weekend" version of the van had collapsible, removable rear seating and rear side windows, enabling a tradesman to use it as a family vehicle on the weekend as well as for business in the week.

By 1952, production had reached more than 21,000 with export markets earning foreign currency taking precedence. Boulanger's policy, which continued after his death, was: "Priority is given to those who have to travel by car because of their work and for whom ordinary cars are too expensive to buy." Cars were sold preferentially to country vets, doctors, midwives, priests and small farmers. In 1954, the speedometer got a light for night driving. In 1955, the 2CV side repeaters were added above and behind the rear doors. It was now also available with 425 cc (AZ), 9.2 kW (12.5 hp) and a top speed of 80 km/h (50 mph). In 1957, a heating and ventilation system was installed. The colour of the steering wheel changed from black to grey. The mirrors and the rear window were enlarged. The bonnet was decorated with a longitudinal strip of aluminium (AZL). In September 1957, the model AZLP (P for porte de malle, "boot lid"), appeared with a boot lid panel; previously the soft top had to be opened at the bottom to get to the boot. In 1958, a Belgian Citroën plant produced a higher quality version of the car (AZL3). It had a third side window, not available in the normal version and improved details.

Export markets

The 2CV was originally sold in France and some European markets, and went on to enjoy strong sales in Asia, South America, and Africa. During the post-war years Citroën was very focused on the home market, which had some unusual quirks, like puissance fiscale. The management of Michelin was supportive of Citroën up to a point, and with a suspension designed to use Michelin's new radial tyres the Citroën cars clearly demonstrated their superiority over their competitors' tyres. But they were not prepared to initiate the investment needed for the 2CV (or the Citroën DS for that matter) to truly compete on the global stage. Citroën was always under-capitalised until the 1970s Peugeot takeover. The 2CV sold 9 million vehicles; the Volkswagen Beetle, which was available worldwide, sold 21 million units.

Production of the 2CV in Belgium was from 1952 to 1980.

Britain

Production at Citroën's plant in Slough, England was from 1953 to 1960. Until then British construction and use regulations made cars with inboard front brakes such as the 2CV illegal. Producing the car in Britain allowed Citroën to circumvent trade barriers and to sell cars in the British Empire and Commonwealth. It achieved some success in these markets, to the extent that all Slough-built 2CVs were fitted with improved air cleaners and other modifications to suit the rough conditions found in Australia and Africa, where the 2CV's durability and good ride quality over rough roads attracted buyers. The 2CV sold poorly in Great Britain in part due to its excessive cost, because of import duties on components.

In 1959, the British Royal Navy ordered 65 2CV pick-ups from the Slough plant, following sea tests aboard HMS Bulwark in the West Indies and the Indian Ocean during 1957–58, with the Westland Whirlwind helicopters of 845 squadron RNAS. The pick-ups also served aboard HMS Albion. They were to serve as motor transport with the 42nd Commando regiment of the Royal Marines, which required robust and reliable vehicles to cope with jungle tracks, that were light enough to be taken ashore by helicopter from the aircraft carriers.

In 1959 Slough introduced a unique model, the glass-fibre coupé version called the Bijou. Styling of this car was by Peter Kirwan-Taylor (better known for his work with Colin Chapman of Lotus cars on the 1950s Lotus Elite), but the bodywork proved too heavy for the 425 cc (25.9 cu in) engine to endow it with adequate performance.

In 1975, the 2CV was re-introduced to the British market in the wake of the oil crisis, which resulted in an increasing demand for smaller cars, to which most manufacturers had responded by launching small "supermini" cars, including the Renault 5, Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Polo.

The second wave of 2CVs for the British market were produced in France but avoided the crippling import duties of the 1950s, because the UK was by then a member of the EEC. In the 1980s, the best foreign markets for the 2CV were the UK and West Germany.

South America

The 2CV was built in Chile, Uruguay, and Argentina for South America.

