GTP Cool Wall: 1948-1990 Citroen 2CV

1948-1990 Citroen 2CV

  • Total voters
    125
  • Poll closed .
homeforsummer
True, but also a spectacularly pointless comment. A car with its roots in the 1930s is less well equipped than one launched in the 2000s? No freaking way!

And while each is objectively pretty dire (and I say that as an ex-owner of a Beetle), they're far from being the worst cars Europe ever made. Each was incredibly good at fulfilling its brief, and that's all they needed to be.
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Yes, exactly right.

@AudiMan2011 If it was the worst car Europe made then it wouldn't be one of the best selling ever and have a really long production run, funnily enough this is also the same for the Beetle.
 
White & Nerdy
1948-1990 Citroen 2CV nominated by @The Stig Farmer

4164424082_72109dcafc_o.jpg


Stats

Production
1948-1990

Styles
2-door panel van
2-door coupe utility
4-door landaulet

Engines
375 cc naturally aspirated OHV flat 2 (rated 9 HP)
425 cc naturally aspirated OHV flat 2 (rated 12, 12.5, 13.5, 15, 18, or 21 HP)
435 cc naturally aspirated OHV flat 2 (rated 18? or 26 HP)
602 cc naturally aspirated OHV flat 2 (rated 21, 29, or 32.8 HP)
2x425 cc naturally aspirated OHV flat 2s (rated 12 HP individually or 24 HP combined)

Transmissions
4-speed manual
2x 4-speed manual

Layouts
Front-engine, Front-drive
Front- and Rear- (or Mid-) engine, Front- and/or Rear-drive

Related
Citroen Dyane
Citroen FAF
Citroen Mehari
Citroen Ami
Citroen Bijou
Many kit cars built for fun or utility​

The one with two engines and two transmissions was the 2CV Sahara, a rare off-road variant that had quite some ability but didn't sell well - built from either 1958 or 1960 to 1966 or 1968, with one more built in 1971, it was twice the price of a normal 2CV. 694 were built, and only 27 are known to survive today. The two engines (and thus axles) could be started and run individually, and had seperate fuel tanks - and in addition to being excellent off road, it was one of the faster 2CVs with both engines running (though at 65 MPH that's not saying much).
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Meh, it's a French Beetle.
 
I'm the type to sit behind you blaring my horn rather than pass on a double yellow. You would hear a lot of me if you drove one of these.

@Wolfe

>Yep, it's historic and interesting

Not immediately cool and and of itself.

>Yep. It's modest, and modesty is cooler than hubris

It's slow. Not slow as in "wow, that modded Honda runs 15s, it's soooooo slow", slow as in "I'd rather be stuck behind a school bus than one of the early models." Being slow does not make a car cool.

>It's a product of the early 20th century.

There are good-looking cars from the early 20th century. This is not one of them.
 
White & Nerdy
I'm the type to sit behind you blaring my horn rather than pass on a double yellow. You would hear a lot of me if you drove one of these.
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trollface.jpg

White & Nerdy
Not immediately cool and and of itself.
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I agree. I believe that's where je ne sais quoi comes in.
White & Nerdy
It's slow. Not slow as in "wow, that modded Honda runs 15s, it's soooooo slow", slow as in "I'd rather be stuck behind a school bus than one of the early models." Being slow does not make a car cool.
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It's so slow that it's endearingly helpless, like a clumsy puppy. I'd love the opportunity to drive a 2CV -- I know how fun it can be to drive flat-out without ever busting the speed limit. If you're so lawful, you should be able to appreciate that.
White & Nerdy
There are good-looking cars from the early 20th century. This is not one of them.
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My point was that it's relatively conventional for a product of its time. I thought spencer7x7 might not be giving it the benefit of context.
 
I dunno about this one... It's like the Beetle: hated, but a cool car to own and drive nevertheless. I belive they are cool.
 
I love them although i dont think i will ever own one myself, but i would love to drive it once just to experience how it drives.
All (!) of my uncles had them as their first car so yeah i heard plenty of stories about them :)

My neighbour swapped an engine of a 2cv van a couple of years ago. it took him only a few hours. its that simple to maintain lol

and a friend of mine bought a tiny boat a couple of days ago to go fishing, the boat trailer that came with it is using an old 2cv axle. its amazing how soft suspended these cars are :P

this 2cv pick up drives around close to my home, love it :)
028.JPG


Cool ;)
 
Don't get me wrong, I too would rather have the DS or R8, but if I saw all three parked together I'd spend the most time looking at the 2CV. I've never seen a 2CV in person, let alone a pickup version, but I have seen one DS.

I've probably seen an R8 at some point. Maybe.
 
Turtle
Don't get me wrong, I too would rather have the DS or R8, but if I saw all three parked together I'd spend the most time looking at the 2CV. I've never seen a 2CV in person, let alone a pickup version, but I have seen one DS.

I've probably seen an R8 at some point. Maybe.
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Personally I'd look at the DS more than all of them because, I've seen too many 2CVs, I've seen a lot of Audi R8s but only ever 1 maybe 2 DSs.
 
Every time I think of buying a Beetle, I end up saying: No. No way. I've spent too many years riding one to ever fall prey to the illusion that they're good for anything more than losing fifty pounds to heat, stress and general annoyance. (except for the maybe two hours a week I'd get to putter around in one out in the mountains on a Sunday stroll... if I had the time)

But every time I see someone driving a Beetle, I don't think: "I feel sorry for that guy, because he has to drive such a junker in traffic."

I think: "Damn it. How lucky."

Replace "Beetle" in this case with "2CV", and the sentiment doesn't change. However objectively horrible a car may be, if it's got character and it suits you, it's worth it.

Just ask the million and one die-hard masochists driving around Land Rover Defenders. :lol:
 
If I had the option to choose from a small classic, and not the standard Mini option, I'd rock a Fiat 500, tinker a little bit with the engine, and hilarious driving pleasure will ensue.
 
gt4rulez
I love them although i dont think i will ever own one myself, but i would love to drive it once just to experience how it drives.
All (!) of my uncles had them as their first car so yeah i heard plenty of stories about them :)

My neighbour swapped an engine of a 2cv van a couple of years ago. it took him only a few hours. its that simple to maintain lol

and a friend of mine bought a tiny boat a couple of days ago to go fishing, the boat trailer that came with it is using an old 2cv axle. its amazing how soft suspended these cars are :P

this 2cv pick up drives around close to my home, love it :)
028.JPG


Cool ;)
Click to expand...

Citroen meet? There appears to be at least two other DS's in the background, as well as another 2CV.
 

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