2CV

二腔断面 apical 2chamber view

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出典(authority):フリー百科事典『ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』「2013/03/06 09:29:56」(JST)

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シトロエン・2CV
販売期間	1949年 - 1990年
設計統括	アンドレ・ルフェーブル
デザイン	フラミニオ・ベルトーニ
乗車定員	4名
ボディタイプ	4ドア セダン
エンジン	空冷水平対向2気筒 OHV (type A:375cc, type AZ:425cc, 2CV-4: 435cc, 2CV-6: 602cc )
変速機	4速MT
駆動方式	前輪駆動
サスペンション	前輪:リーディングアーム 後輪:トレーリングアーム 四輪独立 (横置-コイルスプリングによる前後関連懸架)
-自動車のスペック表-

シトロエン2CV (Citroën 2CV) は、フランスのシトロエン社が1948年に発表した、前輪駆動方式の乗用車である。きわめて独創的かつ合理的な設計の小型大衆車で、自動車の歴史に残る名車の一台と言われている。

概要

「2CV」とは「2馬力」を意味し、フランスにおける自動車課税基準である「課税出力」のカテゴリーのうち「2CV」に相当することに由来するが、実際のエンジン出力が2馬力であったわけではない。後年の改良によるパワーアップで税制上3CV相当にまで上がったが、車名は2CVのままだった。フランス本国では「ドゥシュヴォ」（deux chevaux）と呼ばれる。

ユニークな着想を数多く盛り込んだ簡潔軽量な構造により、非力ではあったが、優れた走行性能と居住性、経済性を同時に成立させた。第二次世界大戦後のフランスにおけるモータリゼーションの主力を担い「国民車」として普及、さらにヨーロッパ各国で広く用いられた。

その無類にユーモラスなスタイルと相まって世界的に親しまれ、自動車という概念すら超越して、フランスという国とその文化を象徴するアイコンの一つにまでなった。

1948年から1990年までの42年間大きなモデルチェンジのないままに、387万2,583台の2CVが製造された（フランスでは1987年に生産終了、以降はポルトガルでの生産）ほか、並行して基本構造を踏襲した派生モデル数車種が合計124万6,306台製造された。単一モデルとしては、世界屈指のベストセラー車・ロングセラー車である。

歴史

開発以前

シトロエン社の自動車生産開始は第一次世界大戦後の1919年で、フランスでは後発メーカーであった。だが、アメリカのフォードに倣った大量生産システムの導入で中～小型の高品質な自動車を廉価に供給し、わずか数年間でフランス最大の自動車メーカーに急成長した。

この間、1921年に3人乗りの超小型乗用車「5CV」を開発したが、当時のベストセラー車となったにも関わらず、1926年に生産中止されてしまった。社主アンドレ・シトロエンがより大型のモデルに経営方針をシフトしたためである。この経営判断は競合メーカーのプジョーやルノーに小型車クラスの市場を奪われる結果となり、シトロエン社の経営基盤確立は遠のいた。

シトロエン社はヨーロッパでも早い時期から鋼鉄製ボディや油圧ブレーキを導入するなど先端技術の採用に熱心であった。

1933年には新たに斬新なニューモデルの開発に乗り出し、翌1934年、同社最初の前輪駆動モデル「7CV」（いわゆる「シトロエン・トラクシオン・アバン」の最初のモデル）を発表したが、同年、この前輪駆動車開発に伴う膨大な設備投資によってついに経営破綻する。これに伴いアンドレ・シトロエンは経営者の地位を退き、代わってフランス最大のタイヤメーカー、ミシュランが経営に参画することになった。

この際、ミシュラン社から派遣されてシトロエン副社長職に就任したのが、元建築技術者であったピエール・ブーランジェ（Pierre Jules Boulanger 1885-1950）であった。彼はミシュラン一族からシトロエン社長に就任したピエール・ミシュランと共にシトロエン社の経営立て直しに奔走し、1937年のピエール・ミシュランの事故死に伴って社長に就任、1950年の死去までその地位に在った。

開発のきっかけ

1935年夏、ピエール・ブーランジェは別荘でのバカンスのため、南フランスのクレルモン＝フェランの郊外へ赴いた（クレルモン＝フェランはミシュラン社の本社工場所在地である）。

彼はそこで、農民たちが手押し車や牛馬の引く荷車に輸送を頼っている実態に気付いた。当時のフランスの農村は近代化が遅れ、日常の移動手段は19世紀以前と何ら変わらない状態だったのである。

ブーランジェは、シトロエン社のラインナップに小型大衆車が欠落していることを認識していた。そこで、農民の交通手段に供しうる廉価な車を作れば、新たな市場を開拓でき、シトロエンが手薄だった小型車分野再進出のチャンスともなる、と着想した。

ブーランジェは周到な市場調査によって、この種の小型車に対するニーズの高さをつかみ、将来性を確信した。そして1936年、アンドレ・ルフェーヴル(André Lefèbvre 1894-1964)らシトロエン社技術陣に対し、農民向けの小型自動車開発を命令する。この自動車は「Toute Petite Voiture（超小型車）」を略した「TPV」の略称で呼ばれた。

TPV、のちの「2CV」開発責任者となったルフェーヴル技師は、元航空技術者であった。航空機開発技術を学んで第一次大戦中に航空機メーカーのヴォアザン社に入社、芸術家肌の社主ガブリエル・ヴォアザンに師事して軍用機の設計を行った。 戦後ヴォアザンが高級車メーカーに業種転換すると自動車設計に転じ、高性能車の開発に携わっている。

そしてのちヴォアザンの業績悪化に伴い退社、ルノーを経て1933年にシトロエン入りし、「シトロエン・トラクシオン・アバン」の開発を発案して短期間のうちに完成させていた。

彼は天才型の優秀な技術者であり、第二次世界大戦後には「2CV」に続いて未来的な設計の傑作乗用車「シトロエン・DS」の開発にも携わっている。

「こうもり傘に4つの車輪」

ブーランジェの提示した農民車のテーマは、「こうもり傘に4つの車輪を付ける」という、簡潔さの極致を示唆するものであった。価格はアッパーミドルクラスであるトラクシオン・アバンの1/3以下、かつ自動車を初めて所有する人々でも容易に運転できることが求められた。

しかし、自ら自動車を運転もするブーランジェによって具体的に示された条件は、技術陣をして「不可能だ!」とまで言わしめた難題だった。それは以下のようなものであった。

• 50kgのジャガイモ又は樽を載せて走れること
• 60km/hで走行できること
• ガソリン3リッターで100km以上走れること
• 荒れた農道を走破できるだけでなく、カゴ一杯の生卵を載せて荒れた農道を走行しても、1つの卵も割ることなく走れるほど快適で乗り心地がよいこと
• 価格はトラクション・アバンの1/3以下
• 車両重量300kg以下
• もし必要とあれば、（自動車に詳しくない初心者の）主婦でも簡単に運転できること
• スタイルは重要ではない

悪路踏破力、乗り心地、経済性のいずれにおいても厳しい条件であるが、それでもブーランジェは実現を厳命した。その後の技術陣の努力によって、実現に至らなかった点があったものの、無理難題の多くが満たされた。

加えてブーランジェは、最低限に留まらない十二分な車内スペース確保も要求し、身長2m近い大男であるブーランジェ自身がシルクハットを被っては試作車に乗り込み、帽子が引っかかるようなデザインは書き直しを命じた。この「ハット・テスト」によって、最終的にこのクラスの大衆車としては望外と言ってよいほどゆとりある車内スペースが確保されることになった。

TPV試作車

1939年製プロトタイプ

プロトタイプの後ろ姿

既に「トラクシオン・アバン」で前輪駆動車の量産化を成功させていたアンドレ・ルフェーヴルは、TPVの駆動方式にも前輪駆動方式を採用した。プロペラシャフトを省略でき（軽量化や振動抑制、低重心化の効果がある）、更に操縦安定性にも優れていたからである。

開発作業はシトロエン社内でも特に機密事項として秘匿され、外部の眼に一切触れることなく進行した。

1939年には、TPVプロジェクトは相当に進行し、試作車が完成しつつあった。それらはアルミニウムを多用して軽量化され、外板には波板を使うことで強度を確保した。簡潔な造形によって、外観は屋根になだらかな曲線を持ったトタンの物置という風体だった。

屋根は幌による巻き取り式のキャンバストップで軽量化と騒音発散を図り、座席には通常の金属スプリングの代わりに、ゴムベルトを用いたハンモック構造を採用して軽量化した。ヘッドライトはコストダウンと軽量化のため、片側1個だった（当時のフランスの法律ではライト1個でも差し支えなかった。後の生産型では2個ライトになった）。パワーユニットは、トラクシオン・アバンの先進的なOHVエンジンを設計したモーリス・サンチュラの手になる、水冷式エンジンを搭載していた。 サスペンション・アームは軽量化の為に、マグネシウムを使用していた。サスペンション用のスプリングとしては各輪共トーション・バーを3本、過荷重用に1本、合計4X4=16本使用していたが、開発は最終完成には至っていなかったとされる。

第二次世界大戦

第二次世界大戦勃発後の1940年、フランスはナチス・ドイツの侵攻を受けて敗退、パリをはじめフランス全土の北半分は占領地となった。

ジャベル河岸のシトロエン社も占領軍の管理下に置かれたが、経営責任者の座に留まったピエール・ブーランジェは公然とサボタージュを指揮し、占領軍向けのトラック生産を遅滞させたり、時には故意に欠陥車を送り出すなどして損害を与えるよう努めた。このようなレジスタンス活動によりブラックリストに載せられながら、ブーランジェは1944年のフランス解放まで巧みに生き延びた。

この際、開発途上だったTPVをナチスの手に渡さないため、ブーランジェの命令によってTPVプロジェクトの抹消が図られた。1939年のモーターショー(結局は戦争で実現しなかった) の為に準備された 250台の "The first 2CV"(=2CV-Prototype)は 1 台を残して破壊され、また一部は工場などの壁に塗り込められ、あるいは地中に埋められた。これらは1990年代以降最終的に合計 5台が発見されている。（ナチスとブーランジェ、双方の目を逃れて）破壊や埋設を免れた少数は、ボディを改造して小型トラックに偽装された（前述の台数と重複していると思われるが、後の2000年にミシュラン工場改築の際、レンガの壁を壊したところ中から新たに3台が発見された）。

独自の研究開発が禁じられた困難な状況下ではあったが、ルフェーヴルら技術者たちは、ナチス側の監視をかいくぐって、終戦後に世に送り出されるべきTPVの開発を進行させた。

だがシトロエン社内部での検討によって、コスト過大からTPVにアルミを多用することは困難であるという結論が出された。やむなくTPVの多くのパーツは普通鋼に置き換えられることになった。

1944年の連合国勝利に伴うフランス解放によってTPVの本格的な開発作業が再開された。

試作車用にモーリス・サンチュラが設計した水冷エンジンは、改良を重ねても不調であった。このため、高級スポーツカーメーカーのタルボ社(Talbot)から1941年に移籍してきた有能なエンジン技術者ワルテル・ベッキア(Walter Becchia)が、新たに信頼性の高い空冷エンジンを開発して問題を解決した。

またボディデザインは、イタリア人の社内デザイナーであるフラミニオ・ベルトーニ( Flaminio Bertoni 1903-1964 )によって洗練を加えられた。

発表と嘲笑

1954年-1960年型 タイプAZL-Belgium

1948年10月7日、シトロエン2CVはフランス最大のモーターショーであるパリ・サロンにおいて公に発表された。

多数のマスコミ・観客が見守る中、ブーランジェ社長によって紹介され、除幕された「ニューモデル」の2CVは、あまりにも奇妙なスタイルで、観衆をぼう然とさせ、立ち会ったフランス共和国大統領のヴァンサン・オリオールをして困惑せしめたという。しかしながら、この問題はブーランジェのメディアへのショー前公示不足が大きな原因であったとする見解もある。

この時点で、競合するルノーの750ccリアエンジンの大衆車「4CV」や、プジョーの1クラス上の1300cc車「203」が既にデビューしており、それら他社製の戦後型ニューモデルがごく「まとも」な自動車であっただけに、2CVの奇怪さが際だった。

大衆は2CVを見て「醜いアヒルの子」「乳母車」と嘲笑し、居合わせたアメリカ人ジャーナリストは「この『ブリキの缶詰』に缶切りを付けろ」と揶揄した。前衛派詩人で皮肉屋の作家ボリス・ヴィアンは2CVを「回る異状」と評した。

このような情勢から2CVを「エキセントリックな泡沫モデル」と見なす向きも少なくなかった。実際、同時期のフランスでは中小メーカーによって奇想天外な珍設計の超小型車が何種類か送り出されており、それらのほとんどが商業的・技術的に失敗作だったのである。

成功

だがピエール・ブーランジェはこの自動車の成功を確信していた。2CVがその奇矯な外見とは裏腹に、あらゆる面で合理的な裏付けを持って設計され、市場ニーズに合致した自動車であるという自信を持っていたからである。

もっとも彼は2CVの未曾有の成功を完全に見納めないうちに、1950年自ら運転するトラクシオン・アバンの事故で死亡した。

先行量産モデルは「特に2CVを必要としている」と考えられた希望者に優先販売され、日常における実際の使用条件について詳細なモニタリングが行われた。それらはフィードバックされ、技術改良と販売方針の改善に活用された。

2CVが廉価なだけでなく、維持費も低廉で扱いやすくて信頼性に富み、高い実用性と汎用性を有していることは、短期間のうちに大衆ユーザーたちに理解された。1949年の生産はスターターの必要性などの問題点があり、同年7月より始まり日産4台: 876 台に留まったが、翌1950年には 6,196 台と、月産400台のペースで量産されるようになり 1951年には生産台数は 14,592 台になった。以後も生産ペースは順調に増加していった。