The 1953 Citroneta model of the 2CV made in Chile and Argentina used a type AZ chassis with 425 cc engine developing 8.8 kW (12 hp). Both chassis and engine were made in France while the "three box" bodywork (in both two- and four-door versions) was designed and produced in Chile. It was the first economy car on the market in Chile. The 1970s Chilean version mounted a 602 cc engine with an output of 24 kW (33 hp), and was designated as the AX-330. It was built between 1970 and 1978, during which it saw changes like different bumpers, a hard roof, front disc brakes, and square headlights.

One of the Citroën FAF models, named the Yagán after an Indigenous peoples tribe, was made in Chile between 1972 and 1973. During the Chilean coup of 1973, 200 Yagáns used by the Army to patrol the streets and the Peruvian border, with 106 mm (4.2 in) cannons.

From 1965, Nordex produced its own panel van and pick-up versions of the Citroën 2CV. While the doors and the rear structure (in the case of the panel van, the roof as well) were made of sheet steel, the fenders and bonnet were made by Dasur (Danrée, Soler & Bonet) and were made of fiberglass-reinforced plastic. In contrast to the original, the frame was manufactured on a sheet metal bending machine. Start of production was 1966 for the "3CV" model and the Ami 8 model in the 1970s.

The Citroën Méhari and Ranger were produced in a Uruguayan assembly plant between 1970 and 1982. In a joint effort, Dasur made the body out of fiberglass and Nordex made the chassis, while Quintanar sold the vehicles. Around 14,000 vehicles were built, 9,000 of which were exported to Argentina and the rest remained inland.

For the Méhari, a two-cylinder boxer engine with a 74 mm bore, 70 mm stroke, 602 cc displacement and 26 kW (35 hp) power drove the front wheels. The curb weight was 590 kg.

The Méhari Ranger represented a national specialty. With a fixed structure, the Méhari became a station wagon with large glass surfaces. The side windows in front of the doors were also striking. The rear wheel cutouts also differed from the original. This vehicle weighed 700 kg.

North America

Only a few 2CVs were sold in North America when they were new; similar to the situation in Britain, their pricing was excessive relative to competitors. The original model that produced 6.6 kW (9 hp) and had a top speed of 64 km/h (40 mph) was unsuited to the expanding post-war US freeway network, and was never widely accepted in North America. Even the fastest of the later models struggled to 115 km/h (71 mph).

Yugoslavia

Also in 1959, the Yugoslav firm Tomos began producing the 2CV under licence at the Koper plant, in what is today Slovenia. This venture lasted from 1959 to 1985, and grew to encompass many Citroën models. The Yugoslav automobile market was closed, so this joint venture with a local firm allowed Citroën to access the market. In Yugoslavia, 2CV was famous under the nickname Spaček, and still remains better known under that name in its successor states.

Africa

In the Ivory Coast in 1963, a locally assembled 2CV was sold in some west African countries as the Citroën "Baby-Brousse". This idea of building a "simplified" 2CV in developing countries was subsequently tried several times, as detailed under Citroën Facile à Fabriquer (easy to manufacture). One of these, the 1969 ''La Dalat'', was the first automobile manufactured in Vietnam.

In Madagascar, a former colony of France, the 2CV is so ubiquitous given its use as a taxi that is popularly considered to be a symbol of the country itself.

A home-made 2CV features in the Nigerien film Cocorico! Monsieur Poulet (1977).

Iran

In 1966, Citroën entered Iran with the 2CV. The 2CV was soon supplanted by the Jiane, a local version of the Citroën Dyane. The cars were originally manufactured in Iran in a joint venture between Citroën and Iran National up until the 1979 Revolution, when Iran National was nationalised, which continued producing the Jiane without the involvement of Citroën. SAIPA built 120,000 Jyane models.

Production numbers

The Citroën factory offered several high volume variant models on the 2CV running gear – the Ami; the Dyane; the Acadiane; and the Méhari. Additionally, the 2CV was built in a wide variety of joint ventures, often with modified designs.

The 2CV and all its variants are collectively known as the A-Series.

