96-489: The Citroën 2CV (French: deux chevaux , pronounced [dø ʃ(ə)vo] , lit. "two horses", meaning "two taxable horsepower ") is an economy car produced by the French company Citroën from 1948 to 1990. Introduced at the 1948 Paris Salon de l'Automobile , it has an air-cooled engine that is mounted in the front and drives the front wheels . Conceived by Citroën Vice-President Pierre Boulanger to help motorise
192-448: A Citroën GS which more than doubled the power. In one scene, the ultra-light 2CV tips over and is quickly righted by hand. Citroën launched a special edition 2CV "007" to coincide with the film, it was fitted with the standard engine and painted yellow with "007" on the front doors and fake bullet hole stickers. In 1982, all 2CV models got inboard front disc brakes which also used LHM fluid instead of conventional brake fluid—the same as
288-529: A 1.6-litre (98 cu in) engine, nearly four times as much horsepower as the RAC system suggested. While the RAC system had protected the home market from the import of large-engined low-priced mass-produced American cars, the need for roomy generously proportioned cars for export was now paramount and the British government abandoned the tax horsepower system with effect from 1 January 1947 replacing it at first with
384-617: 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 "P.O." kit (Pays d'Outre-mer—overseas countries), to cope with thousands of kilometres of very poor or off-road routes. The Paris to Persepolis rally was the most famous. The Citroën "2CV Cross" circuit/off-road races were very popular in Europe. Because of new emission standards, in 1975, power
480-509: A change in car tax policy and after 1945 tax horse-power returned in West Germany, applying the 1928 formula, as a determinant of annual car tax on new cars purchased in or after 1945. However, the introduction of tax on road fuel in 1951 and progressive increases in fuel tax thereafter reduced the importance of annual car tax so that today far more of the tax on car ownership is collected via fuel taxes than via annual car tax. Fiscal horsepower
576-449: A designer who has kissed the lash of austerity with almost masochistic fervour". One American motoring journalist quipped, "Does it come with a can opener?" Despite critics, Citroën was flooded with customer orders at the show. The car had a great impact on the lives of the low-income segment of the population in France. The 2CV was a commercial success: within months of it going on sale, there
672-553: A factory to build Model Ts in Manchester , to circumvent the import tariffs that, up to that point, had increased the effective price of foreign cars. Under the RAC's formula the Model T was a 22 'tax horsepower' car, making it more expensive to run than its British-built rivals on sale for the same price. At first the RAC rating was usually representative of the car's actual (brake) horsepower, but as engine design and technology progressed in
768-497: A four-speed for the same space at little extra cost. At this time small French cars like the Renault Juvaquatre and Peugeot 202 usually featured three-speed transmissions, as did Citroën's own mid-size Traction Avant – but the 1936 Italian Fiat 500 "Topolino" "people's car" did have a four-speed gearbox. Becchia persuaded Boulanger that the fourth gear was an overdrive. The increased number of gear ratios also helped to pull
864-470: A freshly ploughed field with a basket full of eggs on the passenger's seat without breaking them, because of the great lack of paved roads in France at the time; with a long-travel suspension system, that connects front and rear wheels, giving a very soft ride. Often called "an umbrella on wheels", the fixed-profile convertible bodywork featured a full-width, canvas, roll-back sunroof , which accommodated oversized loads, and until 1955 even stretched to cover
960-595: A function of vehicle weight.) Attempts to correlate new tax horsepower values with old ones result in small differences due to roundings used in the new formula which are, for most purposes, unimportant. In 1933 the Hitler government came into power and identified the promotion of the auto industry as key to economic recovery: new cars purchased after April 1933 were no longer burdened by an annual car tax charge and German passenger car production surged from 41,727 in 1932 to 276,804 in 1938. Thereafter war and military defeat led to
1056-418: A market survey, conducted by Jacques Duclos. France at that time had a large rural population which could not yet afford cars; Citroën used the survey results to prepare a design brief for a low-priced, rugged "umbrella on four wheels" that would enable four people to transport 50 kg (110 lb) of farm goods to market at 50 km/h (30 mph), if necessary across muddy, unpaved roads. In fuel economy,
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#17331059381991152-476: A project to create the TPV (short for 'Très Petite Voiture' meaning 'very small car'), which became 2CV in 1948. His specification for the new model was characteristic of the man: ... create a car that can carry four people and 50 kg of potatoes at 60 km/h, while consuming just 3 litres of fuel per 100 km... it should be drivable by a woman or by a learner-driver ... and don't worry about how it looks. The 2CV
