1985 Citroen 2CV

The Citroen 2CV made its debut in 1949 and became one of the classic mass-produced cars of the post-war era. It was built as a utilitarian means of transportation in a period of post-war austerity, offering an affordable means of transportation with frugal fuel consumption, easy maintenance, and modest performance. With over 9 million variants produced this truly was the car of the French people, intended to be the car for every need, cheap and reliable, and able to go almost anywhere. It was originally designed to carry four people plus 100 lbs of farm goods at 30 mph across muddy rural roads. The suspension was always a critical element with Citroen, famously mandated by the company that a farmer should be able to drive an egg across a plowed field without breaking them. The suspension utilized a set of suspension cylinders connected to springs which worked with each wheel to keep the car level. A side effect of this setup was that the wheelbase lengthened as more weight was added to the car, and in a hard corner the outside wheelbase is longer than the inside.

The simple body, with folding windows, made the 2CV an inexpensive car to produce. The air-cooled 2-cylinder engine was reliable and easy to work on. It was given a number of advanced technical components, including front-wheel drive and a four-speed transmission.

In 1963, the AZAM Luxe model was introduced which came with additional chrome bumpers, hubcaps, and trim. The upholstery was a softer cloth, a vanity mirror on the passenger sun visor was added, and the steering wheel was coated instead of bare metal. Other amenities included electric windshield wipers replacing the vacuum-operated wipers of the previous models.

Among the many variants was the four-wheel-drive 'Sahara,' which used a second engine to drive the rear wheels. It was officially put into production by the factory by the end of the 1950s and intended for the rough desert terrain of France's North African colonies. Along with the additional engine, the Sahara was given a reinforced suspension and chassis, wider wheel rims, twin fuel tanks, and numerous other modifications. In 1962, following Algeria's independence, Citroën dropped the 'Sahara' name and the car became the '2CV 4x4'. Approximately 700 of both designations were built.

by Daniel Vaughan | May 2020