HISTORIC, ICONIC, LEGENDARY: CITROËN CELEBRATES 75 YEARS OF THE 2CV
Citroen 2CV has its roots in the ‘TPV’ (‘Toute Petite Voiture’ or ‘very small car’) project in 1936, which was aimed at making cars versatile, economical and accessible to the masses
Citroën is celebrating the 75th birthday of its most iconic car: the Citroën 2CV. Designed at Citroën’s design office on Rue du Théâtre in Paris and fine-tuned at the La Ferté-Vidame test centre in the Eure-et-Loir region, the 2CV was first unveiled to the public at the Paris Motor Show on 7 October 1948. The Citroën 2CV enjoyed an exceptional career: a total of 5,114,969 units were produced, including 1,246,335 2CV vans. The very last 2CV left the Mangualde factory in Portugal at 4 PM on 27 July 1990, 42 years after its launch.
THE ORIGINS OF THE 2CV: THE ‘TPV’ PROJECT
The ‘TPV’ (‘Toute Petite Voiture,’ or ‘very small car’) project was born in 1936. Its aim was to provide people on low incomes with a versatile and economical car. In 1937 the first roadworthy prototype of the TPV project was produced, weighing just 370 kg and with only one headlight (legislation at the time did not require two). The vehicle could carry up to four people and 50 kg of luggage at a maximum speed of 31mph, being so comfortable that it was able to transport a basket of eggs across a freshly ploughed field without breaking any of them.
250 pre-production models were due to be unveiled at the 1939 Paris Motor Show, but the outbreak of war meant that this did not happen. The models which had been built were therefore destroyed – all except four, which were secretly stored at the Citroën Test Centre at La Ferté-Vidame.
A LEGENDARY CAR THAT HAS BECOME AN ICON OF THE MOTORING WORLD
When it went into production in July 1949, the Citroën 2CV was a small car with a 9 bhp, 375 cc, air-cooled, flat-twin engine capable of a top speed of 31mph. Citroën had revolutionised the car industry with a versatile and affordable vehicle.
Its unique body shape and people’s car appeal quickly won over a large part of the population, but its huge success can also be attributed to its infinite range of uses, as well as its removable benches, its lightness, agility and comfort. It was also ultra-economical to run, making it the most popular car in France. By 1950, orders were flooding in, pushing delivery times up to 6 years.
Its avant-garde spirit, combined with ingenious technologies for the time, ensured that it remained part of the motoring scene for many years. The Citroën 2CV is a timeless model that has become a social phenomenon embedded in popular culture, attracting collectors from all over the world and featuring regularly on our screens.
To this day, it is still frequently seen on our roads, and it has earned a number of nicknames. Some of the best known are ‘Flying Dustbin’, ‘Tin Snail’ and ‘Ugly Duckling’, to name but a few. This wide variety of nicknames shows just how popular this historic and iconic model was.
SEVERAL VERSIONS AND EPICS ACROSS THE WORLD'S ROADS
In total, there were ten special editions of the Citroën 2CV, which launched in France and a number of other European countries. They included the Spot, the Charleston and the Cocorico. The 2CV also underwent a number of changes throughout its lifetime, including the launch of the 2CV van (known as the 2CV AU) in 1951, and the 2CV AZ in 1954, equipped with a 12 bhp engine and the famous centrifugal clutch.
The Citroën 2CV’s ruggedness and ease of maintenance mean it continues to be a favourite for some of the roughest journeys in the world – such as the 10,252-mile Paris-Kabul-Paris Raid in 1970, the 8,388-mile Paris-Persépolis Raid in 1971 and the 4,970-mile Africa Raid from Abidjan to Tunis in 1973, all three organised by Citroën.
Citroën
Since 1919, Citroën has been creating automobiles, technologies and mobility solutions to respond to changes in society. A Brand of boldness and innovation, Citroën places peace of mind and well-being at the heart of its customer experience and offers a wide range of models, from the distinctive Ami, an electric mobility object designed for the city, to saloons, SUVs and commercial vehicles, most of which are available in electric or plug-in hybrid versions. A pioneer Brand in the services and attention paid to its private and business customers, Citroën is present in 101 countries and has a network of 6,200 points of sale and service throughout the world.