1248-454: A reverse rake rear window: the Citroën Ami . In 1962, the engine power was increased to 10 kW (14 hp) and top speed to 85 km/h (53 mph). A sunroof was installed. In 1963, the engine power was increased to 13 kW (18 hp). An electric wiper motor replaced the drive on the speedometer. The ammeter was replaced by a charging indicator light. The speedometer was moved from
1344-497: A somewhat progressive way of taxing higher-value cars more than low-cost ones but was also introduced to protect the domestic British motor industry from foreign imports, especially the Ford Model T . Henry Ford's mass production methods meant that the Model T was competitively priced with British-built cars despite being a much larger, more durable and more powerful car than other available similarly-priced models. In 1912 Ford opened
1440-630: A system based on a calculation including engine size and weight. The tax horsepower system remained in effect for seven cantons long into the 21st century; however, as of 2022 , although quite likely earlier, Geneva was the only canton to still base road tax purely on tax horsepower. The plethora of different taxation systems has contributed to there always being an uncommonly wide variety of different cars marketed in Switzerland. Pierre-Jules Boulanger Pierre-Jules Boulanger , often known simply as Pierre Boulanger (10 March 1885 – 12 November 1950),
1536-468: A tax on cubic capacity, which was in turn replaced by a flat tax applying from 1 January 1948. However British cars and cars in other countries applying the same approach to automobile taxation continued to feature long, relatively narrow cylinders even in the 1950s and 1960s, partly because limited investment meant that new car models often had new bodies but their engines were carried over from earlier generations. The emphasis on long strokes, combined with
1632-593: Is as follows: where: During the early twentieth century, automobiles in the United States were specified with a figure identical to RAC horsepower and computed using the same formula; this was known either as "NACC horsepower" (named for the National Automobile Chamber of Commerce ), "ALAM horsepower" (for NACC's predecessor, the Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers ), or "SAE horsepower" (for
1728-401: Is defined simply in terms of overall engine capacity. It therefore encourages small engines, but does not influence the ratio of cylinder bore to stroke. The current Spanish definition does, however, add a factor that varies in order to favour four-stroke engines over two-stroke engines. where: For vehicles where the above formula cannot be applied (e.g. electric vehicles), the tax horsepower
1824-438: Is derived from the effective engine power (which is defined by law as the maximum power that the engine can provide after being used at full power from 30 minutes, which is normally lower than the rated engine power). Until 1998 the nominal power of the engine was used instead of the effective power. where: The 26 cantons of Switzerland used (and use) a variety of different taxation methods. Originally, all of Switzerland used
1920-518: Is still used in Italy for insurance purposes; it was formerly used also for car property taxation and it is based on engine displacement. Following the 1973 oil crisis up until the 1990s, it was heavily imposed on vehicles with engines larger than 2,000 cc, prompting Italian car makers to fit turbochargers for extra power without enlarging the displacement. Fiscal horsepower also lives on in Spain, but
2016-577: Is the amount of CO 2 released and P the engine power, then: P A {\displaystyle P_{A}} is expressed in horsepower, rounded to the nearest integer. The official emission rate of CO 2 included in the calculation is taken from the European certificate of conformity. Tax horse-power ( Steuer-PS ) was introduced in Germany on 3 June 1906 however in contrast to many regions, i.e. British and French tax horsepower formulae above, it
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#17331059381992112-516: Is undoubtedly the most original since the Model T Ford ". In 2011, The Globe and Mail called it a "car like no other". The motoring writer L. J. K. Setright described the 2CV as "the most intelligent application of minimalism ever to succeed as a car", and a car of "remorseless rationality". Both the design and the history of the 2CV mirror the Volkswagen Beetle in significant ways. Conceived in
2208-555: The Society of Automotive Engineers ). (This last term should not be confused with later horsepower ratings by the SAE.) This value is still used for taxation and license fee purposes in the State of Missouri for passenger vehicles, with electric vehicles assigned to the 12–23 Horsepower bracket by statute. Although tax horsepower was computed on a similar basis in several other European countries during