Construction

The level of technology in the 1948 2CV was remarkable for the era. While colours and detail specifications were modified in the ensuing 42 years, the biggest mechanical change was the addition of front disc brakes (by then already fitted for several years in the mechanically similar Citroën Dyane 6) in October 1981 (for the 1982 model year). The reliability of the car was enhanced by the minimalist simplification of the designers, being air-cooled (with an oil cooler), it had no coolant, radiator, water pump or thermostat. It had no distributor either, just a contact breaker system. Except for the brakes, there were no hydraulic parts on original models; damping was by tuned mass dampers and friction dampers.

The 1948 car featured radial tyres, which had just been commercialised; front-wheel drive; rack and pinion steering mounted inside the front suspension cross-tube, away from a frontal impact; rear fender skirts (the suspension design allowed wheel changes without removing the skirts); bolt-on detachable front and rear wings; detachable doors, bonnet (and boot lid after 1960), by "slide out" P-profile sheet metal hinges; flap-up windows, as roll-up windows were considered too heavy and expensive.; and detachable full length fabric sunroof and boot lid, for almost pickup-like load-carrying versatility. Ventilation in addition to the sunroof and front flap windows was provided by an opening flap under the windscreen. The car had load adjustable headlights and a heater (heaters were standardised on British economy cars in the 1960s).

Body

The body was constructed of a dual H-frame platform chassis and aircraft-style tube framework, and a very thin steel shell that was bolted to the chassis. Because the original design brief called for a low speed car, little or no attention was paid to aerodynamics; the body had a drag coefficient of Cd=0.51, high by today's standards but typical for the era.

The 2CV used the fixed-profile convertible, where the doors and upper side elements of its bodywork remain fixed although, the doors could be removed easily too by lifting them up and away from the car. The bonnet too could be removed by sliding sideways to allow extra ventilation on very hot days. The fabric soft top can be rolled back and a picnic basket was available for purchase and fixed on the boot door. This reduces weight and lowers the centre of gravity, and allows the carrying of long or irregularly shaped items, but the key reason was that fabric was cheaper than steel which was in short supply and expensive after the war. The fixed-profile concept was quite popular in this period.

Suspension

The suspension of the 2CV was very soft; a person could easily rock the car side to side dramatically. The swinging arm, fore-aft linked suspension system with inboard front brakes had a much smaller unsprung mass than existing coil spring or leaf spring designs. The design was modified by Marcel Chinon.

The system comprises two suspension cylinders mounted horizontally on each side of the platform chassis. Inside the cylinders are two springs, one for each wheel, mounted at each end of the cylinder. The springs are connected to the front leading swinging arm and rear trailing swinging arm, that act like bellcranks by pull rods (tie rods). These are connected to spring seating cups in the middle of the cylinder, each spring being compressed independently, against the ends of the cylinder. Each cylinder is mounted using an additional set of springs, originally made from steel, called "volute" springs, on later models made from rubber. These allow the front and rear suspension to interconnect. When the front wheel is deflected up over a bump, the front pull rod compresses the front spring inside the cylinder, against the front of the cylinder. This also compresses the front volute spring pulling the whole cylinder forwards. That action pulls the rear wheel down on the same side via the rear spring assembly and pull rod. When the rear wheel meets that bump a moment later, it does the same in reverse, keeping the car level front to rear. When both springs are compressed on one side when travelling around a bend, or front and rear wheels hit bumps simultaneously, the equal and opposite forces applied to the front and rear spring assemblies reduce the interconnection. It reduces pitching, which is a particular problem of soft car suspension.

The swinging arms are mounted with large bearings to "cross tubes" that run side to side across the chassis; combined with the effects of all-independent soft springing and excellent damping, keeps the road wheels in contact with the road surface and parallel to each other across the axles at high angles of body roll. A larger than conventional steering castor angle, ensures that the front wheels are closer to vertical than the rears, when cornering hard with a lot of body roll. The soft springing, long suspension travel and the use of leading and trailing arms means that as the body rolls during cornering the wheelbase on the outside of the corner increases while the wheelbase on the inside of the corner decreases. As the cornering forces put more of the car's weight on the outside pair of wheels the wheelbase extends in proportion, keeping the car's weight balance and centre of grip constant, promoting excellent road holding. The other key factor in the quality of its road holding is the very low and forward centre of gravity, provided by the position of the engine and transmission.