フランス国民はこのエキセントリックな自動車の外見にも早々に慣れ、2CVは数年のうちに広く普及した。街角や田舎道に2CVが止まる姿は、フランスの日常的光景の一つとなった。

更にはヨーロッパ各国にも広範に輸出され、ことにその経済性と悪路踏破能力は各地のユーザーに歓迎された。イギリスなどにおいて現地生産も行われている。

ドーリーの後ろ姿

シトロエン社はその後、排気量拡大や内外装のマイナーチェンジなどを重ねて2CVをアップデートしていくと共に、派生モデルを多数開発して小型車分野のラインナップを充実させた。1967年に後継モデルと思われる「ディアーヌ」を発表したが、結果として2CVはそれよりも長生きすることになった。ことに1970年代のオイルショックは、2CVの経済性という特長を際だたせることになった。

また、優れた経済性と走覇能力とを併せ持つ2CVに着目した欧州の若者達は、世界旅行の手段として2CVを選び、北はノルウェー、東にモンゴルを抜けて日本、西にアラスカ、南にアフリカを走り抜けた。更には世界一周旅行に出かけて50カ国、8つの砂漠を走り約10万kmを走覇したコンビもあった。

2CVの派生車

• 1951年 - 2CV タイプAのセンターピラーから後ろを箱形の荷室にしたユーティリティー（バン）、AU（後のAK）発表。
• 1954年 - 425ccエンジンのタイプAZのユーティリティー、AZU発表
• 1958年 - 2基のエンジンを前後に積む4WD車4×4サハラ（Sahara : タイプAW）発表
• 1960年 - 英国で生産されるFRPボディの2ドアクーペ、ビジュー (Bijou) 発表
• 1961年 - 小さなDSとしてアミ（AMI 6）発表
• 1967年 - 2CVの後継車ディアーヌ（DYANE）発表
• 1968年 - ABS樹脂ボディの多目的車メアリ（MEHARI）発表
• 1973年 - 途上国向け多目的車FAF発表
• このほか、2CVのシャーシを利用したさまざまなキットカーが制作された。例、Teilhol Tangara、Lomax、Hoffmann Cabrioletなどが日本にも輸入されている。

• Hoffmann 2cv Cabrio

• AZU

• ディアーヌ

• ビジュー

• メアリ

• FAF

• AK

終焉

だが1980年代に至ると、基本設計が余りにも古くなり過ぎ、衝突安全対策や排気ガス浄化対策などに対応したアップデートが困難になってしまった。それにつれて販売台数も低下、1988年にフランス本国での生産が終了し、ポルトガル工場での生産も1990年に終了した。

40年に渡る長いモデルスパンはビートルこと「フォルクスワーゲン・タイプ1」や初代「Mini」と肩を並べるものであった。

スタイル・機構

全長×全幅×全高は3830×1480×1600mmで、全高を除いては現代の小振りな1000～1300cc級乗用車並みのサイズである（初期は全長3780mm）。

だが重量は極めて軽く、375ccの初期形で495kg、602ccの末期形で590kgに過ぎない。安全対策装備がほとんど備わっていないという実情はあるが、サイズに比して極めて軽量で、その構造が簡潔かつ合理化されている事実を伺うことができる。

ボディ外観

発表時から絶えず悪口や嘲笑の的に、更には無数の冗談の種になった珍無類のスタイルであるが、きわめて合理性に富んだ機能的デザインである。実用性を最重視しつつも、結果として極めて個性的かつユニークなスタイルとなった外観は、現在でも多くの支持者を集めている。

1960年までは外板の一部(ボンネット等)に強度確保のため波板構造を用いており、ユンカースの古典的輸送機を思わせる機能優先な外見だった（1961年以降は 5本峰の補強外板となった）。

タイプAZAのドアとステアリングホイール。

タイプAZA

リアクオーターピラーにウインドウが無く、方向指示器が付く。

ボディの構造がよく分かる写真。この時代でも後ろのドアは簡単に外せる

1930年代に原設計された自動車らしく、グラスエリアが狭くフロントフェンダーも独立した古い形態を残している。ボンネットは強度確保のため強い丸みを帯びており、その両脇に外付けされたヘッドライトと相まって、2CV独特の動物的でユーモラスなフロントスタイルを形成している（2CVは静荷重による姿勢変化が大きいため、ヘッドライトは簡単に光軸調節ができる設計）。

フロントグリルは細い横縞状の大型グリルで、ボンネットフードはフェンダーのすぐ上から開く構造だった。1961年にボンネットフードと共にグリルも小型化され荒い横縞となった。何れも寒冷時にエンジンのオーバークールを防ぐため、布またはプラスチックのカバーが用意されていた。

客室部分は4ドアを標準とする。初期のドアは中央のピラーを中心に対称に開き、上に引き抜くことで簡単に取り外すことも出来た。1964年に安全上の理由から前ヒンジとなった。

居住性を重視して円弧状の高い屋根を備え、ガラスは簡素化のため平面ガラスしか使われていない。側面も複雑な曲線は持たず、幅員の有効活用のため1930年代の多くの自動車のようなホイールベース間の外部ステップは持たない（この点、同時代のフォルクスワーゲン・ビートルより進んでいた）。徹底した機能主義的デザインには、同時代を代表する近代建築家ル・コルビュジエからの影響が指摘されている。

前部窓下にはパネルを開閉するタイプの（原始的だが効率よく通風できる）ベンチレーターを備える。なお、虫や落ち葉等の異物侵入防止目的で、金網が開口部に張られている。

側面窓は複雑な巻き上げ機構を省き、中央から水平線方向にヒンジを持つ二つ折れ式である。開け放しておくときは、下半分を外側から上に回転させて固定式の爪に引っ掛けておく。初期のモデルには方向指示器が無く、ドライバーがこの状態で窓を開け、腕を外に出して手信号で指示することを想定していた。プリミティブの極致である。

リアフェンダーは曲面を持った脱着式で、後輪を半分カバーするスパッツ状である。タイヤ交換の場合、ジャッキアップすればスイングアームで吊られた後輪は自然に垂下して作業可能な状態になるので、着けたままでも実用上の問題はない。

屋根はキャンバス製が標準で、好天時には後方に巻き取ってオープンにできる（初期型はトランクの蓋までもが幌製だったが、1957年金属製となった）。キャンバストップとしたのは、軽量化やコストダウンの他、空冷エンジンの騒音を車内から発散させる効果も狙ったものである。このため、背の高い荷物も屋根を開ければ簡単に運べた。2CVの広告イラストには、キャンバストップを取り払って背の高い柱時計や箪笥等を積み込み疾走しているものも見られたが、これは決して誇大広告ではなかったのである。

他にも、中央に1つだったストップランプを標準的な2つに、太いCピラーに窓を付けるなど大小さまざまな改良が加えられたが、基本的な形状は42年間変わらなかった。

車内

2CVのインパネ部分。写真右側にダッシュボードから伸びるシフトレバーが見える

大人4人が無理なく乗車できる。排気量に比してスペースは非常なゆとりがあり、排気量400cc以下の自動車でこれほどの居住性を実現した例は世にも希である。ただし、車内幅は開発された時代相応に狭い。

内装はごく簡素であり、計器類やスイッチは「運転に必要な最低限」しか装備されていない。その初期には燃料計すら装備されておらず、燃料残量はタンク内に計量バーを差し入れて読み取るしかなかった。ダッシュボード(?)下にはドライバーの膝上の高さで横方向一杯のトレーがあり、小物を置きやすい。

ステアリングは長年パイプを組み合わせた簡素な2本スポーク仕様だったが、1970年代以降にはグレードによってシトロエンの上級クラスと同じく片持ち式の1本スポークモデルもあった。1本スポークなら事故でドライバーがステアリングに叩きつけられても、ステアリングが折れて衝撃をある程度吸収できると見込んだものである。

パイプフレームで骨格を構築されたシートは、ゴムベルトでキャンバスを吊って表皮を張っただけの簡素きわまりない軽量設計であるが、乗客の身体によくなじみ、乗り心地は優秀である。パイプフレームは床面に左右2本の爪によって差し込まれただけであり、後期モデルの前席はスライド機能を持ったシートレールが採用されているが、前席・後席とも脱着は容易で軽いため、出先で取り外して屋外のベンチ代わりに利用することもできる。着座位置は高めで、レッグスペースを稼いでいる。

床面はほとんどフラットである。プロペラシャフトやその他諸々の機器による突起がなく、居住スペース確保に貢献している。

フロントウインドシールドのワイパーの動力は電動ではなかった。前輪を駆動するギアケースから引き出されたスピードメーター駆動用のワイヤーケーブルの途中にウォームギアを仕込み、ワイパーの駆動の動力にも利用したのである。このためスピードメーターは、ワイパーを駆動しやすいステアリングの左上端に置かれた。ワイパーの動作速度は速力に比例し、高速走行時では速すぎ、低速時では遅すぎ、使い勝手はけっして良くはなかった。その構造上停車中は作動しなかったので、ワイパーのスイッチノブを押し込み、手でノブを廻すことによって、ワイパーを手動で動かすことも可能であった。のちに電動式ワイパーに改良され、メーターもステアリングコラム上に移った。

ヒーターは、空冷エンジンの冷却風を車内に送り込むものであるが、熱量不足に加え、ファンが装着されていないことから、余り効きは良くない。ガソリン燃焼式の独立ヒーターを装備するケースもあった。生産モデルでは、クーラーは最後まで装備されなかった（後付けのクーラーは存在する）。

シャーシ

ホイールベースは2,400mmと、小さな排気量の割に長く、前後とも1,260mmのトレッドも1940年代当時の小型車としては広い（このゆとりが性能確保につながっている）。基本構成は、強固なプラットフォームフレームがそのままフロアパネルとなり、前後にサスペンションアームを、また前方にエンジンを始めとするドライブトレーンをオーバーハングさせている。この上に簡素な設計の軽量ボディを架装する。

サスペンションは、フロントがリーディングアーム、リアがトレーリングアームで、 前後のサスペンション・アームはそれぞれコイルスプリングに接続され、これらのスプリングは横置きのサスペンション・シリンダー内に収められているが、この横置きシリンダーは「半浮動状態」で初期は左右の「たけのこバネ」により、後にエンジン・パワーの強化によりゴム・ブッシュにより半固定状態はその移動を制限され、最終的には「固定」された。前述した「前後関連懸架」とは、前輪-ロッド- ( コイル- サスペンション・シリンダー: pot de suspension -コイル) -ロッド-後輪 と結ばれており、コイル・スプリングを 2 倍に柔らかく使う、シトロエン社が考案した「軽車両用サスペンション」である。

左右それぞれの前後アームからはロッドが伸び、サイドシル下でスプリングを介して連結されている。この「前後関連懸架」により、前輪が突き上げを受けると前輪側のスプリングが収縮しサスペンション・シリンダーは前方に移動し、後輪ロッドを引き後輪を下げて 車体をフラットに保つよう働く仕掛けで、サスペンションの柔軟性と路面追従性を大きく高めた。悪路への強さの秘密がここにある。この前後関連式ばねはまた、旋回時に車体ロールを抑制する。旋回外輪では、ばねが前後輪両方のバウンドに逆らう方向に働き、ローリング角度を減少させる。もっとも、この前後関連ばねのレート自体は圧倒的に低く、またリーディング/トレーリングのサスペンション・リンケージはロールセンタを極端に低く保つ為、本質的に旋回時のロールが極端に大きく、しばしば横転しそうに見える。しかし実際には車体重心高はそれほど高くなく、また上述した様にロールセンタが低くジャッキング・アップ・フォースを殆ど発生させないので、横転までの限界は想像以上に高く、操縦安定性に優れている（低出力ゆえ、シャーシ性能には余裕がある）。またこの構造ゆえ、荷重が大きければ大きいほど実質的なホイールベースが伸び、安定性を確保する方向に働くようになっている。

ユニークなのはダンパーで、登場時から各輪2種類の減衰装置を持っていた。

ばね上（車体）の振動の減衰はリーディング/トレーリング・リンクの車体側ピックアップポイントのフリクションにより得ている。このフリクション式はサスペンションのバウンド側にもリバウンド側にも同様の減衰力が作用することになり、一般的にバウンド側よりリバウンド側の減衰力を高めなければならない自動車のサスペンションでは不都合が生じるが、当時既にモーターサイクルでは同様のフリクション式減衰器が一定の成功を示していたので、2CVの設計年次を考慮すると採用は妥当である。

2CVのユニークな点は、ばね下（空気入りタイヤをばね、リンク類やハブ、ナックルなどをマスとするばねマス系）の減衰に、各輪のサスペンションアームに取り付けられた筒型ケース内に組込まれたコイルスプリング上端に錘を固定して、コイルスプリングと錘で決められる固有振動数で車体の振動を打ち消す「慣性ダンパー」（動吸振器）を用いた点である。このばね下制振装置は、他にはブリヂストンが近年イン・ホイール・モータ式電気自動車向けに研究している例があるだけで、非常にユニークな設計思想である。

ダンパーを各輪で2種類ずつ持つというのは一見無駄な様だが、通常、ばね上の共振周波数は1.2～1.5Hz、一方ばね下の共振周波数は10～13Hz付近にあり、それぞれの振動減衰の為に個別の減衰器を用いる手法は、振動工学的には正当な手段と言える。しかし実際には、機械的なフリクションに頼ったリーディング / トレーリング・リンクの減衰装置は減衰力を安定して発生させることが困難であり、またばね下の動吸振器は寸法や重量の問題から設計が難しく、必ずしも効果的とは言い難い。後にテレスコピック油圧ダンパが後輪側に採用されたが、これらの2CVに特有な減衰器は1970年代まで使用し続けられた。これらの組み合わせは、エンジン出力により決定されている。

