CITROËN CELEBRATES 60 YEARS OF THE ‘TIN SNAIL’
Citroen is celebrating the 60th birthday of one of the world’s most influential small cars, the Citroen 2CV which was not just a spectacular success its own right, but which also set the layout for generations of small cars to follow – monocoque construction, front-engined, front wheel drive, a light use of materials and fuel and excellent space utilisation – unlike other small cars of the same era.
Although production of the Citroen 2CV, nicknamed the ‘Tin Snail’ because of its distinctive shape, has long since ceased, its spirit lives on the Citroen C-Cactus, the concept car shown last year designed to set new standards for low fuel consumption, minimal use of materials, but still comfortable, spacious and flexible.
Equally, the Citroen 2CV, along with the Citroen DS and Citroen Traction Avant, are seen as quintessentially French cars, as much a part of French culture and the world wide image of France as the Eiffel Tower, the baguette and now French street scene is complete without at least one of these distinctive and unique cars!
Citroen’s celebrations are centred on display at the Paris Museum of Science and Industry the venue was chosen deliberately because although the display is a nostalgia-tinted homage to the good old ‘Tin Snail’ is firmly focused on the car’s innovative spirit. Innovation is inscribed in Citroën’s DNA, as illustrated by the recent C-Cactus concept car, which will be joining the 2CV at the exhibition.
The 2CV and C-Cactus represent two different eras with different social, economic and environmental issues. But they were inspired by the same concern: how to do more with less.
In both cases Citroën responded to this question by using fewer parts, reducing the weight and the price of the vehicle and cutting fuel consumption. By doing so, Citroen was able to produce a vehicle accessible to the greatest number of owners while scoring high marks on quality, styling and travelling comfort.
But while the design brief for the 2CV called for “a car able to cross a ploughed field with a basket of eggs on the seat without breaking any of them”, C-Cactus was designed to consume the least fuel possible while respecting the environment.
The rise of the mass car ownership in France, as with the rest of Europe, in the mid-1930s made the time ripe for a “vehicle for the people”. Designers in engineering offices across the continent were working on a light and economical model that would be cheaper than the other cars of the period.
At Citroën, Pierre Boulanger was working on a project called TPV (for “Très Petite Voiture” or very small car). Citroen wanted to develop a car that was economical to manufacture, use and maintain – and sold at unrivalled low prices. The idea was to offer customers automotive essentials: four seats, a top speed of 50 kmh, 100 km on 5 litres of petrol, and low production and maintenance costs. Fiat had just launched its 500 Topolino. So Citroën had to work fast.
The vehicle was homologated by the French government vehicle testing service on 23 August 1939 under the 2CV A name. But the advent of World War II just several days later, on 3 September, put the car’s future on hold. The 2CV A was hidden away during the war, especially from the prying eyes of the Germans, who were developing their own “people’s car”, the Volkswagen Beetle.
The original production 2CV A was so well hidden, in fact, that it was only rediscovered by chance in 1968, when work was being done at Citroën’s La Ferté Vidame test track. The car they found was a real production model, not a prototype. Out of the 100 models that went into pre-war production, only four are left today, including another one found buried under a tree. All of them are conserved in Citroën’s collection, one of which is on show at the exhibition.
The public, meanwhile, had to wait another ten years for the 2CV. Citroën finally pulled off the wraps at the 1948 Paris Motor Show. The delay mainly resulted from the war and the subsequent shortage in raw materials, but also from obsolescent post-war machinery and the system of government planning that ascribed a specific vehicle category to each manufacturer. So 1948 was the real kick-off year for the 2CV. And despite the mockery of journalists, who found its performance and finish wanting, the post-war public couldn’t get enough of this economical vehicle – to the point that waiting lists were as long as five years.
Citroën released the 2CV van (AU) in 1951, which arguably was the precursor for all of today’s car-derived vans, epitomised by the Citroen Berlingo. In 1956 the 2CV AZL debuted, a luxury version with a wide, rectangular rear window and canvas roof. The range-topping 2CV AZAM launched in 1966 offered even more luxury. The offering was further broadened in 1970 with the 2CV4 and 2CV6, with top speeds above 100 km/h.
