The Citroën 2CV has achieved cult classic status today and is arguably the most iconic and best recognised car to come out of France. But how did the 2CV come into existence and what is it that makes theses cars so desirable even today? Read on to find out.
An Umbrella on Four Wheels
The 2CV or ‘deux chevaux’ was designed to meet the demand of the French people for faster and better transport than horses and carts. Citroën already had their Traction Avant in production since 1934, but only the rich could afford one. So Citroën’s vice president and chief of engineering and design, Pierre Boulange, gave his development team and engineers the task to develop a simple, affordable car for the people.
The new, affordable vehicle had to be strong and light, with an engine powerful enough to carry at least 4 people and 50kg of additional weight from A to B. Actually, one of the requirements was that the car could drive through a rough field with a bucket full of eggs without breaking them. The result? A car with a roof of canvas, a water-cooled engine in the front and this very flexible suspension. An umbrella on four wheels.
Burying the Evidence
In 1939, the first batch of 2CVs were produced, 250 in total, and received a warm welcome from the French people. The production could finally start, but on the 2nd of September after the first few 2CVs rolled off the production line, Germany announced the Second World War. Because of the war, the assembly line had to be used for military equipment and the production of the 2CV stopped.
Boulanger hid his project from the Nazis by burying a few cars and destroying the rest to prevent them from falling into enemy hands. The war gave Boulanger time to further develop the car in secret. In the end he developed an improved version of the 2CV with an air-cooled engine instead of water-cooled, and constructed from materials which were cheaper than the original aluminium. At the end of 1948, Citroën introduced the version we know now at the Paris Motor Show. Production started in June 1949 and the car was named 2CV A. The press were full of praise on 2CV's ease of use and robustness. In 1951, a van version of the 2CV was launched, it weighed just 250 kg with a 375 cm³ engine.
2CVs Today
Several special editions of the 2CV were launched over time. The most special one is the 4x4 Sahara version with both an engine in the front and an engine in the back. They were used primarily by the police and the military and are now highly collectable by car enthusiast as there were only 694 built.
But also other variants of the 2CV are well known like the art deco 2CV Charleston, the two tone Dolly and the Green Bamboo. In February 1989, the French production line stopped. With 5,114,940 2CV vehicles produced worldwide, the 2CV is an iconic car and a symbol of joy!
Ready to Get Started?
There are still a lot of 2CVs on the road today that are increasing in value, especially the special editions. We have a number of these cult classics up for auction every week alongside many others in our Classic Car auctions.
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