タイヤはミシュラン製が標準である。1950年代の125/400mm(16インチ相当）〜125/15クラスのタイヤは、バルーンタイヤの登場した後の時代にも関わらず非常に細いが、径が大きくまた接地面が縦長で小さいことで、転がり抵抗を押さえ、パワーロスを減らしつつ、必要十分なグリップ力は確保できるというメリットがある。ミシュランは1948年、世界初のラジアルタイヤ「ミシュランX」を市場に送り出したが、ほどなくこの2CV用サイズのタイヤにもラジアルタイヤが用意された。現在の日本国内においては、ミシュランX-125R15の取扱いはあるが、在庫不足の為入手は非常に難しい。代わりのタイヤとして、ミシュランZX-135R15や、一部の業者が扱うファイアストンF560-125R15や台湾メーカーのタイヤが装着される事も多い。

ブレーキはシトロエンの標準で当初から油圧だが、フロントはインボードブレーキで、長期に渡って前後ともドラムブレーキであったが、末期型はフロントがインボードのままディスクブレーキとなった。

前輪駆動車でネックとなる技術の一つは、前輪を駆動するためのドライブシャフト・ジョイントである。2CVが設計された時代には、自動車用の等速ジョイントは未だ量産されておらず、トラクシオン・アバンではダブル・カルダン型のジョイントが使用されていた。ダブル・カルダン・ジョイントは広義では等速ジョイントであるが、商用貨物仕様であるフルゴネットおよび派生モデルのアミ6の一部モデルにダブル・カルダン型のジョイントが使用されたものの、2CVではダブル・カルダン型のジョイントは使用されず、シングル・カルダン型ジョイントが使用された。のちのモデルでは等速ジョイントを装備している。

602ccエンジン

エンジンの構成

空冷水平対向2気筒OHVのガソリンエンジンを、車体前端にオーバーハングして搭載された。一見農業用発動機のように簡素で騒々しい代物ながら、その実きわめて高度な内容を備える緻密な設計であり、主要部分はガスケットなしで組み立てられている。この点だけをみても普通のエンジンではない。設計者のワルテル・ベッキアは、前職のタルボ社在籍時には高性能車用のハイスペックエンジンを設計していた人物である。

空冷式としたのは、1930年代～1940年代の水冷エンジンにおいて冷却系統の不調がしばしばエンジントラブルの原因となっていたためである。更に軽量化、簡略化の効果も狙った。空冷方式の採用に限らず、このエンジンからはトラブルの原因となる要素は努めて排除され、基本的に故障しにくい構造になっている。

気筒数は快適さを損なう手前の極力まで減らされた2気筒で、BMWなどのオートバイエンジンなどを参考にし、コンパクトで一次振動の心配のない水平対向式を採用した。材質は1940年代としては先進的なアルミ合金を用いて軽量化、燃焼室は高効率な半球式で、バルブのレイアウトは吸排気効率の良いクロスフロー型とした（半球型燃焼室とクロスフロー型弁配置は、当時、レーシングカーに採用される技術であった）。エンジン前方に大きなファンを直結し、エンジン全体を冷却する。なおかつエンジン直前に置かれたオイルクーラーも同時に冷却される設計である。

通常のレシプロエンジンでは、ピストンからの動力をクランクシャフトに伝えるコンロッドは2ピースの分割式として、ボルト留めでクランクシャフトに脱着するようになっている。

ところが2CV用エンジンでは、コンロッドはクランク穴の空いた一体式として、工場で窒素冷却した組み立て式クランクシャフトを圧入してしまうやり方を取った。これで強度と工作精度を高めようという大胆不敵な発想である。クランクシャフトとコンロッドは分離不能となるが、現実にはほとんど分離を要さないので、これでもよいと割り切られた。

点火機構もトラブル排除のため徹底簡素化され、確実な作動と長期のメンテナンスフリーを実現している。クランクスローは180度であるが、点火は1回転毎の等間隔ではなく、2回転毎に左右シリンダーが同時点火される。構造は非常に単純になるが、エンジンのトルク確保の面ではやや不利である（2CVエンジンのフライホイールが大きいのは、この同時点火に対する回転円滑化の一策である）。

エンジンスペック

この2気筒エンジンは非力ながら頑丈で、スロットル全開の連続走行にもよく耐えた。未開地でのエンジンオイル切れのため、やむなくバナナから採った油をオイル代わりに使ったケースがあるが、それでもトラブル無く走れたという。

試作中は、電動セルフスターターを搭載せず、運転席から農業用発動機同様にワイヤーを手で引いてスタートさせる構造であった。これも簡素化を旨としたピエール・ブーランジェの命令による仕様である。

ところが、試作車をワイヤー始動させようとした女性秘書が爪を割ってしまい、これに懲りたブーランジェは即刻セルモーター搭載を命令した。従って生産型の2CVは全車セルフスターター装備である。もちろんタイヤレンチを兼ねた手動クランキングレバーによるエンジン始動も最終型まで可能であった。これは、バッテリーの消耗した状態や寒冷地での始動に非常に役立った。

• 1948年当初はボア×ストロークが62mmのスクエアで、375cc(9HP/3,500rpm)の極少出力に過ぎなかった（それでも最初の2CVは最高55km/hに到達した）。
• 1955年以降ボアを66mmに広げて排気量425ccに拡大され、出力は12HP/3,500rpmとなった。最高速度75km/h。更に1963年には圧縮比を上げて16.5HP/4,200rpm、最高速度90km/hとなる。
• 1968年 - 「AMI」など上級モデル搭載の602cc（ボア×ストロークは74×70mm）を移入、28HP、最高110km/hに強化される。税法上は3CV級となるが、車名は2CVのままであった（「2CV 6」と称した）。小排気量型もしばらく「2CV 4」の名称で生産され、こちらは435ccで21HPを発生した。
• 1970年 - 602ccに強力型設定、32HPに。
• 1979年 - 602ccは29HP/5,750rpmに。燃費を改善。

変速機

4段式シンクロメッシュギアボックス（1速・後進のみノンシンクロ）。このクラスでの4段変速かつシンクロメッシュギア装備は、1948年当時、望外の高度な設計である。

開発中、ピエール・ブーランジェは「農民の妻に複雑な4段トランスミッションは扱いきれない」として3段ミッションとするよう厳命したが、ワルテル・ベッキアは超低出力のエンジンパワーを最大限に有効利用するため4段式ミッションを採用した。

「4速はあくまでもオーバードライブギアである」というベッキアの主張で、ブーランジェはしぶしぶ納得したという。この「言い訳」のためか、初期形2CVの4速ギアは「4」ではなく、高速を意味する「S」と表記された。

トランスミッションが運転席よりかなり前方に配置されているため、ギアボックス真上にロッドを立ち上げて、ダッシュボード中央から突出したシフトレバーに連結した。トラクシオン・アバン同様の手法で、至って簡潔かつ作動確実な構造であった。フロアシフト、コラムシフトのいずれでもない変わった形態である。

シフト操作も独特で、ニュートラルからレバーを左に倒し前に押すと後進、そのまま手前に引くと1速、ニュートラルでレバーを起こし前方に押すと2速、そのまま手前に引くと3速、ニュートラルでレバーを右に倒し押すと4速である。

のちには遠心式自動クラッチを装備したモデルも出現しているが、自動変速機は導入されなかった。

外部リンク

• シトロエンによる紹介ページ（英語）
• Hoffmann2cv

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ハッチバック	2CV
	LN / LNA						AX																			C1
	ヴィザ																サクソ								C2
																								C3 I							C3 II
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																																	C4エアクロス
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Citroën 2CV

Manufacturer	Citroën
Production	1948–1990
Assembly	Forest/Vorst, Belgium Liège, Belgium Slough, UK Jeppener, Argentina (1960-1962), Buenos Aires, Argentina (1962-1980) Montevideo, Uruguay (Panel van & pick-up) Arica, Chile Mangualde, Portugal Paris, France Vigo, Spain Koper, Slovenia
Class	Economy car
Body style	2-door panel van 2-door coupé utility (pickup) 4-door landaulet
Layout	Front engine, front-wheel drive / four-wheel drive
Engine	375 cc (23CID) H2 air-cooled 9hp. 425 cc H2 air-cooled 12hp. 435 cc H2 air-cooled 18hp. 602 cc H2 air-cooled 29hp.
Transmission	4-speed manual
Wheelbase	2.40 metres (94.5 in)
Length	3.83 metres (150.8 in)
Width	1.48 metres (58.3 in)
Height	1.60 metres (63.0 in)
Curb weight	560 kg (1,200 lb)
Related	Citroën Dyane Citroën FAF Citroën Méhari Citroën Ami Citroën Bijou
Designer(s)	André Lefèbvre Flaminio Bertoni Walter Becchia Marcel Chinon

The Citroën 2CV (French: "deux chevaux" i.e. "deux chevaux-vapeur [fiscaux]", literally "two tax horsepower") was an economy car produced by the French car manufacturer Citroën between 1948 and 1990. It was technologically advanced and innovative, but with uncompromisingly utilitarian unconventional looks, and deceptively simple Bauhaus inspired bodywork, that belied the sheer quality of its underlying engineering. It was designed to move the French peasantry on from horses and carts. It is considered one of Citroën's most iconic cars. In 1953 Autocar in a technical review of the car wrote of "the extraordinary ingenuity of this design, which is undoubtedly the most original since the Model T Ford". It was described by Car Magazine journalist and author L. J. K. Setright as "the most intelligent application of minimalism ever to succeed as a car". It was designed for low cost, simplicity of use and maintenance, versatility, reliability, low fuel consumption and off-road driving. For this it had a light, easily serviceable engine, extremely soft long travel suspension (with height adjustment by lengthening/shortening of tie rods) high ground clearance, and for oversized loads a car-wide canvas sunroof, which (until 1955) also covered the boot.

During a production run of 42 years between 1948 and 1990, 3,872,583 2CVs were produced, plus 1,246,306 Fourgonnettes (small 2CV delivery vans), as well as spawning mechanically identical vehicles including the Ami: 1,840,396; the Dyane: 1,444,583; the Acadiane: 253,393; and the Mehari: 144,953, a grand total of 8,756,688, of which there are still 3,382 on the road in the UK as of January 2013.

From 1988 onwards, production took place in Portugal (Mangualde) rather than in France. This arrangement lasted for two years until 2CV production halted. Portuguese built cars, especially those from when production was winding down, have a reputation in the UK for being much less well made and more prone to corrosion than those made in France. Paradoxically the Portuguese plant was more up-to-date than the one in Levallois near Paris, and Portuguese 2CV manufacturing was to higher quality standards.

History

Development

The 2CV belongs to a short list of vehicles introduced in the middle of the 20th century that remained relevant and competitive for many decades, such as the Jeep, Land Rover Series, Fiat 500, Mini and Volkswagen Beetle.

Pierre-Jules Boulanger

Pre-war Citroën 2CV prototype

TPV prototypes, showing a water-cooled engine

Unrestored TPV, side view

Restored TPV, rear view

Water-cooled engine from the TPV

In 1934 family-owned Michelin, as the largest creditor, took over the bankrupt Citroën company. As far back as 1922, when they first conducted market research, they had been interested in expanding the market for economy cars (and tyres) in France, in the same way that the Ford Model T had done in the USA. The new president of Citroën, Pierre Michelin, had even gone as far as to build a scale model of what he had in mind at Michelin before the takeover of Citroën. Citroën had stopped producing the economy cars that established the company after the First World War by the mid-1920s, when they moved to using Budd-type pressed steel bodies. Michelin believed that decision was a contributor to the later bankruptcy. The new management ordered a fresh and detailed market research survey that was conducted by Jacques Duclos. At that time, France had a very large rural population which could not yet afford automobiles. The results of the survey were used by Citroën to prepare a design brief for a low-priced, rugged "umbrella on four wheels" that would enable four peasants to drive 50 kg (110 lb) of farm goods to market at 50 km/h (31 mph), in clogs and across muddy unpaved roads if necessary. The car would use no more than 3 L of gasoline to travel 100 km (78 mpg). Most famously, it would be able to drive across a ploughed field without breaking the eggs it was carrying.

In 1936, Pierre-Jules Boulanger, the vice-president of Citroën and chief of the Engineering and Design department, set the brief to his design team at the Bureau d'études. The TPV (Toute Petite Voiture—"Very Small Car") was to be developed at Michelin facilities at Clermont-Ferrand and at Citroën in Paris in strict secrecy, by the design team who had created the Traction Avant. Boulanger hand picked engineers added to the team, and preferred engineers who had qualified through night school courses, over university trained ones. He believed they were better engineers because of greater practical experience. Boulanger was closely involved with all decisions relating to the TPV, he was obsessed with reducing the weight of the TPV to targets that his engineers thought were impossible. He set up a department that had the job of weighing every component and then redesigning it, to lighten it while still doing its job. He later had the roof raised to allow him to drive while wearing a hat.

Boulanger placed engineer André Lefèbvre in charge of the TPV project. Lefèbvre had designed and raced Grand Prix cars, his own speciality was chassis design and he was particularly interested in maintaining contact between tyres and the road surface. In an era of poor damping, beam axles and leaf springs this gave his cars vastly superior grip and handling to most other cars.

The very first prototypes were bare chassis, with rudimentary controls, seating and roof, that required test drivers to wear the leather flying suits that were used in contemporary open biplanes. By the end of 1937 20 TPV experimental prototypes had been built and tested.

At the end of 1937 Pierre Michelin was killed in a car crash. Boulanger became president of Citroën and Lefèbvre, responsible for engineering and design, though he wasn't head of the department, he was more like a minister without portfolio; he didn't have an official title.