2304-445: The Visa available which launched in 1978. Peak annual production for 2CVs reached 163,143 cars in 1974 but by 1980 this had dropped to 89,994 and by 1983 would stand at just 59,673. Nonetheless, the car remained profitable for PSA to produce on account of its tooling and set-up costs being amortised many years before and it could share major parts with more popular or profitable models such as
2400-579: The Volkswagen Beetle , proved more reliable, and achieved greater sales success. In Australia, the various states had their own automobile taxation system. Several depended on the RAC formula, but the flaws of this system were well known as early as 1909. Another formula was the Dendy-Marshall formula, which included an engine's stroke. Several Australian states used Dendy-Marshall, although Western Australia reverted to RAC hp in 1957. The Union of South Africa also depended on Dendy-Marshall, at least in
2496-687: The Wehrmacht , many of which were sabotaged at the factory, by putting the notch on the oil dipstick in the wrong place resulting in engine seizure. In 1944 when the Gestapo headquarters in Paris was sacked by members of the French Resistance , his name was prominent on a German blacklist of the most important 'Enemies of the Reich' to be arrested in the event of an allied invasion of France. In 1936, Boulanger initiated
2592-698: The Wolseley 14/60 and the Alvis 12/70 of 1938. To minimise tax ratings British designers developed engines with very long stroke and low piston surface area. Another effect was the multiplicity of models: Sevens, Eights, Nines, Tens, Elevens, Twelves, Fourteens, Sixteens etc., each to fit with a taxation class. Larger, more lightly stressed engines may have been equally economical to run and, in less variety, produced much more economically. The system discouraged manufacturers from switching to more fuel-efficient overhead valve engines as these generally required larger bores, while
2688-490: The pull cord starter. The canvas roof could be rolled completely open. The Type A had one stop light , and was available only in grey. The fuel level was checked with a dipstick/measuring rod, and the speedometer was attached to the windscreen pillar. The only other instrument was an ammeter . In 1949, the first delivered 2CV type A was 375 cc, 6.6 kW (9 hp), with a 65 km/h (40 mph) top speed, only one tail light and windscreen wiper with speed shaft drive;
2784-480: The 1920s and 1930s these two figures began to diverge, with engines making much more power than their RAC ratings suggested: by 1924 the 747 cc (45.6 cu in) engine of the Austin Seven (named for its 7 hp rating) produced 10.5 brake horsepower, 50 percent more than its official rating. It became common for the name of a model to include both its RAC tax horsepower and its actual power output, such as
2880-527: The 1920s. The Automobile Club of Australia's "A.C.A. formula" used the same calculations as did Dendy-Marshall formula. The Australian Bureau of Statistics used RAC hp in their Registration of New Motor Vehicles, Make of Vehicles, Australia statistics until this publication was discontinued in June 1976. Several Australian states also added vehicle weight to the power rating, to get a power-weight unit which determined taxation. The Dendy-Marshall / A.C.A. formula
2976-425: The 1930s, to make motorcars affordable to regular people for the first time in their countries, both went into large scale production in the late 1940s, featuring air-cooled boxer engines at the same end as their driven axle, omitting a length-wise drive shaft , riding on exactly the same 2,400 mm (94.5 in) wheelbase, and using a platform chassis to facilitate the production of derivative models. Just like
Citroën 2CV - Misplaced Pages Continue
3072-519: The 2CV outlived the Dyane by seven years. Citroën also developed the Méhari off-roader . From 1965, the car was offered in some countries, 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 export markets where engine size determined car tax levels. This
3168-433: The 2CV was a "highly interesting" ("hochinteressantes") car. In 1950, Pierre-Jules Boulanger was killed in a car crash on the main road from Clermont-Ferrand (the home of Michelin) to Paris. In 1951, the 2CV received an ignition lock and a lockable driver's door. Production reached 100 cars a week. By the end of 1951 production totalled 16,288. Citroën introduced the 2CV Fourgonnette panel van. The "Weekend" version of
3264-591: The 2CV was abandoned. During the German occupation of France in World War II Boulanger personally refused to collaborate with German authorities to the point where the Gestapo listed him as an "enemy of the Reich", under constant threat of arrest and deportation to Germany. Michelin (Citroën's main shareholder) and Citroën managers decided to hide the TPV project from the Nazis, fearing some military application as in
3360-449: The Ami's improved chassis. This version was manufactured until October 1967 and was also exported to certain continental markets although it was never offered in its native France. In 1967, Citroën launched the new Dyane model , a direct derivative, based on the 2CV chassis, with an updated but similar, utilitarian body, distinguished by a hatchback that boosted practicality; (a hatchback kit