Citroën went on to organise several 2CV rally raids, including the famous Paris-Kabul event. In 1981, it launched the Charleston, the best known of all the “starlets” and still perhaps the best remembered 2CV model, along with the high performance version that featured in a James Bond film with Bond evading his pursuers thanks to the little Citroen. But in the end, regulatory constraints, anti-pollution standards and crash-testing tolled the bell for the 2CV. Production in France ended in February 1989 and at 4 pm on 27 July 1990, the last new 2CV rolled off the production line, at the Mangualde plant in Portugal. A total 5,114,959 2CVs were produced worldwide.
Today, the entire Citroën range is informed by this tradition of innovation, from the C1 to the C6, via the recent C-Crosser, C4 Picasso and C5 – is the richest and most modern in Citroën’s history. Rich, for the way it responds to increasingly diverse customer requirements. And modern, for its ability to adapt to the latest automotive trends, particularly in terms of safety and the environment.
Citroën is one of today’s most environmental carmakers thanks to its ambitious policy in this area. In Europe, one out of every four Citroën vehicles sold emits 120 g/km of CO2 or less, and half emit 140 g/km or less. Citroën also leads the market – for the fifth consecutive year – in terms of average CO2 emissions.
(ends)
Editor’s Note: There is a full gallery of Citroen 2CV pictures available on the Ateco Media Web site.
The Citroen 2CV Expo Show
Celebrating 60 years of an essential car
An exhibition designed in partnership with Citroën, held from 15 April at Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie
The 2CV is 60. The aim of this classic vehicle was always to respond to the essential needs of its owners. Citroën achieved this by reducing the car’s price, along with its power, weight and fuel consumption, making it a real vehicle of the people.
The 2CV’s 60th birthday is an occasion to celebrate the incredibly innovative car that anticipated the needs of generations of motorists. The spirit of the 2CV lives on in Citroën’s most recent concept car, C-Cactus, also on show.
Looking back at the history of the 2CV and forward to the future of C-Cactus, the show will be held from 15 April to 30 November 2008 at the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie science and industry museum in Paris.
Citroën unveiled the 2CV A at the 1948 Paris Motor Show. The press went into shock but the public loved the car’s practicality, price tag and innovative character. The rest, as they say, is history. Citroën went on to sell more than five million 2CV’s over 42 years of production. Equally at ease in ploughed fields and on cinema sets, the car made a lasting mark on several generations of owners, from farmers, workers and hippies to liberated women, globe trotters and bourgeois bohemians.
The Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie and Citroën are putting on a spectacular show to celebrate the 2CV’s 60th. The exhibition features cars suspended from the ceiling, a mechanical catwalk of the most emblematic models, a podium of 2CVs that marked history, a collection of model cars, films from the archives, documentaries, classic TV ads, and testimony from engineers and designers. Visitors to the contemporarily staged show get to discover all of the 2CV’s innovative secrets. Visitors with a sentimental side will listen to the characteristic chug-chug of the engine, while the hyperactive can bounce up and down all they want to on the back seat of a demonstration model.
The final flourish to the exhibition is the C-Cactus concept car, making its public debut at the museum. C-Cactus is on show here because it so closely resembles its noble forerunner and proves that smart, economical and innovative vehicles have a bright future ahead of them. The main difference between the two is the ecological content and styling of the C-Cactus.
Practical information
Exhibition at the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie in partnership with Citroën
15 April to 30 November 2008. Open daily from 10 am to 6 pm (7 pm Sunday). Closed on Monday. Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie: 30, Avenue Corentin Cariou, 75019 Paris. Metro: Porte de la Villette. Information and reservations at cite-sciences.fr. Admission: €8. Concessions: €6. The exhibition is accessible to visually impaired, mentally disabled and deaf visitors.