By 1939 the TPV was deemed ready, after 47 technically different and progressively improved experimental prototypes had been built and rigorously tested. Those prototypes made use of aluminium and magnesium parts and had water-cooled flat twin engines with front-wheel drive. The seats were hammocks hung from the roof by wires. The suspension system used front leading arms and rear trailing arms, connected to eight torsion bars mounted beneath the rear seat: a bar for the front axle, one for the rear axle, an intermediate bar for each side, and an overload bar for each side. The front axle was connected to its torsion bars by cable. The overload bar only came into play when the car had three people on board, two in the front and one in the rear, to take account of the extra load of the fourth passenger and fifty kilos of luggage. It was designed by Alphonse Forceau. This suspension system did not make it into the delayed and redesigned production car.

During the summer of 1939 a pilot run of 250 cars was produced and on 28 August 1939 the car finally received French market homologation. Brochures were printed and preparations were made to present the car, now branded as the Citroën 2CV rather than as the Citroën TPV, at the forthcoming Paris Motor Show in October 1939. However, in September 1939 the government declared war on Germany, following that country's invasion of Poland. It would be another eight months before the Germans invaded France, but an atmosphere of impending disaster appeared much sooner and with less than a month's notice the 1939 motor show was cancelled, and the launch of the 2CV was abandoned.

During the German occupation of France in World War II Boulanger refused to collaborate personally with German authorities and organized and encouraged sabotage against production for the German war effort, to the point where the Gestapo listed him as an important "enemy of the Reich". Boulanger was under constant threat of arrest and deportation to Germany. Michelin, which was Citroën's main shareholder, and Citroën managers decided to hide the TPV project from the Nazis, fearing some military application. Several TPVs were buried at secret locations; one was disguised as a pickup, the others were destroyed, and Boulanger had the next six years to think about further improvements. Until 1994, when three TPVs were discovered in a barn, it was believed that only two prototypes had survived. As of 2003, five TPVs are known. For a long time, it was believed that the project was so well hidden that all the prototypes had been lost at the end of the war. It seems that none of the hidden TPVs were lost after the war, but in the 1950s an internal memo ordered them to be scrapped. The surviving TPVs were, in fact, hidden from the top management by some workers who were sensitive to their historical value.

By 1941, after an increase in aluminium prices of forty percent, an internal report at Citroën showed that producing the TPV post-war would not be economically viable, given the projected further increasing cost of aluminium Boulanger decided to redesign the car to use mostly steel with flat panels, instead of aluminium. The French motor industry before the war believed that aluminium would become cheaper, and become the standard material for car manufacture. The Nazis had attempted to loot Citroën's press tools; this was frustrated, after Boulanger got the French Resistance to re-label the rail cars containing them in the Paris marshalling yard. They ended up all over Europe, and Citroën was by no means sure they would all be returned after the war. After the liberation, Citroën, along with all the other major French car makers, evaluated and were offered the rights to the air-cooled AFG (Aluminium Français Grégoire) prototype, by Jean-Albert Grégoire, who was unaware of the secret TPV project. It emerged in 1946 as the aluminium Panhard Dyna X. In the Spring of 1944 Boulanger made the decision to abandon the water-cooled two-cylinder engine that had been developed for the car and installed in the 1939 versions. Walter Becchia was now briefed to design an air-cooled unit, still of two cylinders, and still of 375cc. Walter Becchia was also supposed to design a three-speed gearbox, but managed to design a four-speed for the same space at little extra cost. At this time French small cars like the Renault Juvaquatre and Peugeot 202 almost invariably featured three-speed transmissions. Even Citroën's own mid-size Traction Avant only had a three-speed gearbox. But the 1936 Italian Fiat 500 "Topolino" 'peoples car' did have a four speed gearbox. Boulanger was displeased when he found out that his instructions had not been followed. Bechia persuaded him that the 4th gear was actually an overdrive, this is why on the early cars the gear change was marked "S" for "surmultiplié" The increased number of gear ratios also helped with the performance penalty caused by the extra weight of switching from light alloys to steel for the body and chassis. Other changes included seats with tubular steel frames with rubber band springing,(Pictured Here ) and a restyling of the body by the Italian Flaminio Bertoni. Also, in 1944 the first studies of the Citroën hydro-pneumatic suspension were conducted using the TPV/2CV.

It took three years from 1945 for Citroën to rework the TPV into what was its third incarnation, resulting in the car being nicknamed the "Toujours Pas Vue" (Still Not Seen) by the press. The development and production, of what was to become the 2CV was also delayed by the incoming 1944 Socialist French government, after the liberation by the Allies from the Germans. The five-year 'Plan Pons' to rationalise car production and husband scarce resources, named after socialist economist Paul-Marie Pons (fr), only allowed Citroën the middle range of the car market, with the Traction Avant. The French government allocated the economy car market, US Marshall Plan aid, US production equipment and supplies of steel, to newly-nationalised Renault to produce their Renault 4CV. The 'Plan Pons' came to an end in 1949. Postwar French roads were very different from pre-war ones. Horse drawn vehicles had re-appeared in large numbers. The few internal combustion engined vehicles present, often ran on town gas stored in gasbags on roofs or wood/charcoal gas from gasifiers on trailers. Only one hundred thousand of the two million pre-war cars were still on the road. These were known as 'Les années grises' or 'the grey years' in France.

Production

Citroën finally unveiled the car at the Paris Salon on October 7, 1948. The car on display was nearly identical to the 2CV type A that would be sold the next year, but it lacked an electric starter, the addition of which was decided the day before the opening of the Salon, after female company secretaries had trouble using the pull cord starter. Walter Becchia had designed in a space for a starter motor to be mounted, even though Boulanger had forbidden them from fitting an electric starter. In keeping with the ultra-utilitarian (and rural) design brief, the canvas roof could be rolled completely open. The Type A had one stop light, and like the black Ford Model T was available only in one colour, grey. The car was heavily criticised by the motoring press and became the butt of French comedians for a short while. One American motoring journalist quipped, "Does it come with a can opener?" The British Autocar correspondent wrote that the 2CV "is the work of a designer who has kissed the lash of austerity with almost masochistic fervour". Nevertheless, Citroën was flooded with orders at the show, and the car had a great impact on the lives of the low-income segment of the population in France.

First generation "Ripple Bonnet" Citroën 2CV built from 1949 to 1960

Early "Fourgonnette" (small truck / delivery van)

The 2CV was a great commercial success: within months of it going on sale, there was a three-year waiting list, which soon increased to five years. At that time a second-hand 2CV was more expensive than a new one because the buyer did not have to wait. Production was increased from 876 units in 1949 to 6,196 units in 1950. Grudging respect began to emanate from the international press: towards the end of 1951 the opinion appeared in Germany's recently launched Auto Motor und Sport magazine that, despite its "ugliness and primitiveness" ("Häßlichkeit und Primitivität"), the 2CV was a "highly interesting" ("hochinteressantes") car.

In 1950 Pierre-Jules Boulanger was killed in a car crash, while on the main road from Clermont-Ferrand (the home of Michelin), and Paris. This was the same road that Pierre Michelin had been killed on in 1937.

In 1951 production reached over 100 cars a week. By the end of 1951 production totalled 16,288. Citroën introduced the 2CV Fourgonnette van. It pioneered the use of a large box rear section, as later used by the Morris Minor, Renault 4, Citroën Acadiane and Citroën C15 vans and copied in the 1990s by Vauxhall/Opel and Ford. The "Weekend" version of the van had collapsible, removable rear seating and rear side windows, enabling a tradesman to use it as a family vehicle at the weekend as well as for business in the week. This was the fore-runner of the Citroën Berlingo and Renault Kangoo people carriers introduced in the 1990s. A pick-up truck version was used by the British Royal Navy for pioneering Royal Marine helicopter carrier amphibious operations aboard HMS Bulwark and Albion in the late 1950s and early 1960s, because of the payload limitations of their first large helicopters. By 1952, production had reached more than 21,000 with export markets earning foreign currency taking precedence, the home was strictly rationed. Boulanger's policy, that continued after his death was: "Priority is given to those who have to travel by car because of their work, and for whom ordinary cars are too expensive to buy." Dealer sales contracts were provisional and customers needs were verified by the company. The deserving cases were country vets, doctors, midwives, priests and the small farmers that it was originally designed for.

2CV Citroën Sahara (spare wheel in bonnet recess)

2CV Citroën Sahara—showing rear engine air intake and reshaped rear wings

1967 AZAM Export Model with 1960-on bonnet and many period accessories

A 1970s Citroën 2CV with rectangular headlights

A 1970s Citroën 2CV Club / 1980s Special Edition front interior

German market 2CV Dolly, with front-seat head restraints.

A 1980s 2CV6 Special

One-off Charleston style colour scheme in green

A special version of the 2CV was the Sahara for very difficult off-road driving, built from December 1960 to 1971. This had an extra engine mounted in the rear compartment and both front- and rear-wheel traction. Only 694 Saharas were built. The target markets for this car were French oil companies, the military, and the police.

From the mid-1950s economy car competition had increased—internationally in the form of the 1957 Fiat 500 and 1955 Fiat 600, and 1959 Austin Mini. On the French home market there was a new small Simca 1000 using licensed Fiat technology, and the new front wheel drive and suspiciously Citroënesque Renault 4, that appeared to have been designed to a very similar, but more modern brief as the 2CV. It marked the beginning of Renault 1960s switch to front engine front wheel drive FF layout, from the rear engine rear wheel drive RR layout. It was the biggest threat to the 2CV, eventually outselling it.

In 1960 the 2CV was updated. In particular the corrugated Citroën H Van style "ripple bonnet" of convex swages was replaced (except for the Sahara), with one using six larger concave swages and looked similar until the end of production. Prior to this demand so outstripped supply that Citroën did not need to spend money on marketing, apart from a few dealer leaflets, at all. A new marketing effort was set up to seriously market the 2CV. Director of publicity Claude Puech came up with humorous and inventive campaigns. Robert Delpire of the Delpire Agency was responsible for the stylish brochures. Ad copy came from Jacques Wolgensinger Director of PR at Citroën. Wolgensinger was responsible for the youth orientated 'Raids', 2CV Cross, rallies, the use of 'Tin-Tin', and the slogan "More than just a car – a way of life". The austerity of the speedometer driven wipers and grey only colour, were replaced by electric wipers and a range of colours, which first started with Glacier Blue in 1959, then yellow in 1960. The fabric roof that had previously been a matter of lightness and practical carrying capability, became a 'sun roof'. Marketing materials in the 1960s showed young people and families, having fun and picnics with the removable seats, and even carrying grandfather clocks and bric-a-brac through the open roof. All of this was to try to distance the car from its 1940s post-war austerity associations. The improved 1963-70 AZAM model was the result of all this marketing work. The 1960s were the heyday of the 2CV, when production finally caught up with demand.

In 1967 Citroën launched a new model based on the 2CV chassis, with an updated but still utilitarian body, with a hatchback that boosted practicality: the Citroën Dyane. This was in response to the direct competition by the Renault 4, that had used so many stolen design ideas from the 2CV and Traction Avant that Citroën contemplated legal action at the time of its launch. (Similarly, Volkswagen had had to pay damages to Hans Ledwinka over the Beetle in the 1960s.) At the same time, Citroën developed the Méhari off-roader.

The purchase price of the 2CV was always very low. In Germany in the 1960s, for example, it cost about half as much as a Volkswagen Beetle.

From 1961, the car became offered, at extra cost, with the flat-2 engine size increased to 602 cc (36.7 cu in), although for many years the smaller 425 cc (25.9 cu in) engine continued to be available in France and certain export markets where engine size was critical in determining car tax levels. In 1970 the car gained rear light units from the Citroën Ami 6, and also standardised a third side window in the rear pillar on 2CV6 (602 cc) models. All 2CVs from this date can run on unleaded fuel. 1970s cars featured rectangular headlights.

The highest annual production was in 1974. Sales of the 2CV were reinvigorated by the 1974 oil crisis. The 2CV after this time became more of a youth lifestyle statement than a basic functional form of transport. This renewed popularity was encouraged by the Citroën "Raid" intercontinental endurance rallies of the 1970s where customers could participate by buying a new 2CV, fitted with a ruggedising 'P.O.' kit (which stands for Pays d'Outre-mer - overseas countries), to cope with thousands of miles of very poor or off-road routes.

• 1970: Paris–Kabul: 1,300 young people, 500 2CVs, 16,500 km to Afghanistan and back.
• 1971: Paris–Persepolis: 500 2CVs 13,500 km to Iran and back.
• 1973: Raid Afrique, 60 2CVs 8000 km from Abidjan to Tunis, the Atlantic capital of Côte d'Ivoire in West Africa through the Sahara, (the Ténéré desert section was unmapped and had previously been barred to cars), to the Mediterranean capital of Tunisia.

The Paris to Persepolis rally was the most famous. The Citroën "2CV Cross" circuit / off-road races were very popular in Europe.

In September 1975, a base model called the 2CV Spécial was introduced. In order to keep the price as low as possible, Citroën removed the third side window, the ashtray, and virtually all trim from the car. For the first few years of production, the Spécial was only available in yellow.

In 1981 a bright yellow 2CV was driven by James Bond in the film For Your Eyes Only, including an elaborate set piece car chase through a Spanish olive farm, in which Bond uses the unique abilities of the modestly powered 2CV to escape his pursuers in Peugeot 504 sedans. The car in the film was fitted with the flat-4 engine from a Citroën GS for slightly more power. Citroën launched a special edition 2CV "007" to coincide with the 2CV product placement in the film, it was fitted with the standard flat-2 engine, painted in yellow with "007" on the front doors and fake bullet hole stickers. This car was also popular in miniature, from Corgi Toys.