3456-464: The Beetle, the 2CV became not only a million seller but also one of the few cars in history to continue a single generation in production for over four decades. A prototype was developed in the late 1990s under the name "Citroën 2CV 2000". However, it did not go into production. In 1934, family-owned Michelin , as the largest creditor, took over the bankrupt Citroën company. The new management commissioned
3552-400: The British government. The formula is: where: The formula was calculated from total piston surface area (i.e., "bore" only). The factor of 2.5 accounts for characteristics that were widely seen in engines at the time, such as a mean effective pressure in the cylinder of 90 psi (6.2 bar) and a maximum piston speed of 1,000 feet per minute (5.1 m/s). The system introduced
3648-527: The Citroën DS project he had managed at Citroën. He is buried in the cemetery of Lempdes (Puy-de-Dôme), near Clermont-Ferrand, where he had his house. Boulanger started working for Michelin in 1918, reporting directly to Édouard Michelin , co-director and founder of the business. Boulanger joined the Michelin board in 1922, and in 1938, he became the company's joint managing director. In December 1934, despite
3744-524: The Dyane and H-Van but the Spécial had a much smaller square speedometer also incorporating the fuel gauge, originally fitted to the 2CV in the mid-1960s and then discontinued. The model also had a revised (and cheaper-to-make) plastic version of the 1960s two-spoke steering wheel instead of the one-spoke item from the Dyane, as found on the Club. From the 1978 Paris Motor Show the Spécial regained third side windows and
3840-519: The Michelin company. As part of the policy to reduce costs, wages were decreased and the launching of the 22 V8 was cancelled. The policy bore fruit and Citroën recovered. During the occupation of France in the Second World War , Boulanger refused to meet Dr. Ferdinand Porsche or communicate with the German authorities except through intermediaries. He organized a 'go slow' of production of trucks for
3936-422: The Spécial model. In 1971, the front bench seat was replaced with two individual seats. In 1972, 2CVs were fitted with standard three-point seat belts. In 1973, new seat covers, a padded single-spoke steering wheel and ashtrays were introduced. The highest annual production was in 1974. Sales of the 2CV were reinvigorated by the 1974 oil crisis . The 2CV after this time became as much a youth lifestyle statement as
Citroën 2CV - Misplaced Pages Continue
4032-440: 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 Nazis had attempted to loot Citroën's press tools; this was frustrated after Boulanger got the French Resistance to relabel the rail cars containing them in the Paris marshalling yard. They ended up all over Europe, and Citroën
4128-492: The TPV project. Lefèbvre had designed and raced Grand Prix cars; his speciality was chassis design and he was particularly interested in maintaining contact between tyres and the road surface. The first prototypes were bare chassis with rudimentary controls, seating and roof; test drivers wore leather flying suits, of the type used in contemporary open biplanes. By the end of 1937 20 TPV experimental prototypes had been built and tested. The prototypes had only one headlight, all that
4224-449: The UK. Tax horsepower#France The tax horsepower or taxable horsepower was an early system by which taxation rates for automobiles were reckoned in some European countries such as Britain, Belgium, Germany, France and Italy; some US states like Illinois charged license plate purchase and renewal fees for passenger automobiles based on taxable horsepower. The tax horsepower rating
4320-552: The UK. France was now the third-largest market for 2CVs, taking 7045 cars that year. It was estimated that Citroën was now selling the 2CV at a loss in the French market, but that it was still profitable in other European countries. The peak of 2CV sales in the United Kingdom would be reached in 1986, thanks to the introduction of the popular Dolly special edition (see below)—7520 new 2CVs were registered in Britain that year. This year saw
4416-513: The United States where he undertook various trades. He returned to France in 1914 and was mobilized as corporal, becoming an aerial photographer. He performed well in the service and finished the war with the rank of captain, decorated with the Military Cross and the Legion of Honour. Boulanger died in 1950 in a car accident driving a Citroën Traction Avant 15-Six , before having known the success of
4512-459: The Visa and Acadiane . As part of this rationalisation in 1981, the Spécial was fitted as standard with the 602 cc engine, although the 435 cc version remained available to special order in some European countries until stocks were used up. Also in 1981, a yellow 2CV6 was driven by James Bond ( Roger Moore ) in the film For Your Eyes Only . The car in the film was fitted with the flat-4 engine from