Front-wheel drive and gearbox

Citroën had developed expertise with front-wheel drive due to the pioneering Traction Avant, which was the first mass-produced steel monocoque front-wheel-drive car in the world. The 2CV was originally equipped with a sliding splined joint, and twin Hookes type universal joints on its driveshafts; later models used constant velocity joints and a sliding splined joint.

The gearbox was a four-speed manual transmission, an advanced feature on an inexpensive car at the time. The gear stick came horizontally out of the dashboard with the handle curved upwards. It had a strange shift pattern: the first was back on the left, the second and third were inline, and the fourth (or the S) could be engaged only by turning the lever to the right from the third. Reverse was opposite first. The idea was to put the most used gears opposite each other—for parking, first and reverse; for normal driving, second and third. This layout was adopted from the H-van's three-speed gearbox. Later models had an option for a semi-automatic clutch that allow the user to engage the first gear and wait at the traffic lights with the foot on the brakes only.

Other

The windscreen wipers were powered by a purely mechanical system: a cable connected to the transmission; to reduce cost, this cable also powered the speedometer. The wipers' speed was therefore dependent on car speed. When the car was stationary, the wipers were not powered; thus, a handle under the speedometer allowed them to be operated by hand. The wipers and speedometer could not be used at the same time. From 1962, the wipers were powered by a single-speed electric motor. The car came with only a speedometer and an ammeter.

The 2CV design predates the invention of disc brake, so 1948–1981 cars have drum brakes on all four wheels. In October 1981, front disc brakes were fitted. Disc brake cars use green LHM fluid – a mineral oil – which is not compatible with standard glycol brake fluid. The disc brakes were forced-air cooled by ducts drawing air from the engine fan housing, greatly reducing the likelihood of the brakes to overheat or fade in heavy use – especially during long descents in hot summer conditions in the Alps and other mountain regions.

Engines

The engine was designed by Walter Becchia and Lucien Gerard, with a nod to the classic BMW boxer motorcycle engine. It was an air-cooled, flat-twin, four-stroke, 375 cc engine with pushrod operated overhead valves and a hemispherical combustion chamber. The earliest model developed 9 hp DIN (6.6 kW). A 425 cc engine was introduced in 1955 with initially 12 hp (8.8 kW), later increased to 18 hp (13.2 kW), followed in 1970 by a 602 cc one giving 28 hp (20.6 kW) at 7000 rpm. With the 602 cc engine, the tax classification was bumped into the 3CV category, but the name remained unchanged. A 435 cc engine was introduced at the same time to replace the 425 cc unit; the 435 cc engine car was named 2CV 4 while the 602 cc took the name 2CV 6 (a variant in Argentina took the name 3CV). The 602 cc engine evolved to the M28 with 33 hp (24.3 kW) in 1970; this was the most powerful engine fitted to the 2CV. A new 602 cc giving 29 hp (21.3 kW) at a slower 5,750 rpm was introduced in 1979, being the final version. This engine was less powerful, and more efficient, allowing lower fuel consumption and better top speed, at the price of decreased acceleration. All 2CVs with the M28 engine can run on unleaded petrol.

The 2CV used the wasted spark ignition system for simplicity and reliability and had only speed-controlled ignition timing, no vacuum advance taking account of engine load. The inlet and exhaust manifolds were welded together into a single unit, with exhaust pipe and inlet tract abutting each other directly under the carburettor at an enlarged 'heat chamber'. Heat from the exhaust warmed both the metal and the air/fuel mixture inside the chamber, ensuring full vaporization of the fuel for greater combustion efficiency. The chamber also served as a reservoir of fuel/air mixture downstream of the carburettor body, allowing each cylinder to draw an equal and balanced amount of mixture for further efficiency and smooth-running. The heat chamber principle was especially suitable for an engine running at wide open throttle and heavy loads for long periods of time, as was intended for the 2CV, when the throttle plate in the carburettor would be fully open, the manifold vacuum would be low and the exhaust temperatures would be high.