Special edition saloon models

The special edition models began with the 1976 SPOT model and continued in the 1980s:

• 1980 Charleston: inspired by Art-Deco two colour styles 1920s Citroën model colour schemes
• 1981 007: in association with the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only
• 1983 Beachcomber: known as "France 3" in France or "Transat" in other continental European markets—Citroën sponsored the French America's Cup yacht entry of that year
• 1985 Dolly: two colours
• 1986 Cocorico: meaning "cock-a-doodle-doo"—supporting France in the 1986 Football World Cup
• 1987 Bamboo
• 1988 Perrier: in association with the mineral water company

DIY 'Special Edition' Citroën 2CV inspired by the VW Polo/VW Golf Harlequin

The Charleston became a full model in 1981 and the Dolly in 1985. The Dolly used the "Spécial" models most basic trim rather than the slightly better-appointed "Club" as was the case with the other special editions. In the 1980s there was a range of four full models:

• Spécial
• Dolly (an improved version of the Spécial)
• Club (that was discontinued in the early 1980s)
• Charleston (an improved version of the Club)

All the special editions made a virtue of the individual anachronistic styling. The changes between the special editions and the basic "Spécial" base model, (that was also continued until the end of production), were only a different speedometer, paint, stickers, seat fabric, internal door handles, and interior light. Many of the "special edition" interior trim items were carry-overs from the 1970s "Club" models. Citroën probably gained former VW customers as the only other "retro alternative" economy car style of vehicle,^{[citation needed]} the Volkswagen Beetle, was withdrawn from the European market in 1978, (special order only from Mexico in the 1980s), when it ceased production in West Germany.

2CV SPOT   2CV Charleston (Rouge Delage / Noir)   2CV Charleston (Jaune Helios / Noir)   2CV 007 (as used in For Your Eyes Only)   Production Special Edition 007 Graphics   2CV Beachcomber   Charleston (Gris Cormoran / Nocturne)   2CV Dolly   2CV Dolly rear   2CV Cocorico   2CV Bamboo

Export markets

Citroën 2CV with front "Suicide Doors", post-1960 bonnet, and oversized factory protective bumpers in Buenos Aires, Argentina

1965 US Export Citroën 2CV AZAM

1970s Argentinian 3CV hatchback

1965 US Export Citroën 2CV AZAM interior

Citroën 2CV vs Volkswagen Beetle

The 2CV was mainly sold in France and some European markets. During the post-war years Citroën was very focused on the home market, which had some unusual quirks, like puissance fiscale. The management of Michelin was supportive of Citroën up to a point, and with a suspension designed to use Michelin's new radial tyres the Citroën cars clearly demonstrated their superiority over their competitors' tyres. But they were not prepared to initiate the investment needed for the 2CV (or the Citroën DS for that matter) to truly compete on the global stage. Citroën was always under-capitalised until the 1970s Peugeot takeover. Consequently, the 2CV suffered a similar fate to the Morris Minor and Mini, selling fewer than 10 million units, at 8,830,679 of all 2CV based vehicles, whereas the Volkswagen Beetle, which was available worldwide, sold 21 million units.

Some of the early models were built at Citroën's plant in Slough, England from 1953. Until then British Construction and Use Regulations made cars with inboard front brakes such as the 2CV illegal. Producing the car in Britain allowed Citroen to circumvent trade barriers and to sell cars in the British Empire and Commonwealth. It achieved some success in these markets, to the extent that all Slough-built 2CVs were fitted with improved air cleaners and other modifications to suit the rough conditions found in Australia and Africa, where the 2CV's durability and good ride quality over rough roads attracted buyers. The 2CV sold poorly in Great Britain in part due to its excessive cost because of import duties on components. Sales of Slough-produced 2CVs ended in 1960. In 1959, trying to boost sales, Citroën introduced a glass-fibre coupé version called the Bijou that was briefly produced at Slough. Styling of this little car was by Peter Kirwan-Taylor (better known for his work with Colin Chapman of Lotus cars), but it proved to be too heavy for the diminutive 425 cc (25.9 cu in) engine to endow it with adequate performance. It served to use up remaining 2CV parts at Slough in the early 1960s. In 1975, the 2CV was re-introduced to the British market in the wake of the oil crisis. These were produced in France but avoided the crippling import duties of the 1950s, because the UK was by then a member of the EEC. In the 1980s the best foreign markets for the 2CV were the UK and Germany.

Only a few thousand 2CVs were sold in North America when they were new; as in England their pricing was excessive relative to competitors. The original model that produced just 9 hp (6.7 kW) and had a top speed of only 64 km/h (40 mph) (even the fastest of the later models struggled to 115 km/h (71 mph)) was unsuited to the expanding post-war US freeway network, and was never widely accepted in North America, unlike the Volkswagen Beetle, which was designed with Autobahns in mind and could reach speeds of over 115 km/h (and later versions were faster still). Citroën was marketed as a luxury brand after the launch of the mid-1950s Citroën DS in North America, and the importers did not actively promote the 2CV, as doing so would undermine the brand image. Unlike larger Citroëns, there are no legal issues with owning a 2CV; the car is effectively a restored pre-1968 vehicle.^{[citation needed]}

A rare Jeep-esque derivative, called the Yagán after an Aborigine tribe, was made in Chile between 1972 and 1973. After the Chilean coup of 1973, there were 200 Yagáns left that were used by the Army to patrol the streets and the Peruvian border, with 106 mm (4.2 in) cannons.

A similar car was sold in some west African countries as the Citroën "Baby-brousse".

In Iran, the Citroën 2CV was called the Jian. The cars were originally manufactured in Iran in a joint venture between Citroën and Iran National up until the 1979 Revolution, when Iran National was nationalised, which continued producing the Jian without the involvement of Citroën.

1966 Citroën "Citroneta" 2CV Azam 18hp four-door sedan

1961 13hp "Citroneta" pickup truck

The 2CV was built in Chile and Argentina for South America. The 1953 Citroneta model of the 2CV made in Chile and Argentina used a type AZ chassis with 425 cc engine developing 12 bhp (8.9 kW). Both chassis and engine were made in France while the 'three box' bodywork (in both 2- and 4-door versions) was designed and produced in Chile. It was the first economy car on the market in Chile. The 1970s Chilean version mounted a 602 cc engine with an output of 33 hp (25 kW), and was designated as the AX-330. It was built between 1970 and 1978, during which it saw changes like different bumpers, a hard roof, front disc brakes, and square headlights. A derivation called the "3CV" was built in Argentina with various modifications such as a hatchback. Citroën had produced more than 200,000 cars in Argentina by 1977; production ended in 1979. A 2CV with a heavily modified front end called the 3CV IES America was produced well into the 1980s, by an Argentinian company that bought the rights and factory from Citroën.

The 1981 James Bond movie For Your Eyes Only caused a surge in sales of the car in Chile where it was specially imported from Spain to meet demand (mostly in yellow), since it had already been phased out on the Chilean assembly line.

In 1985, Citroën drew up plans with the Escorts Group to manufacture the 2CV in India for the rural market, as well as spare parts for export. However, the Indian government rejected this scheme as it would have resulted in competition for Maruti in which they held a stake.

Construction

All 2CVs have flap-up windows: roll up windows were considered too heavy and expensive in 1948, and the design did not allow any update.

A Citroën 2CV6 Club from the back, the roof rolled open

A 1980s 2CV6 Special, interior from the back with the roof rolled open

Later 2CV Chassis and Suspension System - Cut away top plate showing spring cylinder mounting cross tube and internal chassis bracing.

1950s 2CV interior - front

1950s 2CV interior - rear

1956 2CV front/side

1950s 2CV rear/side

Very unrestored / patinated 1950s 2CV

Interior of the above car

The level of technology in the 1948 2CV was remarkable for a car of any price in that era, let alone one of the cheapest cars on the planet. While colours and detail specifications were modified in the ensuing 42 years, the biggest mechanical change was the addition of front disc brakes in 1981 (from the discontinued Citroën Dyane), for the 1982 model year.

Features of the 1948 2CV

• unusual four-wheel independent suspension, front and rear wheels which connected the front and rear suspension on each side
• leading arm front suspension
• trailing arm rear suspension
• rear fender skirts, but the suspension design allowed wheel change without removing the skirts / rear wings
• front-wheel drive
• inboard front brakes, in order to help lower unsprung weight thus making ride even softer
• Four-wheel hydraulic brakes, (British Austin economy cars of the time only had hydraulic front brakes, the rears were by mechanical linkage)
• small, lightweight, 9HP air-cooled flat twin engine, (with overhead valves when side valves were still common), mounted very low in front of the front wheels for stability
• 4-speed manual transmission, (when three speeds were common) with an unusual dashboard push/pull/twist linkage
• bolt-on detachable front and rear wings/fenders
• detachable doors, bonnet (and boot lid after 1960), by "slide out" P profile sheet metal hinges
• front rear-hinged "suicide doors"
• flap-up windows, as roll up windows were considered too heavy and expensive. (Pictured Here )
• detachable full length fabric sunroof and boot lid, for almost pickup-truck-like load carrying versatility
• rack and pinion steering mounted inside the front suspension cross-tube, well behind the front wheels, away from a frontal impact
• load adjustable headlights.
• a heater (heaters were standardised on British economy cars in the 1960s)

Body

The body was constructed of a dual H-frame platform chassis and aircraft-style tube framework, and a very thin steel shell that was bolted to the chassis. Because the original design brief called for a low speed car, little or no attention was paid to aerodynamics. The result was that the body had a drag coefficient (Cd) of a high 0.51.

Suspension

The suspension of the 2CV was almost comically soft; a person could easily rock the car side to side dramatically (back and forth was quite a bit more resistant). The leading arm / trailing arm swinging arm, fore-aft linked suspension system together with inboard front brakes had a much smaller unsprung weight than existing coil spring or leaf spring designs. It was designed by Marcel Chinon.

• The system comprises two suspension cylinders mounted horizontally on each side of the platform chassis. Inside the cylinders are two springs, one for each wheel, mounted at each end of the cylinder. The springs are connected to the front leading swinging arm and rear trailing swinging arm, that act like bellcranks by pull rods (tie rods). These are connected to spring seating cups in the middle of the cylinder, each spring being compressed independently, against the ends of the cylinder.(Pictured Here )
• If each cylinder was rigidly mounted to the chassis, it would provide fully independent suspension, but it is not rigidly mounted. It is mounted using an additional set of springs, originally made from steel, called "volute" springs (that are visible on the ends of cylinder in the external linked drawing above), but on later models made from rubber. These springs allow the front and rear suspension to interconnect.

• When the front wheel is deflected up over a bump, the front pull rod compresses the front spring inside the cylinder, against the front of the cylinder. This also compresses the front "volute" spring pulling the whole cylinder forwards. That action pushes the rear wheel down on the same side via the rear spring assembly and pull rod. When the rear wheel meets that bump a moment later, it does the same in reverse, keeping the car level front to rear. When both springs are compressed on one side when travelling around a bend, or front and rear wheels hit bumps simultaneously, the equal and opposite forces applied to the front and rear spring assemblies reduce the interconnection significantly, or even completely. This stiffens the suspension after a certain amount of body roll has been achieved. It allows the 2CV to have very soft "bump mode" absorption, without wallow or uncontrolled float.
• It reduces pitching, which is a particular problem of soft car suspension.
• At high angles of body roll, the swinging arms that are mounted with large bearings to "cross tubes" that run side to side across the chassis; combined with the effects of all-independent soft springing and excellent damping, this keeps the road wheels in contact with the road surface and parallel to each other across the axles. A larger than conventional steering castor angle, ensures that the front wheels are closer to vertical than the rears, when cornering hard with a lot of body roll. All this provides excellent road holding, while appearing to look like a softly sprung American car with poor handling and road holding because of poor body control.

• The other key factor in the quality of its road holding is the very low and forward centre of gravity, provided by the position of the engine and transmission.

• The suspension also automatically accommodates differing payloads in the car- with four people and cargo on board the wheelbase increases by around 4 cm (2 in) as the suspension deflects, and the castor angle of the front wheels increases by as much as 8 degrees thus ensuring that ride quality, handling and road holding is almost unaffected by the additional weight.

• On early cars friction dampers (like a dry version of a multi-plate clutch design) were fitted at the mountings of the front and rear swinging arms to the cross-tubes. Because the rear brakes were outboard, they had extra tuned mass dampers to damp wheel bounce from the extra unsprung mass. Later models had tuned mass dampers at the front (because the leading arm had more inertia and "bump/thump" than the trailing arm), with hydraulic telescopic dampers / shock absorbers front and rear. The uprated hydraulic damping obviated the need for the rear inertia dampers. (It should be noted that only dampers designed to be able to work horizontally should be used as replacements. Some that will physically fit do not work properly horizontally.)

• It was designed to be a comfortable ride by matching the frequencies encountered in human bipedal motion.

This sophisticated suspension design ensured the road wheels followed ground contours underneath them closely, while insulating the vehicle from shocks, enabling the 2CV to be driven over a ploughed field as its design brief required. More importantly it could comfortably and safely drive at reasonable speed, along the ill-maintained and war-damaged post-war French Routes Nationales. It was commonly driven "Pied au Plancher"—"foot to the floor" by their peasant owners.

The 2CV suspension was assessed by Alec Issigonis and Alex Moulton in the mid-1950s (according to an interview by Moulton with CAR magazine in the late 1990s); this inspired them to design the Hydrolastic suspension system for the Mini and Austin 1100, to try to keep the benefits of the 2CV system but with added roll stiffness in a simplified design.

Front-wheel drive

Front-wheel drive made the car easy and safe to drive and Citroën had developed expertise with it due to the pioneering Traction Avant, which was the first mass-produced steel monocoque front-wheel-drive car in the world. The 2CV was originally equipped with a sliding splined joint, and twin Hookes type universal joints on its driveshafts; later models used constant velocity joints and a sliding splined joint.