4608-538: The assistance of the Michelin company, Citroën filed for bankruptcy. In December 1934, Michelin, already the car manufacturer's largest creditor, became its principal shareholder. Boulanger became the assistant of Pierre Michelin , who was the chairman of Citroën. Pierre Boulanger became the vice-president and chief of the Engineering and Design department. He became president in 1937 after the death of his friend and kept his position until his death. He also jointly managed
4704-429: The beginning of production was Michelin 's new radial tyre , first commercialised with the introduction of the 2CV. This radial design is an integral part of the design of the 2CV chassis. On 3 September 1939, France declared war on Germany following their invasion of Poland. An atmosphere of impending disaster led to the cancellation of the 1939 motor show less than a month before it was scheduled to open. The launch of
4800-447: The car would use no more than 3 L/100 km (95 mpg ‑imp ; 80 mpg ‑US ). One design parameter required that customers be able to transport eggs across a freshly ploughed field without breakage. In 1936, Pierre-Jules Boulanger , vice-president of Citroën and chief of engineering and design, sent the brief to his design team at the engineering department. The TPV (Toute Petite Voiture – "Very Small Car")
4896-418: The car's trunk, reaching almost down to the car's rear bumper. Michelin introduced and first commercialised the revolutionary new radial tyre design with the introduction of the 2CV. Between 1948 and 1990, more than 3.8 million 2CVs were produced, making it the world's first front-wheel drive car to become a million seller after Citroën's own earlier model, the more upscale Traction Avant , which had become
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#17331059381994992-540: The case of the future Volkswagen Beetle , manufactured during the war as the military Kübelwagen . Several TPVs were buried at secret locations; one was disguised as a pickup, the others were destroyed, and Boulanger spent the next six years thinking 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, there were five known TPVs. By 1941, after an increase in aluminium prices of 40%, an internal report at Citroën showed that producing
5088-451: 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. The 2CV had suicide doors in front from 1948 to 1964, replaced with front hinged doors from 1965 to 1990. In 1961, Citroën launched a new model based on the 2CV chassis, with a four-door sedan body and
5184-502: The discontinuation of the Club which was by then the only 2CV model to retain the rectangular headlamps. This left the Spécial as the only regular 2CV model, alongside the more fashion-orientated Dolly, Charleston and the other special editions. In 1988, production ended in France after 40 years. The factory at Levallois-Perret had been the global centre for 2CV production since 1948 but was outdated, inefficient and widely criticised for its poor working conditions. The last French-built 2CV
5280-399: The earlier round headlights, last fitted in 1974. 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, while that which remained was greatly simplified, such as simple vinyl-clad door cards and exposed door catches rather than the plastic moulded trims found on the 2CV Club. Other 2CVs shared their instruments with
5376-408: The engine's displacement, a commission simplified the formula to: where: A new system was announced on 23 December 1977 to come into force on 1 January 1978 calculated by the following formula: where: From 1998 until January 2020, the fiscal tax depended on a standardised value of carbon dioxide CO 2 emissions in grams per kilometre (g/km) and the maximum engine power in kilowatts (kW). If C
5472-503: The established sidevalve layout could easily use very narrow bores. Despite OHV engines having significant benefits in economy, refinement and performance, the RAC system made these engines more expensive to own because it placed them in a higher tax class than sidevalve engines of identical power output. Despite this, by 1948 the Standard Flying Twelve, a typical mid-size saloon, produced 44 bhp (45 PS; 33 kW) from
5568-534: The extra weight of changing from light alloys to steel for the body and chassis. Other changes included seats with tubular steel frames with rubber band springing 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. The development and production of what was to become the 2CV was also delayed by
5664-788: The first front-wheel drive car to sell in similar six-figure numbers. The 2CV platform spawned many variants; the 2CV and its variants are collectively known as the A-Series. Notably these include the 2CV-based delivery vans known as fourgonnettes , the Ami , the Dyane , the Acadiane , and the Mehari . In total, Citroën manufactured over 9 million of the 2CVs and its derivative models. A 1953 technical review in Autocar described "the extraordinary ingenuity of this design, which