Unlike other air-cooled cars (such as the Volkswagen Beetle and the Fiat 500) the 2CV's engine had no thermostat valve in its oil system. The engine needed more time for oil to reach normal operating temperature in cold weather. All the oil passed through an oil cooler behind the fan and received the full cooling effect regardless of oil temperature. This removes the risk of overheating from a jammed thermostat that can afflict water- and air-cooled engines and the engine can withstand many hours of running under heavy load at high engine speeds even in hot weather. To prevent the engine running cool in cold weather (and to improve the output of the cabin heater) all 2CVs were supplied with a grille blind (canvas on early cars and a clip-on plastic item, called a "muff" in the owner's handbook, on later ones) which blocked around half the aperture to reduce the flow of air to the engine. Like many other air-cooled car engines, the 2CV's oil sump was wide and shallow, being formed from extensions to the crankcase castings in the form of an inverted 'T'. The exterior of the sump was formed with cooling fins and the underside protruded below the level of the chassis rails, exposing the sump to the flow of air as the car drove along. The shape of the sump ensured that as much of the oil within as possible lay close to the cooled metal on the underside, further helping to regulate the oil temperature. As with the oil cooler, this cooling effect was unregulated and varied greatly depending on air temperature, vehicle speed and engine load.

Performance

In relation to the 2CV's performance and acceleration, it was joked that it went "from 0–60 km/h in one day". The original 1948 model that produced 6.6 kW (9 hp) had a 0–40 km/h (0–25 mph) time of 42.4 seconds and a top speed of 64 km/h (40 mph), far below the speeds necessary for North American highways or the German Autobahns of the day. The top speed increased with engine size to 80 km/h (50 mph) in 1955, 84 km/h (52 mph) in 1962, 100 km/h (62 mph) in 1970, and 115 km/h (71 mph) in 1981.

The last evolution of the 2CV engine was the Citroën Visa flat-twin, a 652 cc featuring electronic ignition. Citroën never sold this engine in the 2CV, but some enthusiasts have converted their 2CVs to 652 engines, or even transplanted Citroën GS or GSA flat-four engines and gearboxes.

In the mid-1980s Car magazine editor Steve Cropley ran and reported on a turbocharged 602 cc 2CV that was developed by engineer Richard Wilsher.

End of production

The 2CV was produced for 42 years, the model finally succumbing to customer demands for speed, in which this ancient design had fallen significantly behind modern cars, and safety. Although the front of the chassis was designed to fold up, to form a crumple zone according to a 1984 Citroën brochure, in common with other small cars of its era its crashworthiness was very poor by modern standards. (The drive for improved safety in Europe happened from the 1990s onwards, and accelerated with the 1997 advent of Euro NCAP.) Its advanced underlying engineering was ignored or misunderstood by the public, being clothed in an anachronistic body. It was the butt of many a joke, famously by Jasper Carrott in the UK ("if a Citroen 2CV hit a rabbit, the car would be a write-off, while the rabbit would probably think something was stuck in its ear", "only the French could make a car like that and then sell it to the British", "an upturned corrugated crab on wheels").

Citroën had attempted to replace the ultra-utilitarian 2CV several times (with the Dyane, Visa, and the AX). Its comically antiquated appearance became an advantage to the car, and it became a niche product which sold because it was different from anything else on sale. Because of its down-to-earth economy car style, it became popular with people who wanted to distance themselves from mainstream consumerism—"hippies"—and also with environmentalists.

Although not a replacement for the 2CV, the AX supermini, a conventional urban runabout, unremarkable apart from its exceptional lightness, seemed to address the car makers' requirements at the entry level in the early 1990s. Officially, the last 2CV, a Charleston, which was reserved for Mangualde's plant manager, rolled off the Portuguese production line on 27 July 1990, although five additional 2CV Spécials were produced afterwards.

