BUYER’S GUIDE

Classic Citroën 2CV review

Beyond the obvious stereotypes the 2CV is a classic of real charm…

What Is It?

Necessity is the mother of invention. Europe’s post-war need for cheap, affordable and utilitarian cars inspired a generation of iconic designs respective populations took their hearts: the Volkswagen in Germany, Italy’s Fiat 500 and (a little later) the British Mini. Back in France, the Renault 4CV helped get the country moving again but even before the war Citroën had seen the need for a basic, affordable car and had its ingeniously minimalistic 2CV ready for a grand unveiling in the late summer of 1939.

Events, inevitably, intervened, and after being hidden from the Nazi occupiers the 2CV emerged once again in 1948. Unmistakeable looks, clever engineering and a unique driving style helped seal the Citroën’s status as one of the post-war automotive greats, and a symbol of French engineering innovation.

Corrosive Areas

Front and rear chassis rails

Front bulkhead

Floorpan and sills

Checklist

2CV concept born in 1936 as a plan for a cheap, ultra-utilitarian vehicle under the concept of ‘Toute Petite Voiture’, with various concepts tested in a run of 250 pre-war prototypes
With the planned 1939 unveiling cancelled due to the outbreak of war all but a handful of TPV prototypes were destroyed, the remainder carefully hidden for the duration
Production 2CV eventually unveiled at the 1948 Paris Motor Show with much of the TPV concept intact, including basic bodywork over a steel frame, an air-cooled, horizontally-opposed, two-cylinder engine driving the front wheels, innovative long-travel fully independent suspension, radial tyres, removable seating and roll-back canvas roof
Original 375cc 9PS (6.6kW) engine just about achieved original design brief of transporting four people and a 50kg load (including the famous basket of eggs over a ploughed field) at up to 31mph
Engine capacity increased to 425cc and then 435cc in 1970 to coincide with the launch of the more powerful, 602cc 2CV6 that endured until the end of production in 1990, power outputs varying over this time according to emissions regulations and fuelling
435cc cars continued on sale until 1978
Rectangular headlights introduced from 1974 as a modernising feature, though some later cars, like the base-spec Special, kept round ones
Front brakes upgraded from drums to discs in 1981 and were considered a significant improvement
Right-hand drive 2CVs were built in Citroën’s Slough factory from the mid-50s to turn of the 60s; UK sales then resumed in the mid-1970s
Frame-style body and external panels bolt to box-section separate chassis, front rails carrying the engine
Rust can strike anywhere but is, in most cases, easily spotted – front bulkhead, toeboard, chassis rails and sills should all be carefully inspected, though
Replacement chassis can be a reassurance and many will have had this done, sturdier galvanised ones a popular upgrade
Clever interlinked suspension with horizontal springs running longitudinally under body responsible for both incredibly comfortable ride and signature crazy lean angles – check for squeaks or creaks by rocking car at standstill
Stiff steering could be due to lack of regular lubrication of kingpins
What the engine lacks in power it makes up for in simplicity and toughness
Oil leaks from rocker covers or pushrod tubes a warning sign of impending work, ditto blue smoke indicating worn piston rings or valve stem seals
Worn synchro on third gear a sign the gearbox could be on the way out
Electronic ignition a popular upgrade to earlier cars that didn’t have it, given difficulty of accessing points

How does it drive?

Literally like nothing else. With suspension so soft the car leans as you settle into the driving seat, the 2CV should by rights induce sea-sickness, but the clever interlinked springs help it settle and the combination of quick rack-and-pinion steering and ludicrous lean angles contrive a driving experience unique in the automotive world – with surprisingly high limits.

Weighing little over 500kg, the 2CV makes better use of its modest power than you might expect, the mechanical simplicity and toughness meaning you don’t begrudge the need to work the signature engine hard, while its distinctive two-cylinder thrum is a soundtrack as French as a crackly Edith Piaf recording or a crowd chanting La Marseillaise. The curious dash-mounted gear selector makes sense when you can picture it as a simple linkage to the conventional H-pattern shifter under the bonnet, while the umbrella handbrake is another quirk that quickly becomes second nature.

What’s good?

If you’re of a certain age and grew up with summer holidays in France, the sight and sound of a 2CV will be an instant portal to an idealised idyll of sleepy villages, morning runs to the boulangerie and the clink of boules in the village square. Even if your reality doesn’t align with this trope of idealised Gallic life, you won’t get anywhere fast in a 2CV, but the shared fun of lolloping down the lanes, four-up with the roof rolled back, wind in your hair and a picnic hamper in the boot has timeless appeal. The fact it’s such a deliberate riposte to conventional classic car ideals of speed, glamour and pomp is also very appealing. For the more technically (or even culturally) minded there’s also endless fascination in Citroën’s characteristically quirky and inventive engineering, and the national pride the 2CV embodies.

What’s bad?

Well, you’re not going to want to rack up big miles on the motorway in one. And it goes without saying crashing a 2CV into a solid object or, indeed, a more modern vehicle isn’t going to end well. Better to embrace a more French approach to health and safety when it comes to such matters. More practically speaking, while the 2CV is at heart a mechanically simple vehicle, a rotten one could still end up costing you, and nor are they as cheap and cheerful to buy as they once were.

Which model to choose?

Given it was on sale for over four decades the fundamentals of the 2CV didn’t change a whole lot in that time, so whichever one you go for you’ll be getting a sense of the same essential character. In the way of things, purists, collectors and hardcore fans prize the earlier cars with their corrugated bonnets and ultra-minimalist vibe, but even looking at it charitably the novelty of single-digit horsepower outputs and a 40mph top speed might wear off.

Given you don’t lose much in terms of looks or character and you get a lot more performance (all things relative), a later 602cc 2CV6 is perhaps a more usable option, the popular special editions like the Dolly or Charleston adding some visual pizzazz but, likely, at some extra cost. All things being equal, an early 80s disc-braked base car in that faded grey-blue paint on the off-white wheels would seem a nice balance of basic fun, rustic French authenticity and all-round usability.

Specifications – 2CV6, 1970 model year

Engine

602cc two-cylinder petrol

Power

26PS @ 5,500rpm

Torque

39Nm (28lb ft) @ 3,500rpm

Transmission

Four-speed manual, front-wheel drive

Kerb weight

560kg

0-62mph

Eventually

Top speed

68mph

Production dates

1949-1990 (Total production, all variants)