Specifications
| Engine | 2-cylinder 600cc |
|---|---|
| Gearbox | 4-speed manual |
| Body Work | Sedan |
| Colour | Maroon |
| Interior | Grey |
| Trim | Cloth |
| Wheels | Steel Disc |
| Brakes | Disc/Drum |
Description
The brief handed down from Citroen CEO Pierre Boulanger to the engineering department, asked for a new vehicle that would enable two farmers transport, along with 50kg of potatoes (or a barrel of wine) at speeds of 60km/h.
Economy was also paramount, with the ideal being that it would only require three litres of fuel per 100 kilometres travelled. Boulanger tasked Jacues Duclos to determine if there would be demand in the target market and interviewed over 10,000 people- an enormous task. By the time this was completed the project had already commenced and by 1936 a full-size prototype had been created.
Initially called the TPV, by the end of 1937 some 20 prototypes had been made, and were still being refined when France went to war in 1939...the initial production order of 250 units having to be shelved.
Throughout the war development continued slowly and in secret, the aluminium bodies shelved for steel due to strength and corrosion issues, and the car was finally unveiled with a 375cc flat-twin engine at the 1948 Paris Salon.
Now called 2cv (two horses) and available only in metallic grey at launch, the 2cv was seen by some as a replacement for horse-drawn carts and was an instant heat- cheap transport for the masses. Production went on until 1988 in France, with it shifting to Portugal for its final two years.
Today 2cvs are revered for their back-story, their diminutive size, distinct looks and 'keenness' felt from behind the wheel.