The 2CV was outlived by contemporaries such as the Mini (1959–2000), Volkswagen Beetle (1939–2003), Renault 4 (1961–1992), Volkswagen Type 2 (1949–2013), Fiat 126 (1972–2000) and Hindustan Ambassador (1957–2014).

Continued popularity

The Chrysler CCV or Composite Concept Vehicle developed in the mid-1990s is a concept car designed to illustrate new manufacturing methods suitable for developing countries. The car is a tall, roomy four-door sedan of small dimensions. The designers at Chrysler said they were inspired to create a modernised 2CV.

The company Sorevie of Lodève was building 2CVs until 2002. The cars were built from scratch using mostly new parts. But as the 2CV no longer complied with safety regulations, the cars were sold as second-hand cars using chassis and engine numbers from old 2CVs.

The long-running 2CV circuit racing series organized by The Classic 2CV Racing Club continues to be popular in the UK.

Some English nicknames include "Flying Dustbin", "Tin Snail", "Dolly", and "Tortoise".

Other variants

Several lower volume variants were produced.

"Sahara" four-wheel drive

One novel model was the 2CV Sahara, a four-wheel drive (4×4) car, equipped with two engines of 8.8 kW (12 hp) each, each one having a separate fuel tank, two gearboxes, and a connecting rod between the gearboxes. One was mounted in the front driving the front wheels and one in the back driving the rear wheels. A single gearstick, clutch pedal and accelerator were connected to both engines. It was originally intended for use by the French colonies in Northern Africa. As well as a decreased chance of being stranded, it provided four-wheel-drive traction with continuous drive to some wheels while others were slipping because the engine transmissions were uncoupled. Therefore, it became popular with off-road enthusiasts. Between 1958 and 1971, Citroën built 694 Saharas. The top speed was 65 km/h (40 mph) on one engine, and 105 km/h (65 mph) with both engines running. These rare vehicles are highly collectible.

The Méhari was also built as a 4×4 from May 1979, but with only one engine and a reduction gear.

Bijou

The Bijou was built at the Citroën factory in Slough, UK in the early 1960s. It was a two-door fibreglass-bodied version of the 2CV designed by Peter Kirwan-Taylor, who had been involved in styling the original 1950s Lotus Elite. The design was thought to be more acceptable in appearance to British consumers than the standard 2CV. Incorporating some components from the DS (most noticeably the single-spoke steering wheel, and windscreen for the rear window), it did not achieve market success, because it was heavier than the 2CV and still used the 425 cc engine and so was even slower, reaching 100 km/h (62 mph) only under favourable conditions. It was also more expensive than the Austin Mini, which was more practical. 212 were built.

Complete knock down (CKD) locally built cars

The Greek market Citroën Pony and African market Citroën FAF and Baby-Brousse were flat-panelled Mehari type, 2CV based utility cars, built from kits of mechanical parts, with many components sourced locally. They were built in low technology assembly plants. There was widespread production of similar 2CV-based vehicles in a large number of countries, including Iran (Baby-Brousse, Jyane-Mehari), Vietnam (Dalat), Chile (Yagan), Belgium (VanClee), Spain, Portugal and others.

Citroën Coccinelle project

The Citroën Prototype C was a range of experimental non-production vehicles created by Citroën from 1955 to 1956 under the direction of André Lefèbvre. The idea was to produce a water drop-shaped, very lightweight vehicle, which would be more modern and smaller than the 2CV. One of the prototypes, the Citroën C-10 has survived and is still owned by Citroën. The overall look of the vehicle was quite similar to the Messerschmitt bubble car. It was equipped with the same 425 cc engine as the 2CV. The vehicle was also nicknamed Citroën Coccinelle (Ladybug or Ladybird in French).

Fourgonnette

The 2CV-based delivery vans introduced in the spring of 1951 differed from the sedan from the B-pillar onwards by having a box-like, spacious cargo area that could be loaded through two gullwing doors at the rear. The van was named "Fourgonnette" by Citroën.