5760-458: The front and one in the rear, to support the extra load of a fourth passenger and fifty kilograms of luggage. In mid-1939 a pilot run of 250 cars was produced and on 28 August 1939 the car received approval for the French market. Brochures were printed and preparations made to present the car, renamed the Citroën 2CV, at the forthcoming Paris Motor Show in October 1939. One innovation included from
5856-457: The front seats. The filler neck sat in the front doors. Both engines (and hence axles) could be operated independently. The spare wheel was mounted on the bonnet. The car had ample off-road capability, but at twice the price of the standard 2CV. 694 were produced until 1968 and one more in 1971. Many were used by the Swiss Post as a delivery vehicle. Today they are highly collectible. Also in 1960,
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#17331059381995952-1019: The incoming 1944 Socialist French government, after the liberation by the Allies from the Germans. The five-year "Plan Pons" to ration car production and husband scarce resources, named after economist and former French motor industry executive Paul-Marie Pons , only allowed Citroën the upper 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 its 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 100,000 of
6048-405: The large number of farmers still using horses and carts in 1930s France, the 2CV has a combination of innovative engineering and straightforward, utilitarian bodywork. The 2CV featured overall low cost of ownership , simplicity of maintenance, an easily serviced air-cooled engine (originally offering 6.6 kW, 9 hp), and minimal fuel consumption. In addition, it had been designed to cross
6144-623: The legal deadline of July 1992. This forced the 2CV's withdrawal from sale in Austria , Denmark , Italy , Spain , Sweden , Switzerland and the Netherlands , the latter one of the car's largest remaining markets. That year, the three leading markets for the 2CV were West Germany (7866), France (5231) and the UK (3200). The last 2CV, a specially-prepared Charleston model, was built at Mangualde on 27 July 1990. Only 42,365 2CVs were built in Portugal in
6240-456: The nature of British roads in the pre- motorway era, meant that British engines tended to deliver strong low- and mid-range torque for their size, but low maximum speeds. The long stroke also meant that piston speeds and the load on the big end bearings became potentially damaging at high power outputs. Many smaller British cars did not cope well with sustained cruising at 60 mph (97 km/h) or more, which led to reliability problems when
6336-420: The nearest whole number so a four-stroke engined car of 1,000 cc (61 cu in) would end up designated as a 4 PS (or four horsepower) car for car tax purposes. After April 1928, recognizing the logic of the linear relationship between tax horsepower and engine capacity, the authorities simply set car tax rates according to engine size for passenger cars. (For commercial vehicles vehicle tax became
6432-499: The production of the 375 cc engine ended. The corrugated metal bonnet was replaced by a five-rib glossy cover. Simultaneously, the grille was slightly modified (flatter shape with a curved top edge).Rectangular turn signals were integrated to the front wings on the AZAM export model; these became round on post-1970 cars when indicators were fitted to the rear of the car too. As a result the flashers disappeared from their traditional home high on
6528-433: The rate of 1 tax horse power for every 200 cm (12 cu in). The Cheval Fiscal , often abbreviated to CV from "chevaux-vapeur" (literally "steam horses") in tax law, is used for the issuing of French registration certificates known as "cartes grises" ("grey cards"). It is an administrative unit originally calculated partly from the power of the engine and used to calculate the amount of tax that may be due at
6624-485: The rear three quarter panel. The 2 CV 4 × 4 2CV Sahara appeared in December 1960. This had an additional engine-transmission unit in the rear, mounted the other way around and driving the rear wheels. For the second engine there was a separate push-button starter and choke. With a gearstick between the front seats, both transmissions were operated simultaneously. For the two engines, there were separate petrol tanks under
6720-431: The roof by wires. The suspension system, designed by Alphonse Forceau, used front leading arms and rear trailing arms, connected to eight torsion bars 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 came into play when the car had three people on board, two in
6816-421: The speedometer got a light for night driving. In 1955, the 2CV side repeaters were added above and behind the rear doors. It was now also available with 425 cc (AZ), 9.2 kW (12.5 hp) and a top speed of 80 km/h (50 mph). In 1957, a heating and ventilation system was installed. The colour of the steering wheel changed from black to grey. The mirrors and the rear window were enlarged. The bonnet
