A French Icon, the Citroen 2CV

A French Icon, the Citroen 2CV is probably France’s most famous car.

The Deux Chevaux, or the ‘Tin Snail’ as it became affectionately known, was conceptualized in 1936 during a moment of frustration or the right man in the right situation. The inspired man behind the project was Citroen’s new boss Pierre-Jules Boulanger. The story goes he was driving in the countryside, stuck behind a farmer’s horse and cart. Rather than fuming with impatience, but still a bit frustrated, he wondered how he could better the situation. He pondered the possibility of creating analternative that a farmer would find hard to resist. A car that would better the horse.

His vision was an affordable car that would be accessible to farmers, winemakers and rural families. He wanted it to be mechanically simple, with room for four people or produce (at least 50kg or a full cask of wine) or even small livestock. The car needed to be able to comfortably be driven on the worst of French potholed and muddy roads and in particular, he wanted the car to be able to cross a ploughed field without breaking eggs carried in the back. Additionally Boulanger specified that the car have fuel consumption of not more than 3 liters per 100 kilometers, have a top speed of 60 km/hr, and be easy for women to start and drive. He also decided that the car should require minimal maintenance which could be done affordably by any village mechanic. The last of his requirements was that he should be able to sit in the car with his hat on. He gave a list of instructions to the Citroen designers, chief engineer Andre Lefebvre (who had designed Grand Prix race cars) and Italian stylist Flaminio Bertoni, to guide them in the creation of ‘an umbrella with wheels’. The aesthetic appearance was secondary, with practicality the only consideration. After all it was a transport solution to replace the pony and cart with the advantage of having a roof – a rather umbrella like roof made of canvas that could be opened in sunny weather!

The work on the car design proceeded in secrecy. They referred to the project as the TPV which stood for “Toute Petite Voiture”. By 1937 47 prototypes had been built and tested and the TPV design finalized. A pre-production run of 250 cars was completed by the middle of 1939. These cars had just one headlight and one taillight because that was all French law required – simple, minimal, cheap being the maitre mots. Publicity materials were prepared and the car was re-named the Citroen 2CV ready for its launch for the 1939 Paris Motor Show. But the Motor Show was canceled due to Hilter’s invasion of France.

By July of 1939 the Germans has succeeded in occupying the northern part of France, including Paris, and Pierre-Jules Boulanger had to make some decisions about how his company would deal with the occupation. One of his first decisions was to hide every trace of the Citroën 2CV so the Nazis could not steal and gain advantage from the technology. The prototypes and pre-production cars were either destroyed, buried, or hidden. The plans and machinery to build the cars were requisitioned by the Nazis who packed them into railway wagons ready to ship them to Germany. However, with help of the French Resistance the machines were re-labeled and sent off to various locations in France where they were hidden so effectively that Boulanger was not sure he would be able to recover them.

Eventually with the war behind them France began the process of rebuilding and the Citroen 2CV was set to be a vital component in that recovery. Another “but” put a baton dans les roues. The political machinations of post-war France prevented production. For a time Citroën was forced to shelve their 2CV and just produce their higher end Traction Avant while nationalized Renault was given the economic car market. Boulanger and his team however continued working on improvements to 2CV design, biding their time.

Finally it was time for the 2CV’s début. At the Paris Motor Show of 1948 the critics gave the car a lukewarm reception, but the public was enthused and actual sales gradually snowballed. A waiting list was set up with the customer base originally intended: smallholders, vignerons, doctors and vets in particular. By the 1950s even the critics came around. A 1953 technical review in Autocar magazine described « the extraordinary ingenuity of this design, which is undoubtedly the most original since the Model T Ford ».

It was a long process but Citroen hit gold when it finally introduced the 2CV. The car, not only to made traffic move more quickly on French country roads, but benefited the farmers by supplanting the horse which required significant feed and vet bills. This car was, as planned nearly 15 years before, low maintenance, easy to start, easy to drive, and a whole lot faster than a horse. The 2CV proved to be completely aligned with the needs of the times. It instantly became a symbol of affordable mobility. It became an icon. Well over 9 million have been produced globally if you count the derivative models, making this car Citroen’s biggest all time seller.

Production of the 2CV peaked in the mid-60s. In time the 2CV was no longer just a working man’s workhorse, no longer the preserve of rural farmers in their sterotypical bleus de travail and beret with a Gauloise in the corner of their lips. It became an emblem of ‘cheap and cheerful’ in the most positive sense, popular in the 1970s with teachers and students. Even the British became fans. Some English nicknames include « Flying Dustbin », « Tin Snail », « Dolly », and « Tortoise ». The car was also appreciated in Asia, South America, and Africa. Sadly the last Citroen 2CV built in France rolled off the line in 1988 and Portuguese production stopped in 1990. The 2CV was produced for 42 years, finally succumbing to demands for more speed and safety, but remaining a French icon.

For an extraordinary and special view of a 2CV meet Laurent Doucet, the restorer of the 1976 2CV he baptized Light. It is Laurent’s car that illustrates this article. Enjoy photos of the restoration and a glimpse of the art, detail, meaning and care he put into the job on his page https://www.facebook.com/loveandlight.fr/. Let him know if you’d like to take a ride in it and experience the genuine happiness that this car brings to Laurent, those who ride in it and anyone who sees it on the road. It just might be in the stars one day.

Fun Facts

• Early models of the 2CV used the same screw throughout production. The engine itself employed just 4 screws.

• In 1959 the first detachable radio was added – the Radioën.

• All 2CVs have flap-up windows: roll up windows were considered too heavy and expensive in 1948, and the design (thin doors) did not allow later updates.

More info and videos: https://silodrome.com/citroen-2cv-history/