In France and Switzerland, these vehicles were often to be found at the post office and small businesses, while in Germany the possibility of acquiring a mobile home at a reasonable price was the decisive factor for buyers. Technically, this variant went through almost the same development steps as the sedan.

Production of the delivery van, also known as the "box duck", was discontinued in mid-1978. At about the same time, the high-roof variant of the Dyane, the Acadiane, took its place.

Non-factory

Various 4×4 conversions were built by independent constructors, such as Marc Voisin, near Grenoble, some from a Méhari 4×4 chassis and a 2CV body. In the UK, Louis Barbour builds single-engined four-wheel-drive 2CVs. In the late 1990s, Kate Humble from BBC Top Gear tested one against a Land Rover Defender off-road. The 2CV won.

Another very different double front-ended, four-wheel drive (but not at the same time) 2CV, the 1952 Citroën Cogolin, also known as the Bicéphale, was built for the French Fire Service—the Sapeur-Pompiers. This was meant to enable the car to drive into a narrow position and away again without having to turn.

Some owners wished to have more luggage capacity in the 2CV sedan. Early 2CV could be fitted with a rounded aftermarket boot (trunk) lid, reminiscent of a post-war "big boot" Traction Avant. Some late model owners fitted an extension to the car's boot. This used the original boot lid and hinges, but in a horizontal position with the extension underneath.

Examples of 2CV-based kit sports cars include the Pembleton, Blackjack Avion and the Lomax from Britain, and Burton and Patron from the Netherlands. Most are also available as three wheelers (single wheel at the rear), like an early Morgan sports car. Some have been fitted with larger air-cooled twin-cylinder motorcycle engines. The German Hoffmann 2CV is a two door convertible.

For transportation purposes, some saloon models were rebuilt into vans using fibreglass reconstructions of corrugated 2CV Fourgonnette rear box sections. The "Bedouin" was a flat-panel wooden-bodied kit car.

The small French company UMAP was established in 1956 in the northern French village of Bernon, (Aube) by Camille Martin, the former mayor. The acronym UMAP stands for Usine Moderne d'Applications Plastiques (Modern Factory for Plastic Applications). UMAP produced the SM 425 and SM 500 from 1957, two externally identical coupés based on the Citroën 2CV. In 1958 production was discontinued.

2000 CV Concept

In some parts of the mid 90s, Citroën secretly developed a modern iteration of 2CV. It also co-developed with Chrysler and rebadged as CCV (China Concept Vehicle), a same strategy to counter Volkswagen who offered an updated Beetle in that era, and Fiat who revived the 500 with their new take on the sub-compact classic. A CV concept design was demised into new C3. The CV 2000 concept was on public display at Citroën's 100th Anniversary Celebration at La Ferte Vidame France in 2019.

2026 CV Concept

At the 2026 Paris Motor Show, a concept version for a new 2CV was shown. The head of the design team, Antoine Gaillot-Drevon, stated that their aim wasn't to recreate the retro design, but to bring it into modern territory, insisting that unlike the 2000 concept, the model will go into production. It is expected to start sales in late 2028.

Technical literature

The restoration, maintenance and repair of the Citroën 2CV have been covered in several technical manuals and publications, including:

Citroën 2CV, Ami & Dyane (67–90) – Haynes Repair Manual, Haynes Publishing, 2013 (ISBN 978-0-85733-640-8);

Revue Technique Automobile n° 297.9: Citroën 2CV (1979–1990), Éditions Techniques pour l’Automobile et l’Industrie (ETAI), 1999 (ISBN 978-2-7268-2979-0);

Lindsay Porter, Restaurez, réparez votre Citroën 2CV, Sophia éditions, 2024 (ISBN 978-2-38514-079-3);

Art de la Rénovation, Restore a 2CV: The Secrets of a Successful Restoration, Independently Published, 2024 (ISBN 979-8-30039-807-1).