6912-429: The tax horsepower, calculated as follows: where: or 1.6/π = 0.51 times engine displacement in cc The limits between the horsepower denominations were drawn at either 0.49, 0.50, or 0.51 in different cantons. Thus, the eight horsepower category would cover cars of about 7.5–8.5 CV. In 1973 Berne switched to a taxation system based on vehicle weight, and a few other cantons followed. In 1986 Ticino switched to
7008-411: The time of registration. The Citroën 2CV (two tax horsepower) was the car that kept such a name for the longest time. Its use in France dates from 1 January 1913. It was updated in 1956, with further revisions in 1978 and a new emission-based system introduced in 1998. It was originally defined using the following formula: where: In a circular issued on 28 December 1956, the chevaux fiscaux
7104-506: The two million pre-war cars were still on the road. The time was known as "Les années grises" or "the grey years" in France. Citroën unveiled the car at the Paris Salon on 7 October 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, replacing
7200-466: The two or three decades before the Second World War, continental cylinder dimensions were quoted in millimetres. As a result of rounding when converting the formula between the two measurement systems, a British tax horse-power unit ended up being worth 1.014 continental (i.e. French) tax horse-power units. In Belgium, the tax power depended on the cubic capacity of the engine in cubic centimetres at
7296-570: The two years following the end of French production. 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. According to Citroën, the Portuguese plant was more up-to-date than the one in Levallois near Paris and Portuguese 2CV manufacturing was to higher-quality standards. As of October 2016, 3,025 remained in service in
7392-444: The use of "Tin-Tin", and the slogan "More than just a car—a way of life". A range of colours was introduced, starting with Glacier Blue in 1959, then yellow in 1960. In the 1960s, 2CV production caught up with demand. In 1966, the 2CV got a third side window, this window made them look slightly bigger in size. In February 1965, Citroën Belgium introduced the 3CV AZAM6 which featured the 602 cc, 17 kW (23 hp) Ami 6 engine and
7488-578: The van had collapsible, removable rear seating and rear side windows, enabling a tradesman to use it as a family vehicle on the weekend as well as for business in the week. By 1952, production had reached more than 21,000 with export markets earning foreign currency taking precedence. Boulanger's policy, which 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." Cars were sold preferentially to country vets, doctors, midwives, priests and small farmers. In 1954,
7584-719: The vehicles were exported to other markets, especially the United States . Cars such as the Austin A40 , the Morris Minor and the Hillman Minx all achieved notable initial sales success in the US in the late 1940s, until the short service life of the engines when asked to routinely drive long distances at freeway speeds became clear. Other imports originating in countries with different tax rules and existent high speed road networks, in particular
7680-469: The window frame into the dash. Instead of a dipstick/measuring rod, a fuel gauge was introduced. Director of publicity Claude Puech came up with humorous and inventive marketing campaigns. Robert Delpire of the Delpire Agency was responsible for the brochures. Ad copy came from Jacques Wolgensinger Director of PR at Citroën. Wolgensinger was responsible for the youth oriented "Raids", 2CV Cross, rallies,
7776-399: The wiper speed was dependent on the driving speed. There was no fuel gauge; Citroën provided a dipstick below the petrol filler cap. The 2CV was the first car designed around and released with radial tires . The car was heavily criticised by the motoring press and became the butt of French comedians for a short while. The British Autocar correspondent wrote that the 2CV "...is the work of
7872-515: Was a French engineer and businessman. He directed Citroën as a vice-president and as chairman from 1935 until his death in a car accident. He was known to colleagues as PJB. Boulanger was born in Sin-le-Noble Hauts-de-France . He studied fine art, but gave it up so that he could work. He worked in the French military service from 1906 to 1908. He met Marcel Michelin (nephew of Édouard Michelin ). After military service, he went to
7968-502: Was a three-year waiting list, which soon increased to five years. At the 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") ,
8064-482: Was available from Citroën dealers for the 2CV and aftermarket kits were available). This was in response to competition by the Renault 4 . The exterior is more modern and distinguished by the integrated lights in the wings and bodywork. Between 1967 and 1983, about 1.4 million Dyanes were built. The Dyane was a more sophisticated 2CV and originally planned to supersede it, but 2CV production continued by its side and ultimately