The History of the 2CV
The rise of the popular front in France in the mid-1930s made the time ripe for a “vehicle for the people”. Designers in engineering offices were working on a light and economical model that would be cheaper than the other cars of the period. At Citroën, Pierre Boulanger was working on a project called TPV (for “Très Petite Voiture” or very small car). The Marque wanted to develop a car that was economical to manufacture, use and maintain – and sold at unrivalled low prices. The idea was to offer customers automotive essentials: four seats, a top speed of 50 km/h, 100 km on 5 litres of petrol, and low production and maintenance costs. Fiat had just launched its 500 Topolino. So Citroën had to work fast.
The vehicle was homologated by the French government vehicle testing service on 23 August 1939 under the 2CV A name. But the advent of World War II just several days later, on 3 September, put the car’s future on hold. The 2CV A was hidden away during the war, especially from the prying eyes of the Germans, who were developing their own “folks’ wagon”, the Beetle. The 2CV A was so well hidden, in fact, that it was only rediscovered by chance in 1968, when work was being done at Citroën’s La Ferté Vidame test track. The car they found was a real production model, not a prototype. Out of the 100 models that went into circulation, only four are left today. All of them are conserved in Citroën’s collection, one of which is on show at the exhibition.
WHEN A CAR BECOMES A LEGEND
Potholed road? No worries! The 2CV doesn’t need a road. It takes dirt tracks in its stride and you where other people can’t go. The 2CV is perfect for the big and the tall, with space for four and a door for each. Luggage can be placed in the boot and even under the specially-designed seats. The boot cover can be undone in 3 seconds and the rear bench seat removed in 6 seconds, revealing an impressive amount of space.
The removable front and rear seats are great for camping. Wherever they go, they will always have comfy sofas.
The 2CV does 100 km on five litres, making it the cheapest kilometre in the world. And its sturdiness means it can sleep outside all year round.
Another major boon: the 2CV loses none of its value on the second-hand market.
(Citroën’s ad brochure “Freedom with the 2CV”)
The public had to wait another ten years for the 2CV. Citroën finally pulled off the wraps at the 1948 Paris Motor Show. The delay mainly resulted from the war and the subsequent shortage in raw materials, but also from obsolescent post-war machinery and the system of government planning that ascribed a specific vehicle category to each manufacturer. So 1948 was the real kick-off year for the 2CV. And despite the mockery of journalists, who found its performance and finish wanting, the post-war public couldn’t get enough of this economical vehicle – to the point that waiting lists were as long as five years.
Citroën released the 2CV van (AU) in 1951 and, in 1956, the 2CV AZL, a luxury version with a wide, rectangular rear window and canvas roof. The range-topping 2CV AZAM launched in 1966 offered even more luxury. The offering was further broadened in 1970 with the 2CV4 and 2CV6, with top speeds above 100 km/h. Citroën went on to organise several 2CV rally raids, including the famous Paris-Kabul event. In 1981, it launched the Charleston, the best known of all the “starlets” and still perhaps the best remembered 2CV model. But in the end, regulatory constraints, anti-pollution standards and crash-testing tolled the bell for the 2CV. Production in France ended in February 1989 and at 4 pm on 27 July 1990, the last new 2CV rolled off the production line, at the Mangualde plant in Portugal.
A total 5,114,959 2CVs were produced worldwide. The 2CV is now 60 years old.
