The Citroën 2CV is undoubtedly one of the crucial well-known fashions within the historical past of the car. Created at first of the final century, it was designed to satisfy a really particular want: to move two farmers and 50 kg of potatoes at a high pace of 60 km/h, whereas consuming solely 3 litres of petrol per 100 km.

The primary prototypes

The historical past of the automobile started within the mid-Thirties. At the moment, Citroën had simply been taken over by Michelin, and the brand new administration commissioned the design and building of a form of French Volkswagen, a folks’s automobile much like the German one, however just a little extra spartan.

65 Images

The primary TPV (Toute Petite Voiture or Very Small Automobile) venture was proven for the primary time in 1936. The next yr, in 1937, the primary prototype was created: a full-size automobile weighing solely 370 kg and geared up with a single headlight, a configuration permitted by the laws of the time.

The battle that modified all the things

Citroën’s purpose on the time was to current at the very least 250 pre-production fashions on the 1939 Paris Motor Present, to point out the general public what the corporate was actually able to.

Nevertheless, the outbreak of the Second World Warfare prevented this and all of the fashions constructed as much as that time had been destroyed. All however 4 examples had been preserved on the producer’s take a look at centre at La Ferté-Vidame and rediscovered many years later.

Debut 75 years in the past

The primary Citroën 2CV correct, a totally revised mannequin in comparison with the TPV prototypes, was introduced simply 9 years later, on 7 October 1948, once more on the Paris Motor Present. It’s mentioned that the French President of the time was not notably obsessed with it, nor was the press, who dubbed it the ‘ugly duckling’.

Nevertheless, the French did welcome it. Certainly, they had been enthusiastic and keen to put quite a few orders for the automobile, which was thought-about an actual revolution.

Los primeros 2CV tenían un gran techo enrollable en lugar de una tapa de maletero

Nevertheless, it took six years from the signing of the primary contracts to the precise supply of the automobiles, as a result of lack of uncooked supplies, a relatively lengthy wait. Nonetheless, the recognition of the mannequin continued unabated.

9 bhp for 560 kg

To enter extra element in regards to the mechanics, underneath the bonnet of the primary fashions was a newly developed air-cooled twin-cylinder boxer engine, with an preliminary displacement of 375 cm³ and able to producing a most of 9 bhp, managed by a four-speed guide gearbox.

1948 Paris Motor Present: French President Auriol (sporting glasses) within the 2CV.

Within the following years, the corporate launched a number of extra variations. In 1970, a brand new 602 cm3 engine with 28 bhp, however nonetheless with crank ignition, entered the vary. Lastly, in 1981, all new automobiles had been fitted with entrance brake discs as commonplace.

Vans and particular fashions

All through the mannequin’s profitable historical past, Citroën used the 2CV chassis to create numerous particular variations. Probably the most well-known is the van, first launched within the vary in spring 1951 and geared up with a better B-pillar to facilitate rear load quantity.

It was an bold venture, which within the following years was adopted by the French breakdown service or as a postal car in Belgium.

Inside de uno de los primeros 2CV

Citroën additionally created the Spot, Cocorico and Dolly particular collection. The very best identified, nevertheless, was the Charleston, which normally rolled off the manufacturing line painted black and brown.

El 2CV participó en una película de James Bond

A big manufacturing run

Over the course of its lengthy historical past, a complete of some 5,114,969 items had been produced, of which 1,246,335 had been vans. Manufacturing on the major plant in Levallois, close to Paris, led to 1988, and the final automobile left the manufacturing unit in Mangualde (Portugal) 42 years after its market launch, on 27 July 1990 at 16:00.

On the sporting entrance, the Citroën 2CV competed within the 1970 Paris-Kabul-Paris Rally (16,500 km), the 1971 Paris-Persepolis Rally (13,500 km) and the 1973 Africa Rally (8,000 km) from Abidjan to Tunis, all three of which had been organised by Citroën itself.