The story of a used Citroen 2cv (deux chevaux vapeur)
In 1948 the first Citroen 2cv (2 tax horsepower) was released on the market and the line of production stayed open over 40 years until 1990. For its time the small, funny looking car war very innovative and had many techological advanced features on board. Its body and look had been inspired by the Bauhaus style.
The idea for the car was to sell it to the “peasants” in France to facilitate their change from horses and carts towards cars. Until today the Citroen 2cv is one of the most iconic cars made by Citroen and probably one of the most iconic cars in the world until today. Its design, low cost production, versatility, reliability and easiness to use were its key advantages, as well as its ability to drive off-road and in competition. Having been built for the rough countryside in France it possessed an enginge easy to service, long and soft travel suspension and lights to shine out the road ahead of you that many times did not yet have illumination on the sides.
Having a production lifetime of more than 40 years in total 3,872,583 Citroen 2cv were built and although there are getting rare many still drive on the roads all over the world today but especially in France. Originally the car was built for 2 persons inside and another space for merchandise (for example farm goods) of about 100kg. The speed was calculated at roughly 37mph (60km/h) along the rough and many times muddy roads in France. Considering these facts the usage of Gasoline was calculated at around 3L for every 100 kms. Due to its amazing suspensión it was also said that the little car could drive acroos a ploughed field and not break one of the eggs it was carrying in its interior.
Over the time many special edition were sold for example the SAHARA which, which already states its name, was constructed for even more difficult terrain. However only 694 models of the SAHARA were made over time. A fun fact is that the demand was so high that at peak time a client had to wait around 3 to 5 years for its new car, many people were unwilling to do that and instead bought a used model so it happened that used Citroen 2cv became more expensive than a brand new one.
Th original Citroen 2cv was built with an air cooled flat win four stroke 375 engine which then gave the driver of the car a small 9bhp. In 1955 a bigger engine was implemented with 425cc later Citroen decided to integrate 602cc engine which resulted in 28bhp but only if the driver accelerated to 7000 rpm. Due to tax classification the car actually changed to a 3cv but Citroen decided to keep the same name for it. A big advantage of the Citroen 2cv was its easiness to start the car. In case of battery failure of the motor the car could be started with hand cranking with a jack handle. This feature was kept by Citroen until the stop of production in 1990. The 2cv is the only Citroen, apart from Pre War cars that can be bought with a hand crank.
If you are looking for a used Citroen 2cv on the market today you can find them for prices of 350 pound (unrestored) up to 8,750 pound (restored). However, in the UK most owners hold on to their Citroen 2cv and care for it a lot. A lucrative business as a Citroen 2cv SAHARA for example can sold easily for around 62,000 pound in Europe if in perfect condition.
Speaking to a Citroen 2cv owner they will tell you that this car is easy to drive and to maintain as you only need a hammer and one spanner. Its a fun car which may have a poor performance for todays measures but with a bit of expertise and passion for the car you can easily flow within todays traffic and you dont have to fear any speed bumps ever again. Another benefit is that you can change its colour and redesign and remodelate it from your own garage.