Gearbox

The gearbox was a 4-speed manual transmission, an advanced feature on an inexpensive car at the time. Boulanger had originally insisted on no more than three gears, because he believed that with four ratios the car would be perceived as complex to drive by customers. Thus, the fourth gear was marketed as an overdrive, this is why on the early cars the "4" was replaced by "S" for surmultipliée. The gear shifter came horizontally out of the dashboard with the handle curved upwards. It had a strange shift pattern: the first was back on the left, the second and third were inline, and the fourth (or the S) could be engaged only by turning the lever to the right from the third. Reverse was opposite first. Although this may seem an odd layout, it is in fact logical. The idea is to put most used gears opposite each other: for parking, first and reverse; for normal driving, second and third. This layout was adopted from the H-van's 3-speed gearbox.

The windscreen wipers were powered by a purely mechanical system: a cable connected to the transmission; to reduce cost, this cable also powered the speedometer. The wipers' speed was therefore dependent on car speed. When the car was waiting at a crossroad, the wipers were not powered; thus, a handle under the speedometer allowed them to be operated by hand. Although this system was far from perfect, it was better than some 1950s British Ford economy cars that had wipers powered by inlet manifold vacuum that ran at full speed at engine idle but slowed down to a crawl when cruising at speed. From 1962, the wipers were powered by a single-speed electric motor. The car came with only a speedometer and an ammeter.

The reliability of the car was increased by the fact that, being air-cooled (with an oil cooler), it had no coolant, radiator, water pump or thermostat. It had no distributor either, just a contact breaker system. Except for the all hydraulic brakes, there were no hydraulic parts on original models as damping was by tuned mass dampers and friction dampers. On later models the mass dampers and friction dampers were replaced by conventional shock absorbers.

Early models used a combination of steel pipes and flexible rubber hoses in the braking system. Later 2CV used only steel pipe in the hydraulic braking system; no flexible rubber hoses were used. The front inboard brakes were fixed to the gearbox and did not move with the wheels, while the rear brake pipe was coiled multiple times around the rear trailing-arm mounting tube to absorb suspension movement. This allowed cheaper and lighter assembly, greater reliability and a solid feel at the brake pedal.^{[citation needed]}

Engines

2CV6 engine compartment, post-1981 (with inboard disc brakes)

2CV ignition system diagram

Movement of flat-twin engine pistons, connecting rods and crankshaft—click to animate.

2CV flat-twin engine halved with piston removed—showing connecting rod, crankshaft, crankcase, camshaft, spring loaded split timing gear and engine oil pickup.

The engine was designed by Walter Becchia and Lucien Gerard, with a nod to the classic "boxer" BMW motorcycle engine (it is reported that Becchia dismantled the engine of the BMW motorcycle of Flaminio Bertoni before designing the 2CV engine). It was an air-cooled, flat-twin, four-stroke, 375 cc engine with pushrod operated overhead valves and a hemispherical combustion chamber. The notoriously underpowered earliest model developed only 9 bhp DIN (6.5 kW). A 425 cc engine was introduced in 1955, followed in 1968 by a 602 cc one giving 28 bhp (21 kW) at 7,000 rpm. With the 602 cc engine, the tax classification of the car changed so that it became in fact a 3CV, but the commercial name remained unchanged. A 435 cc engine was introduced at the same time in replacement of the 425 cc; the 435 cc engine car was christened 2CV 4 while the 602 cc took the name 2CV 6 (although a variant did take the name 3CV in Argentina). The 602 cc engine evolved to the M28 33 bhp (25 kW) in 1970; this was the most powerful engine fitted to the 2CV. A new 602 cc giving only 29 bhp (22 kW) at a slower 5,750 rpm was introduced in 1979. Despite being less powerful, this engine was more efficient, allowing lower fuel consumption and better top speed, at the price of decreased acceleration. All 2CVs with the M28 engine can run on unleaded petrol, but attention is needed to ensure that valve clearances are maintained. Although there weren't any more powerful engines for this model, Citroen used the same engine design on other cars, like the AMI, the LN, the Dyane. The slightly increased capacity mapped electronic ignition version in the Visa was significantly different. They had a bit more power, and many 2CV owners installed those engines in their car for more flexibility. Cutaway drawings of the 2CV engine are pictured on the citroenet.org.uk website.

The 2CV used the wasted spark ignition system for both simplicity and reliability and had only speed-controlled ignition timing, no vacuum advance taking account of engine load.

Unlike other air-cooled cars (such as the Volkswagen Beetle and the Fiat 500) the 2CV's engine had (for simplicity and reliability) no thermostat valve fitted to its oil system to allow the oil to reach normal operating temperature quickly in cold weather. All the oil in the system passed through an oil cooler mounted behind the fan and received the full cooling effect regardless of the ambient temperature. This removes the risk of overheating from a jammed thermostat that can afflict water- and air-cooled engines and the engine can withstand many hours of running under heavy load at high engine speeds even in hot weather. To prevent the engine running cool in cold weather (and to improve the output of the cabin heater) all 2CVs were supplied with a grille blinds (canvas on early cars and a clip-on plastic item on later ones) which blocked around half the grille aperture to reduce the flow of cool air to the engine.

The engine's design concentrated on the reduction of moving parts. The cooling fan and dynamo were built integrally with the one-piece crankshaft, removing the need for drive belts. (Late models (shown in photo) used an alternator mounted high above the engine, to keep it dry, run with a drive belt). The crankshaft was a "built-up" design similar to that used in many motorcycle engines. In place of the split big ends and two-piece big-end bearings commonly used in car engines, the 2CV engine used connecting rods with one-piece big-ends and bearings, which were fitted to the crankpins before the crank was assembled. The crankpins were then hydraulically pressed into the webs after being chilled with liquid nitrogen to cause them to contract. The entire unit (crank, big-end bearings and connecting rods was then fitted to the engine. The camshaft drive gears incorporate a spring-loaded split gear, to reduce the effects of gear wear and backlash on valve timing and ignition timing. With the contact breaker in a housing on the end of the crankshaft there was no separate jackshaft to be affected by chain or gear wear and associated backlash.^{[citation needed]}. The use of gaskets, seen as another potential weak point for failure and leaks, was also kept to a minimum. The cylinder heads are mated to the cylinder barrels by a lapped joints with extremely fine tolerances as are the two halves of the crankcase and other surface-to-surface joints.

As well as the close tolerances between parts the engine's lack of gaskets was made possible by a unique crankcase ventilation system. On any 2-cylinder boxer engine such as the 2CV's, the volume of the crankcase reduces by the cubic capacity of the engine (375 to 602cc in the Citroen's case) when the pistons move together. This, combined with the inevitable small amount of 'leakage' of combustion gases past the pistons leads to a positive pressure in the crankcase which must be removed in the interests of engine efficiency and to prevent oil and gas leaks as the pressure tries to escape. The 2CV's engine has a combined engine 'breather' and oil filler assembly which contains a series of rubber reed valves. These allow positive pressure to escape the crankcase (to the engine air intake to be recirculated) but which close when the pressure in the crankcase drops as the pistons move apart. Because gases are expelled but not admitted this creates a slight vacuum in the crankcase so that any weak joint or failed seal causes air to be sucked in rather than allowing oil to leak out. Since the oil serves both as the engine's lubricant and forms a vital part of the cooling system this 'anti leak' system was especially important.

These design features made the 2CV engine highly reliable; test engines were run at full speed for 1000 hours at a time, equivalent to driving 80,000 km (50,000 mi) at full throttle. They also meant that the engine was very much "sealed for life"—for example, replacing the big-end bearings required specialised equipment to dismantle and reassemble the built-up crankshaft, and as this was often not available the entire crankshaft had to be replaced. However, the engine is very under-stressed and long-lived, so this is not a major issue. Until the 1960s it was common for other car manufacturers' engines to need full strip downs and rebuilds at as little as 80,000 km (50,000 mi) intervals; un-rebuilt 2CV engines are still running that are passing 400,000 km (250,000 mi).^{[citation needed]}

If the starter motor or battery failed, the 2CV had the option of hand-cranking, the jack handle serving as starting handle through dogs on the front of the crankshaft at the centre of the fan. This feature, once universal on cars and still common in 1948 when the 2CV was introduced, was kept until the end of production in 1990. The jack handle also served as the wheelbrace (lug wrench) and could be used to remove the nuts that held the front wings (fenders) on—part of the car's design to facilitate easy maintenance.^{[citation needed]}

Variant	Bore × Stroke (mm)	Displacement (cc)	Compression ratio	Carburettor	Power HP/rpm	Torque Nm/rpm	Application	Years produced
A-2CV	62×62	375	6.2	Solex 22ZACI	9/3500	19.6/2000	Citroën 2CV A	1948–56
							Citroën 2CV Fourgonnette AU	1951–56
			7				Citroën 2CV A	1956–60
A53	66×62	425	6.2	Solex 26CBI	12/3500		Citroën 2CV AZ	1954–56
							Citroën 2CV AZU	1954–63
			7				Citroën 2CV AZ, AZL e AZLM	1956–60
					12.5/4200			1960–61
			7.5		13.5/4000			1961–62
					15/4500	26.5/2500		1962–63
				Solex 28CBI	18/5000		Citroën 2CV AZA, AZAM ed Export	1963–67
			7.75			28.5/3500	Citroën 2CV AZA	1967–70
							Citroën 2CV AZU	1963–67
A79/0	66×62	425		Solex 32	21/5450	29.4/2400	Citroën Dyane 4	1967–68
							Citroën 2CV AZU	1967–73
A79/1	68.5×59	435	8.5	Solex 34	26/6750	30.4/4000	Citroën 2CV 4	1970–79
							Citroën Dyane 4	1968–75
							Citroën 2CV AZU250	1972–77
M4	74×70	602	7.5	Solex 30PBI	21/4500	39.5/3500	Citroën Ami 6	1961–63
							Citroën Dyane 6	1968
							Citroën 2CV AK350	1963–68
			7.75	Solex 40PICS	25.5/4750	42/3000	Citroën Ami 6
M28/1			8.5	Solex 34	32.8/5750	42/3500	Citroën 2CV 6	1970–78
							Citroën Dyane 6	1968–70
							Citroën Méhari	1968–78
							Citroën FAF	1973–78
							Citroën Acadiane	1978–87
M28			9	Solex 26/35	32/5750	46.4/3500	Citroën Dyane 6	1970–83
							Citroën Ami 8	1969–78
			8.5			41/3500	Citroën LN	1976–78
					29/5750	39/3500	Citroën 2CV 6	1979–90
V06	77×70	652	9.5	Solex 26/35 CSIC	35/5750	52/3500	Citroën LN	1978–86
						49/3500	Citroën Visa Club	1978–87

Performance

1955 2CV

When asked about the 2CVs performance and acceleration, many owners said it went "from 0–60 in one day". Others jokingly said they "had to make an appointment to merge onto an interstate highway system".

The original 1948 model that produced only 9 hp had a 0-40 time of 42.4 seconds and a top speed of just 64 km/h (40 mph), far below the speeds necessary for North American highways or the German Autobahns of the day. The top speed increased with engine size to 80 km/h (49 mph) in 1955, 84 km/h (52 mph) in 1962, 100 km/h (63 mph) in 1970, but was finally not capable of US freeway speeds of 115 km/h (71 mph) until 1981.

The last evolution of the 2CV engine was the Citroën Visa flat-2, a 652 cc featuring electronic ignition. Citroën never sold this engine in the 2CV, but some enthusiasts have converted their 2CVs to 652 engines, or even transplanted Citroën GS or GSA flat 4 engines and gearboxes. Cars with the flat-4 engines and subtle bodywork changes so they appear to be standard are known as "Sidewinders" in the UK.

In the mid-1980s CAR magazine editor Steve Cropley ran a turbocharged 602 cc 2CV that was developed by engineer Richard Wilsher.

Expeditions

The 2CV has also been used for travel around the world. In 1958–1959, two young Frenchmen, Jean-Claude Baudot and Jacques Séguéla started at the Paris Motor Show on October 9, 1958; headed south and crossed the Mediterranean Sea by boat from Port Vendres to Algeria; traversed the African continent and crossed the South Atlantic from Cape Town to Rio de Janeiro; criss-crossed South America and the United States; and boated from San Francisco to Yokohama. They returned to Paris on November 11, 1959. During the 13 months, they drove 100,000 kilometres, and consumed 5000 litres of petrol and 36 tyres.

Citroën promoted 2CV events called "Raids" in the 1970s, for which main dealers would supply a ruggedising kit. Paris to Persepolis in Iran was the best known.

Nicknames

DIY paintwork was often seen on the 2CV

The white 2CV6 n° KA 372168

Unrestored 1960 2CV daily driver in 2003

Champs-Elysées, Paris, 2009

Popular French nicknames were "Deuche" and "Dedeuche". The Dutch were the first to call it "het lelijke eendje" ("the ugly duckling") or just "Eend" ("duck"), while the Flemish called it "de geit" ("the goat"). In German-speaking countries, it is called "Ente" ("duck"). English nicknames include "Flying Dustbin","Tin Snail", "Dolly", "Tortoise" and "Upside-down pram". In the former Yugoslavia, the car was called "spaček" (pronounced "spa-check", Slovene for "little freak"). In Spanish-speaking countries, they were nicknamed "dos caballos" (two horses), "citrola", "citruca", "cirila", "la rana" (the frog) and derived from "Citroën" were called "citroneta" and "la cabra" (the goat). In Denmark, the car has many names like "Gyngehest" (Rocking horse) or "Studenter-Jaguar" (student's Jaguar) while amongst 2CV enthusiasts the cars are affectionately called "De kære små" (the dear small ones). In Finland, the 2CV is known as "Rättisitikka" (Finnish for "rag Citroën") because of its canvas roof. In Swedish (at least in the Swedish-speaking areas of Finland), it's called "Lingonplockare" (since the looks are similar to a device for picking lingonberries). In Tunisia, they call it "karkassa". In Hungary it is called "Kacsa" (pronounced "kacha" and meaning "duck"). In Israel, it was called "פחנוע" (pronounced "pah-noa", meaning "tin car") and in Iceland it was named "Sítróen braggi" (meaning "Citroën Quonset hut"). In Norway, the name was "Jernseng", meaning "iron bed". In Iran, it is known as "Jian / Zhian ژیان", which means "Fierce".