8160-475: Was available in red and white. Beginning in mid-1979 the 602 cc engine was installed. In June 1981, the Spécial E arrived. This model had a standard centrifugal clutch and particularly low urban fuel consumption. By 1980, the boost to 2CV sales across Europe delivered by the 1973 Energy Crisis had begun to wear off and there was a whole new generation of superminis and economy cars available from European and Japanese manufacturers. Citroën itself now had
8256-402: Was by no means sure they would all be returned after the war. In early 1944 Boulanger made the decision to abandon the water-cooled two-cylinder engine 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 375 cc. Becchia was also supposed to design a three-speed gearbox, but managed to design
8352-879: Was calculated based on the overall engine displacement from its implementation. The German formula applied a higher tax horse-power factor to two stroke engine cars than to four-stroke engined cars based on the fact each cylinder in a two-stroke engine fires (has a power stroke ) every revolution whereas an Otto cycle or four-stroke cylinder only fires every second revolution . The formulae for calculating units of tax horsepower ( Steuer-PS ) were as follows: four-stroke engined cars = 0.30 × i × d 2 × s {\displaystyle 0.30\times i\times d^{2}\times s} two-stroke engined cars = 0.45 × i × d 2 × s {\displaystyle 0.45\times i\times d^{2}\times s} where: Incomplete fractions were rounded up to
8448-454: Was computed not from actual engine power but by a mathematical formula based on cylinder dimensions. At the beginning of the twentieth century, tax power was reasonably close to real power; as the internal combustion engine developed, real power became larger than nominal taxable power by a factor of ten or more. The so-called RAC horsepower rating was devised in 1910 by the RAC at the invitation of
8544-423: Was decorated with a longitudinal strip of aluminium (AZL). In September 1957, the model AZLP (P for porte de malle , "boot lid"), appeared with a boot lid panel; previously the soft top had to be opened at the bottom to get to the boot. In 1958, a Belgian Citroën plant produced a higher quality version of the car (AZL3). It had a third side window, not available in the normal version and improved details. In 1960,
8640-458: Was defined as: where: The result is multiplied by 0.7 for a four-stroke, diesel engine (also for wood gas-powered vehicles or those running on CNG ). Since ω {\displaystyle \omega } and K {\displaystyle K} are both constants while n {\displaystyle n} , D {\displaystyle D} , and L {\displaystyle L} combine to form
8736-459: Was found in the larger Citroën models with hydropneumatic suspension . In late 1986, Citroën introduced the Visa's replacement, the AX . This was widely regarded as a superior car to the Visa and took many of the remaining 2CV sales in France following its introduction. From 1986 to 1987 2CV production fell by 20 per cent to just 43,255 cars. Of that total over 12,500 went to West Germany and 7212 went to
8832-413: Was made on February 25. In recognition of the event, the last 2CV built at Levallois was a basic Spécial in a non-standard grey colour—the same shade as worn by the very first 2CVs. Production of the 2CV would continue at the smaller-capacity but more modern Mangualde plant in Portugal until 1990. In 1989, a number of European nations voluntarily introduced the first European emission standards ahead of
8928-528: Was reduced from 21 to 18 kW (28 to 25 hp). The round headlights were replaced by square ones, adjustable in height. A new plastic grille was fitted. In July 1975, a base model called the 2CV Spécial was introduced with the 435 cc engine. Between 1975 and 1990 under the name of AZKB "2CV Spécial" a drastically reduced trim basic version was sold, at first only in yellow and with an untreated black roof. Slimmer bumpers with stick-on tape rather than plastic strips and no overriders were fitted. It also had
9024-460: Was replaced by an updated 435 cc (26.5 cu in) engine in February 1970. In 1970, the car gained rear light units from the Citroën Ami 6. (602 cc) models. From then on, only two series were produced: the 2CV 4 (AZKB) with 435 cc and the 2CV 6 (AZKA) with 602 cc displacement. All 2CVs from this date can run on unleaded fuel. 1970s cars featured rectangular headlights from 1975, except
9120-444: Was required by French law at the time. On 29 December 1937, Pierre Michelin was killed in a car crash; Boulanger became president of Citroën. By 1939 the TPV was deemed ready, after 47 technically different and incrementally improved experimental prototypes had been built and tested. These prototypes used aluminium and magnesium parts and had water-cooled flat twin engines with front-wheel drive. The seats were hammocks hung from
9216-490: Was to be developed in secrecy at Michelin facilities at Clermont-Ferrand and at Citroën in Paris, by the design team who had created the Traction Avant . Boulanger closely monitored all decisions relating to the TPV, proposing strictly reduced target weights. He created a department to weigh and redesign each component, to lighten the TPV without compromising function. Boulanger placed engineer André Lefèbvre in charge of
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