1988 Citroën 2CV
Generously Lent by Audrain Member Stephen Seiter
Extremely simple and reliable air-cooled boxer two-cylinder
Described as an “Umbrella on Wheels”
Nearly 10 million examples sold over 42-year production period
The Citroen 2CV is one of the most influential cars of all time, helping to get post-war France into affordable and reliable vehicles from the late 1940’s through the 1980’s. The 2CV is a study of simplicity, with a two-cylinder air-cooled boxer engine at the heart of the vehicle that was cheap to run and easy to maintain. The 2CV was the first front-wheel drive vehicle to sell more than one million examples, utilizing the same air-cooled engine with slight modifications for more than four decades. Early in its production, the 2CV was referred to as to as the most original automobile design since the introduction of the Ford Model T in 1907.
The first 2CV hit the road in 1949 with a 375 cc engine producing nine horsepower. The small size of the engine placed the car in France’s lowest class of taxation (the name 2CV means two taxable horsepower.) These engines obviously were not designed with any sense of performance in mind, though they were essentially unbreakable. The inlet and exhaust manifolds were welded into a single unit, allowing the head from the exhaust to warm the metal and air/fuel mixture inside the chamber which ensured full vaporization of the fuel. This heat chamber principle allowed the engine to run for extended periods of time at full throttle, and even at full load, the engines still didn’t reach their ultimate limits. Even in tuned form with more than 40 horsepower, they were proven reliable, even in 24-hour endurance races. With a top speed of 40 MPH in the early models, 80 MPG was achievable. These engines grew slightly over the 40 year production run, from 375 cc to 602 cc, the latter seen in this car on display. Larger factory engines tripled the original horsepower to 29, with a top speed of 70 MPH.
The 2CV has been called an “umbrella on wheels,” and may appear to be a fragile vehicle based on its appearance, but that is far from the truth. One of the directives during the engineering process from Citroen Vice President Pierre Boulanger was that the 2CV must be able to cross a field with a basket full of eggs on the passenger seat, without breaking the eggs. There were not an abundance of paved roads in France during this period, and to execute this directive, an innovative suspension design was engineered for the 2CV, with multiple aspects of the suspension working together to achieve a smooth ride.
Specifications:
Engine: 602 cc air-cooled 2-cylinder
Horsepower: 29 @ 5500 rpm
Torque: 39 ft./lbs. @ 3500 rpm
Transmission: 4-speed manual
Weight: 1235 lbs
Top Speed: 71 mph