In the U.S., it was known as the "flying rag top". American cartoonist Gilbert Shelton referred to it as the "duh-shuh-vuh", referring to the French pronunciation of "2CV".

In Ireland it was noticed as the underdog or íochtarán or it was either called bucket of rust or Buicéad na meirge. This was because most imported cars at the time that come to Ireland would have to wait at the pier or harbour for at least for 3–12 months (especially in Westport, County Mayo, which it is well known for its constant rain), and the 2CV was very prone to corrosion.

Outside France, the 2CV's most common nickname today^{[citation needed]} is "The Duck", which seemed to be endorsed by Citroën which released a stuffed toy animal in the 1980s representing a duck with Citroën on its side and 2CV under its right foot.

End of production

The 2CV was produced for 42 years, the model finally succumbing to customer demands for speed, in which this ancient design had fallen significantly behind modern cars, and safety, where it was better than was generally realised: the front of the chassis was designed to fold up, to form a crumple zone according to a 1984 Citroën brochure. It was rated as comparable for safety with contemporary small cars (that are all very poor by modern standards), by Which? magazine in the 1980s. Which? started rating safety in 1983, originally with their own rating system. Which? also recommended the 2CV as a basic car to buy in the mid-1980s, but had changed their minds by the late 1980s. (The drive for improved crash worthiness in Europe has happened from the 1990s onwards, and accelerated with the 1997 advent of Euro NCAP.) Its advanced underlying engineering was ignored or misunderstood, by the public, being clothed in an ultra basic anachronistic body. It was the butt of many a joke, especially by Jasper Carrott. It was not helped by Citroën failing to promote it after the mid-1980s and by falling quality standards. The car was viewed as an embarrassment by Citroën, and they tried to kill the model for several years before the end came.

Citroën had attempted to replace the ultra-utilitarian 2CV several times (with the Dyane, Visa, and the AX); however its comically antiquated appearance became an advantage to the car and it became a niche product which sold because it was different from anything else on sale. Because of its down-to-earth economy car style, it became popular with people who wanted to distance themselves from mainstream consumerism—"hippies"—and also with environmentalists.

Although not a replacement for the 2CV, the AX supermini, a conventional urban runabout, unremarkable apart from its exceptional lightness, seemed to address the car makers' requirements at the entry level in the early 1990s.

In 1988 production ceased in France but was continued in Portugal. The last official 2CV, a Charleston with chassis number 08KA 4813 PT which was reserved for the Mangualde plant manager Claude Hebert, rolled off the Portuguese production line on July 27, 1990. But during the following week, five additional 2CV Special vehicles left the plant; three of their number (one blue, one white with chassis number KA 372168 fitted for a 1991 series that also never materialized, one red) for exhibition at the French "Mondial de l'Automobile" in Paris, October 1990 but this project was later cancelled.

The chassis numerical incrementation was not always sequential. The series number identification badge stock were ordered in bulk and fixed at random on the vehicles when leaving the production line. It often left gaps in the numbering sequence. For instance, on February 29, 1988 a gap of more than 17,500 numbers existed between cars carried on the last truck leaving the Levallois plant. Furthermore the official end of this last French line had been observed on February 19. This confusion began in 1948: the first six 2CVs received in succession the chassis numbers 000 007, 000 002, 000 005, 000 003, 000 348 and 000 006. Thus it is not possible to locate precisely the assembly date of the ultimate chassis numbers displayed: KA 366 694 (Great Britain), KA 359666 (Belgium), KA 375 563 (Germany), KA 376 002 (France) and 08KA 4813 PT (Portugal).

In all a total of 3,867,932 2CV's were produced. Including the commercial versions of the 2CV, Dyane, Méhari, FAF, and Ami variants, the 2CV's underpinnings spawned 8,830,679 vehicles. The 2CV was outlived by contemporaries such as the Mini (out of production in 2000), VW Beetle (2003), Renault 4 (1992), VW Type 2 (still in production as of 2010) and Hindustan Ambassador (originally a 1950s Morris Oxford, still in production as of 2010).

Continued popularity—rebirth?

1954 Citroën 2CV and Nissan S-Cargo

2CV 24 Hour Race Snetterton 2009

The design of the 1989 Nissan S-Cargo (a play on the word "Escargot") was directly inspired by the appearance of the tiny French Citroën 2CV Fourgonnette or small truck/delivery van, even including the single spoke steering wheel. The 2CV was relatively popular in Japan at this time. The car was introduced at the Tokyo Motor Show, along with the Nissan Figaro, and was built from 1989 until 1992 by Pike Factory for Nissan. It was based on the K10 Nissan Micra/March. Approximately 12,000 were manufactured. All S-Cargos are right-hand drive. Although initially marketed only in Japan, S-Cargos have spread as grey market import vehicles.

The Chrysler CCV or Composite Concept Vehicle developed in the mid-1990s is a concept car developed to illustrate new means of construction suitable to developing nations. The car is a tall, fairly roomy four-door sedan, of modest dimensions. The designers at Chrysler note they were inspired to create a modernised Citroën 2CV.

The company Sorevie of Lodève was building 2CVs until 2002. The cars were built from scratch using mostly new parts. But as the 2CV no longer complied with safety regulations, the cars were sold as second-hand cars using chassis and engine numbers from old 2CVs.

The 2CV-Méhari Club Cassis also reconditions the 2CV and the Citroën Méhari. Recently they entered a 2CV prototype in the Paris-Dakar Rally; this was a four-wheel drive, twin-engine car (like the 2CV Sahara) powered by two 602 cc engines, the traditional one in the front and an engine in the rear boot space.

The long-running 2CV circuit racing series organized by The Classic 2CV Racing Club continues to be popular in the UK.

Auto Express reported in a May 2007 news item that a 2CV concept similar in appearance to the 2005 Evoque would make an appearance in 2009, with Citroën likely to position its modern interpretation of the car against premium rivals such as the Mini.

Styling of the Citroën C3 and Pluriel included motifs reminiscent of the 2CV design.

In 2009 Citroën showed in the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show the Revolte Concept, the design of which was inspired by the 2CV. According to the Spanish car magazine, Autofacíl; the car will be released as the Citroen DS2 around late 2012.

Models

Chronology of the development of models during production

Year	Developments made to models during production.
1949	The first delivered 2CV (A) 375 cc, 9 hp, 65 km/h (40 mph) top speed, only one tail light and windshield wiper with speed shaft drive (the wiper speed was dependent on the driving speed)
1951	The 2CV receives an ignition lock and a locked driver's door.
1954	The oval frame around the Citroën sign on the grille is removed. The speedometer gets a light for the night driving.
1955	The 2 CV side repeaters are added above and behind the rear doors. It is now also available with 425 cc (AZ), 12.5 hp and a top speed of 80 km/h (50 mph).
1957	A heating / ventilation system is installed. The colour of the steering wheel switches from black to grey. The mirrors and the rear window are enlarged. The bonnet is decorated with a longitudinal strip of aluminum (AZL). In September 1957, the model also AZLP (P for "porte de malle", appears with a boot lid panel. Now you no longer had to open the soft top at the bottom to get to the trunk.
1958	In a Belgian Citroën plant has a higher quality version of the duck (AZL3) produced. It had for the first time a third side window, not available in the normal version, improved details.
1960	The production of the 375 cc engine is ended. In the front fenders round turn signals are integrated. The corrugated metal hood is replaced by a 5-rib glossy cover. Simultaneously, the grille is slightly modified (flatter shape with a curved top edge). Also appears the 2 CV 4 × 4 Sahara, later called bimoteur 2 CV. This had been an additional engine-transmission unit in the rear, mounted the other way around and drives the rear wheels. For the second engine, of course, there was a separate push-button starter and choke. With a stick shift between the front seats both transmissions were operated simultaneously. For the two separate engines, there are separate gasoline tanks, under the front seats. Two ignition switches were provided. The filler neck sat in the front doors. Both engines (and hence axles) could be operated independently). The spare wheel was mounted on the hood. The car had, thanks to the all-wheel drive, enormous off-road capability, but at twice the price of the standard 2CV. It was built until 1968 only 693 produced. 1971 one other. Many were used by the Swiss Post as a delivery vehicle. Today they are highly collectible.
1962	The engine power is increased to 14 hp and top speed to 85 km/h (53 mph). In addition, sun roof is installed.
1963	The engine power is increased to 16 hp. The bumper is changed. An electric wiper motor is replacing the drive on the speedo.
1964	The front doors now hinge at the front of the door, instead of at the rear 'suicide doors'. The ammeter is replaced by a charging indicator light. The speedometer is moved from the window frame into the dash. Instead of a dip stick/measuring rod, there is now a fuel gauge.
1965	The grille is changed again: the Citroën logo now sits above the radiator grille. Wavy grille is replaced by three horizontal bars.
1966	The 2CV gets a third side window. As of September 1966 is sold in Germany in Belgium produced a variant with the 602 cc engine and 21 hp Ami6 than 3 CV (AZAM6). This version was only sold until 1968 in some export markets, in France itself, this model was never available.
1967	Between 1967 and 1984 were about 1.4 million Citroën Dyane built. The car is technically based on the 2CV. The exterior is more modern and distinguished by the recessed lights in the fenders and bodywork. The car was designed to appeal to those buyers who were lost after the introduction of the Renault 4. The Dyane was originally planned as an upmarket version of the 2CV and it was supposed to supersede it later. But ultimately, the Dyane was outlived by the 2CV by seven years—it was simply not accepted by the customers.
1970	The taillights (from the obsolete Ami 6), and front turn signals are changed. From 1970, only two series were produced: The 2CV 4 (AZKB) with 435 cc and the 2CV 6 (Azka) with 602 cc displacement.
1971	The front bench seat is replaced with two individual seats.
1972	Are now fitted as standard with 3-point seat belts.
1973	The 2CV gets new seat covers, a padded single-spoke steering wheel and ashtrays.
1975	Because of new emission standards power of 28 hp is reduced to 25 hp to reduce emissions. The round headlights are replaced by square, from the interior which are adjustable in height. A new plastic grille is fitted (the Citroën logo now sits back in the middle of the grille). The bumper is changed.
1976	After the Dyane had come onto the market, the sales figures fell rapidly at first. Between 1975 and 1990 under the name of AZKB "2CV Spécial" a drastically reduced trim basic version is sold. It is at first only in yellow, the third rear side windows are gone, the roof can only be opened from the outside, the seats are upholstered in vinyl and it has round headlights only. The small, square speedometer (that dates back to the Traction Avant), and the narrow rear bumper was installed.
1978	The 2CV Spécial there are now red and white colours and in addition it gets a third side window.
1981	Originally planned as a limited edition, which was initially only available in red and black, by popular demand the Charleston becomes a standard model. By changing the carburettor to achieve 29 hp and a top speed of 115 km / h. Other changes are, A new rear-view mirror and inboard disc brakes at the front wheels.
1982	All the other 2CV models also get inboard disc brakes at the front wheels. The Charleston gets chromed headlights and a new seat upholstery. In addition, it is available in yellow and black, the colour combination, but a year later replaced by the cormorant grey/night grey.
1986	In Germany and Switzerland a special edition called, "I Fly Bleifrei"—"I Fly Lead Free" is launched, that handles ordinary unleaded, instead of then normal leaded petrol and super unleaded. It was introduced mainly because of stricter emissions standards. In 1987 it will be replaced by the "Sausss-duck" special edition.
1990	The last 2CV leaves the production hall in Mangualde, Portugal on 27 July. A total of 5,114,966 units were built.