Technical data / 2 CV prototypeEngine / Flat twin with opposing cylinders. Bore: 62 mm; stroke: 62 mm. Capacity: 375 cm3. Fiscal rating: 2 HP. Effective horsepower: 8 bhp. Water cooled. Battery, coil and contact breaker ignition. Dynamo directly off end of crankshaft, with no belt. No self-starter; starting handle
Transmission / 3 forward speeds and reverse. Gear lever operated horizontally on dashboard. Front-wheel drive
Steering / Rack and pinion
Braking / Hydraulic on front-wheel drums (in the wheels). Mechanical handbrake on rear wheels
Suspension / Light-alloy (duralinox) chassis connected to the wheels by independent magnesium arms. Torsion bars protected by fairing under the rear seat (three bars, plus one for overload, on each side, for a total of eight). Anti-bucking device (suspension blocked on braking by a hydraulic locking system)
Tyres / Michelin Pilote 125 x 400
Body / 4-door saloon with 4 hammock-style seats. Single headlamp, on driver’s side
Performance / Top speed: 50 km/h. Fuel consumption: 5 l/100 km
Technical data / Citroën 2 CV 1949
Engine / Opposed-cylinder flat-twin. Bore: 62 mm; stroke: 62 mm. Capacity: 375 cm3. Fiscal rating: 2 HP. Effective horsepower: 9 bhp at 3,500 rpm. 2-bearing crankshaft. Valves actuated by tappet stems and rocker arms. Fan-accelerated air cooling. Battery, coil and contact-breaker ignition, without a distributor – ignition fitted to end of camshaft. Fuel feed by Solex 22 ZACI carburettor. 20-litre petrol tank at rear
Transmission / Single-plate dry clutch with centrifugal governor. Gearbox with 4 synchronised forward speeds plus reverse. Front-wheel drive. Single universal-joint transmission on both wheel and gearbox side
Steering / Rack and pinion, housed in the front axle tube. Gear ratio: 1:14
Braking / Four-wheel drum brakes actuated by a master cylinder
Suspension / Four independent wheels with front-rear wheel interaction. One inertia damper per wheel. 4 friction shock absorbers
Tyres / Michelin Pilote 125 x 400 with inner tube
Dimensions / Length: 3.78 m. Width: 1.48 m. Wheelbase: 2.40 m. Front and rear tracks: 1.26 m
Performance / Top speed: 65 km/h. Fuel consumption: 4.5 l/100 km
Technical data / Citroën 2 CV 4 x 4 Twin Engine 1960
Engine / Both engines flat twins with opposed cylinders. Bore: 66 mm; stroke: 62 mm. Capacity per engine: 425 cm3, for total capacity of 850 cm3. Fiscal rating: 5 HP. Effective horsepower: 24 bhp at 3,500 rpm. 2-bearing crankshaft. Valves actuated by tappet stems and rocker arms. Fan-accelerated air cooling. Ignition by battery, coil and contact breaker, without a distributor – ignition fitted to the end of the camshaft. Fuel feed by Solex F26CBIN carburettor. Two independent 15-litre petrol tanks placed under the front seats
Transmission / Dual single-plate dry clutches with hydraulic controls. Two synchronised gearboxes with 4 forward speeds plus reverse, controlled by a single floor-level gear lever. A lever operator from the driver’s seat allowed the rear gearbox to be cut out while retaining the set of controls at the front. Front and rear transmission by homokinetic couplings
Steering / Rack and pinion, housed in the front axle tube. Gear ratio: 1:14
Braking / Four-wheel drum brakes actuated by a master cylinder
Suspension / Four independent wheels with front-rear wheel interaction. 4 friction shock absorbers
Body / 4-door, 4-seater saloon
Tyres / Michelin 155 x 400 X
Dimension / Length: 3.78 m. Width: 1.46 m. Wheelbase: 2.40 m. Front and rear tracks: 1.26 m. Unladen weight: 735 kg
Performance / Top speed: 100 km/h. Fuel consumption with two engines: 9 l/100 km on road; 10 to 12 l/100 km according to terrain
A SHOW FOR THE 2CV
The car that glided through the decades and generations now glides over the heads of visitors at the Paris Science Museum – suspended ten metres above the ground, it gently coasts down to join the show.
The installation is highly symbolic. After all, the 2CV could do just about everything – carry a basket of eggs across a ploughed field without breaking any of them, sleep outside all winter and ford any stream. Everything, that is, but fly. The career of this endlessly versatile car has been over since 1990, but the 2CV remains incredibly modern. And is remembered by all as the quintessential “back to basics” car.