Citroën 2CV. 1949–90 (prod. 3,872,583, incl. 694 Sahara; plus 1,246,306 camionette). 4-door saloon. F/F, F/R/A, 375, 425, 435, 602 cm³ (F2 OHV), 2 × 425 cm³ (2 × F2 OHV). Minimalist saloon developed by Citroën before World War II, designed for rural families otherwise accustomed to the horse and cart. Requirements included the need to travel across a ploughed field without breaking the eggs it was carrying. Launched 1948 and highly successful in France in its initial years. Waiting list grew to five years in the 1950s. Four-wheel-drive bimotor Sahara from 1960 to 1971. Always cheap, and retained entry-level position at Citroën through its run. Six-light body from 1970, the year the largest 602 cm³ engine was launched. In the 1980s, more a chic statement than anything else, with Citroën reportedly embarrassed by its existence, but the company continued to produce the model to satisfy demand. Fell well behind the times dynamically, not that its fans cared. The decade’s Charleston and Dolly models had cheerful colour schemes. Production ended at Levallois, France in 1988, shifting to Portugal for the last two years. Spawned models such as the Citroneta, Bijou, 3CV, AX-300 and AX-330, Dyane, FAF, Méhari and Ami, but outlasted them all.

Manufacturing locations: Levallois, France; Mangualde, Portugal; Argentina

Marque: Citroën | Successor: Citroën AX

q.v. IES 3CV, IES Gringo

Off-site link

• Lucire on 75 years of the Citroën 2CV