Production history

Model	1949	1950	1951	1952	1953	1954	1955	1956	1957	1958	1959	1960	1961	1962	1963	1964	1965	1966	1967	1968	1969	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	Total
2CV Saloon	876	6,196	14,592	21,124	34,361	52,791	81,170	95,864	107,250	126,332	145,973	152,801	158,659	144,759	158,035	167,419	154,023	168,357	98,683	54,473	72,044	121,096	121,264	133,530	123,819	163,143	122,542	134,396	132,458	108,825	101,222	89,994	89,472	86,060	59,673	54,923	54,067	56,633	43,255	22,717	19,077	9,954	3,867,932
2CV Van	None	None	1,696	7,711	13,121	19,197	23,904	23,859	31,431	37,631	50,058	57,724	56,639	54,191	55,775	64,994	59,211	55,817	55,281	51,545	53,259	46,485	62,074	64,592	68,357	64,235	44,821	54,533	52,721	12,647	2,535	135	30	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	1,246,299
2CV Sahara	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	20	274	112	87	138	35	27	None	None	None	None	1	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	694

Belgian-built Citroën 2CV AZ-Luxe

1950s German market Citroën 2CV

Standard saloon

Production Data

Model Range	Official Code	Production Dates	Sales Description	Engine CC
2CV	A	07/49 – 07/59	2CV	375
	AZ	10/54 – 10/55	2CV	425
	AZ	10/55 – 10/58	2CV	425
	AZ	10/58 – 10/61	2CV	425
	AZ	10/61 – 04/62	2CV	425
	AZ	04/62 – 02/63	2CV	425
	AZ (séries A et AM)	03/63 – 12/63	2CV AZL & AZAM	425
	AZ (séries A et AM)	12/63 – 02/70	2CV AZL & AZAM	425
	AZ (séries A 2)	02/70 – 09/75	2CV 4	435
	AZ (série KB)	09/75 – 09/78	2CV 4	435
	AZ (série KB)	09/78 – 07/79	2CV Spécial	435
	AZ (série KA)	02/70 – 09/75	2CV 6	602
	AZ (série KA)	09/75 – 09/78	2CV 6	602
	AZ (série KA)	09/78 – 07/79	2CV 6	602
	AZ (série KA)	07/79 – 07/81	2CV 6 Spécial, Club	602
	AZ (série KA)	07/81 – 07/90	2CV Spécial, Club, Spécial E, Charleston	602

Utility

1978 Citroën 2CV AK400 van

AZU Van

Production Data

Model Range	Official Code	Production Dates	Sales Description	Engine CC
2CV Fourgonnette	AU	03/51 – 10/54	2CV - AU	375
	AZU	10/54 – 12/55	2CV - AZU	425
	AZU	12/55 – 10/58	2CV - AZU	425
	AZU	10/58 – 11/61	2CV - AZU	425
	AZU	11/61 – 02/62	2CV - AZU	425
	AZU	02/62 – 03/63	2CV - AZU	425
	AZU (série A)	03/63 – 08/67	2CV - AZU (séries A )	425
	AZU (série A)	08/67 – 08/72	2CV - AZU (séries A )	425
	AZ (série B)	08/72 – 09/75	Citroën 250	435
	AZ série AP (AZU)	09/75 – 02/78	Citroën 250	435
3CV Fourgonnette	AK	04/63 – 05/68	AK 350	602
	AK (série B)	05/68 – 08/70	AK 350	602
	AK (série AK)	08/70 – 09/75	Citroën 400	602
	AK (série AK)	09/75 – 02/78	Citroën 400	602
	AK (série CD)	02/78 – 09/80	Acadiane	602
	AK (série CD)	09/80 – 07/87	Acadiane	602
	AK (série CD modifie)	09/80 – 07/87	Acadiane G.P.L (L.P.G.)	602

1958 Citroën Radar

2CV Bijou

Cabriolet (Radar)

Robert Radar designed a fibreglass body on the chassis of a 2CV in 1956 and built a few prototypes in his Citroën Garage in Liège, Belgium. Citroën Belgium was enthusiastic about this model and decided to produce it as an official Citroën 2CV in its Forest (near Brussels) factory. They manufactured about 50 bodies and added the model called 2CV "Radar" on the price list. They were assembled on order, but in 1958 and 1959, only 25 were sold and production ceased. The remaining bodies were destroyed later. There are five or six of them left, one in the Netherlands and four or five in Belgium.

Coupé (Bijou)

The Bijou was built at the Citroën factory in Slough, UK in the early 1960s. It was a two-door fibreglass-bodied version of the 2CV designed by Peter Kirwan-Taylor. The design was thought to be more acceptable in appearance to British consumers than the standard 2CV. Incorporating some components from the DS (most noticeably the single-spoke steering wheel, and windscreen for the rear window), it did not achieve market success, because it was heavier than the 2CV and still used the 425 cc engine and so was even slower, reaching 100 km/h (62 mph) only under favourable conditions. It was also more expensive than the Austin Mini, which was more practical. Only 207 were built.

Four-wheel drive

Production Data

Model Range	Official Code	Production Dates	Sales Description	Engine CC
2CV 4×4	AW	03/58 – 03/63	2CV 4 × 4 "SAHARA"	2 × 425
2CV 4×4	AW/AT	03/63 – 07/66	2CV 4 × 4 "SAHARA"	2 × 425

One novel model was the 2CV Sahara, a four-wheel drive (4×4) car, equipped with two engines (12 hp each), each one having a separate fuel tank. One was mounted in the front driving the front wheels and one in the back driving the rear wheels. A single gearstick, clutch pedal and accelerator were connected to both engines. It was originally intended for use by the French colonies in Northern Africa. As well as a decreased chance of being stranded, it provided four-wheel-drive traction with continuous drive to some wheels while others were slipping because the engine transmissions were uncoupled. Therefore it became popular with off-road enthusiasts. Between 1958 and 1971, Citroën built 694 Saharas, but only 27 are known to exist today. The top speed was 65 km/h (40 mph) on one engine, but this increased to 105 km/h (65 mph) with both engines running.

British journalist Paul Walton flew to Israel to drive one of the 27 examples left, in the desert for the April 2000 issue of Classic Cars magazine.

The Méhari was also built as a 4×4, but with only one engine.

Various 4×4 conversions were built by independent constructors, such as Marc Voisin, near Grenoble, some from a Méhari 4×4 chassis and a 2CV body. In the UK, Louis Barber builds single-engined four-wheel-drive 2CVs. In the late 1990s, Kate Humble from BBC Top Gear tested one against a Landrover Defender off road. The 2CV won.

Although the terminology is sometimes confused, 2CV 4×4 generally refers to these models, whereas 2CV Sahara refers to the two-engined Citroën vehicle.

Another very different double front-ended, four-wheel drive (but not at the same time) 2CV, the 1952 Citroën Cogolin, was built for the French Fire Service—the Sapeur-Pompiers.

Sahara rear engine bay   Citroën Méhari (2WD shown, 4WD has bonnet mounted spare wheel)   1952 Citroën Cogolin

Citroën Coccinelle Project

The Citroën Prototype C was a range of vehicles created by Citroën from 1955 to 1956 under the direction of André Lefèbvre. The idea was to produce a water drop-shaped, very lightweight vehicle, which would be more modern and smaller than the 2CV. One of the prototypes, the Citroën C-10 has survived and is still owned by Citroën. The overall look of the vehicle was quite similar to the Messerschmitt bubble car. It was equipped with the same 425 cc engine as the 2CV. The vehicle was also nicknamed Citroën Coccinelle (Ladybug in French).

Coachbuilt 2CV Cabriolet (using a modified 2CV shell)

Two examples of these are the German Hoffmann and the French Azele.

Hoffmann 2CV Cabriolet   Azelle Cabriolet   Azelle Cabriolet Rear

Boot extensions

Some late model owners fitted "hunchbacks", an extension to the boot. This used the original boot lid, but in a horizontal position with the extension underneath, unlike the 1950s equivalent, which had a curved boot lid reminiscent of a post-war "big boot" Traction Avant.

1950s style boot extension   1970s/80s style boot extension

Complete knock down (CKD) locally built cars

The Greek market Citroën Pony and African market Citroën FAF and Baby-Brousse were flat-panelled Mehari type, 2CV based utility cars, built from kits in small low tech assembly plants. There was widespread production of similar 2CV-based vehicles in a large number of countries, including Iran (Baby-Brousse, Jyane-Mehari), Vietnam (Dalat), Chile (Yagan), Belgium (VanClee), Spain, Portugal and others.

Citroën Pony   Citroën Pony Rear   Citroën FAF   Belgian Vanclee Mungo   Vanclee Mungo Side   Vanclee Mungo Rear

Kit cars and specials

The 2CV's availability, platform chassis construction, low cost and propensity to rust make it an ideal donor car for a special or kit car. Examples of 2CV-based kit sports cars include the Pembleton, BlackJack Avion and the Lomax from Britain, and Burton and Patron from the Netherlands. Most are also available as three wheelers (single wheel at the rear), like an early Morgan sports car. Some have been fitted with larger air-cooled twin-cylinder motorcycle engines. For transportation purposes, some saloon models were rebuilt into vans using glassfibre reconstructions of corrugated 2CV Fourgonnette rear box sections. The 'Bedouin' was a flat panel wooden bodied kit car, that was a spin off from the ill-fated 'Africar' project. It had similarities in looks, to the Citroën Pony and Citroën FAF, CKD locally built cars.

Lomax   Pembleton front view   Pembleton side view   Burton   Blackjack Avion Front/Side   Blackjack Avion engine   Blackjack Avion rear   Le Patron

References

Video references

• The Tin Snail—Equinox Science Series, British Channel 4 Television. 1986. This programme was originally an hour long and features detailed information about the design and engineering of the 2CV, along with interviews with the then surviving design engineers. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6.
• Citroën 2CV Sahara 4x4, Look around the car and a short test drive. Czech with English subtitles.
• 2CV Off-roading Langdale 2007, Part 1, Part 2
• BBC Top Gear Land Rover vs 2CV
• TPVs at the Citroën Conservatoire
• Moving a TPV at Michelin, Clermont-Ferrand
• BBC The Car's the Star - Citroën 2CV
• Retrieval of three barn attic find TPVs
• Film of Production of the last 2CVs in 1990 at the Citroën factory in Mangualde, Portugal.
• Video of a CAD model of 2CV engine operation

External links

• Greek forum for 2CV and other historic Citroen (my2cv.gr)
• Deux Chevaux Club of Great Britain (2CVGB)
• 2CV Restoring Germany
• The Classic 2CV Racing Club
• 2CVTV 2CV news and lifestyle website
• 2cv-legende, major French website
• 2CV directory, portal to everything 2CV: websites, articles, stories, contacts and more
• Cats Citroen Net 2CV, history, Buyer's/Owners's Guides, Restoration, Modifying, Codes/Serial Numbers, Reference, Photos
• Greater New York Citroen Velosolex Touring Club
• Citroën A Series Index Page Citroënet 2CV enthusiasts site.
• garage2cv, Citroën A Series Webzine (Germany)
• Lottie the 2CV
• Musee-2CV, the only museum dedicated to the 2CV (France)
• Studioru, 2CV travel, stories and video
• Fix your 2cv, fix your 2cv

English Journal

• Identifying inhibitory compounds in lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysates using an exometabolomics approach.

• Zha Y, Westerhuis JA, Muilwijk B, Overkamp KM, Nijmeijer BM, Coulier L, Smilde AK, Punt PJ1.
• BMC biotechnology.BMC Biotechnol.2014 Mar 21;14:22. doi: 10.1186/1472-6750-14-22.
• BACKGROUND: Inhibitors are formed that reduce the fermentation performance of fermenting yeast during the pretreatment process of lignocellulosic biomass. An exometabolomics approach was applied to systematically identify inhibitors in lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysates.RESULTS: We studied the com
• PMID 24655423

• Morphological and volumetric analysis of left atrial appendage and left atrium: cardiac computed tomography-based reproducibility assessment.

• Taina M1, Korhonen M1, Haataja M1, Muuronen A1, Arponen O1, Hedman M2, Jäkälä P3, Sipola P1, Mustonen P4, Vanninen R1.
• PloS one.PLoS One.2014 Jul 2;9(7):e101580. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0101580. eCollection 2014.
• OBJECTIVES: Left atrial appendage (LAA) dilatation and morphology may influence an individual's risk for intracardiac thrombi and ischemic stroke. LAA size and morphology can be evaluated using cardiac computed tomography (cCT). The present study evaluated the reproducibility of LAA volume and morph
• PMID 24988467

• Population pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic analysis for eribulin mesilate-associated neutropenia.

• van Hasselt JG1, Gupta A, Hussein Z, Beijnen JH, Schellens JH, Huitema AD.
• British journal of clinical pharmacology.Br J Clin Pharmacol.2013 Sep;76(3):412-24. doi: 10.1111/bcp.12143.
• AIMS: Eribulin mesilate is an inhibitor of microtubule dynamics that is approved for the treatment of late-stage metastatic breast cancer. Neutropenia is one of the major dose-limiting adverse effects of eribulin. The objective of this analysis was to develop a population pharmacokinetic-pharmacodyn
• PMID 23601153

Japanese Journal

• 航空機リモートセンシングによるハイパースペクトルデータを用いた飼料用トウモロコシ（Zea mays L.）の収量と飼料成分含有率の推定

• 中坪 あゆみ,田中 勝千,三谷 歩 [他],石岡 義則,杉浦 俊弘,皆川 秀夫,嶋田 浩
• 日本草地学会誌 60(3), 167-177, 2014
• … その結果，観測波長域（400-1,000nm）のRSまたはFDSを用いた場合，実測値と推定値とのR2cvは最大で0.18，EIランクはDであった。 … 一方，選択バンドの場合，R2cvは最大で0.72（p < …
• NAID 130005058930

• In silico ligand based design of indolylpiperidinyl derivatives as novel histamine H1 receptor antagonists

• Paliwal Sarvesh,Singh Supriya,Pal Mahima
• Drug Discoveries & Therapeutics 6(2), 69-77, 2012
• … The predictive ability of the resulting QSAR models was evaluated with cross-validated correlation coefficient (r2cv) values (MLR, 0.82; …
• NAID 130005054743

• FPGAを用いたコラッツ予想の検証(応用3)

• 伊藤 靖朗,中野 浩嗣
• 電子情報通信学会技術研究報告. RECONF, リコンフィギャラブルシステム 109(198), 125-130, 2009-09-10
• … ・ソフトウェアの協調的手法を紹介する.本手法では,FPGAに実装した回路を用いて1になる数を回路を用いて高速に計算し,オーバーフローのため回路で計算できなかった数はホストPC上のソフトウェアによって多倍長演算を用いて検証をおこなう.我々はVertexIIシリーズのFPGA X2CV3000-4を用いて24個のコプロセッサを実装し,評価をおこなった.その結果,本手法は,1秒間に2.89×10^9個の64ビットの数が検証可能であることを確認した. …
• NAID 110007386753

Related Links

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Related Pictures

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★リンクテーブル★

リンク元

「二腔断面」

「二腔断面」

　　[★]

同

2CV, apical 2chamber view