Modern Vespa

Citroen 2CV was revealed at Paris Auto Salon on 7th October 1948 - exactly 60 years ago.

Happy birthday 2CV.

There's a few on the road locally.

I'm very fond.

i had exactly the same: same color, with 3 horses engine; very good car; she knew the roads better than me... fortunatly... for me ! when i was a bit... how to say... tired at six o'clock in the morning, going out of discos or concerts... i missed her for a long time and nowadays when i see one i'm a bit remembering the good times together...

One of my favorite memories, I'm on the Periphique around Paris on a Summer afternoon, obviously not July, because I'm stuck in traffic. It's 1987. Two girls are behind me in a beat-up 2CV. They've obviously got the tunes going because they are energetically bopping around (as much as you possibly can inside the confines of a 2CV and then some). Of course, the car starts to sway back and forth on it's suspension, which just eggs them on. The next thing I know, they are doing a Boom Boom Boom THROW! dance inside the car. On "Boom Boom Boom," they are spinning their arms in front of themselves like cheerleaders. On "THROW," they both fling themselves to the right side of the car and the car nearly tips over! Then they do it to the other side of the car with the same effect accompanied, of course, by gales of laughter. Hilarious.

A couple months later I'm again sitting in my car, this time on a hillside in Switzerland trying desperately to tune in a Radio Free Europe broadcast about the Stock Market Crash of 1987...

I just saw a faded Red one drive by me the other day. It was rly beat up looking but I would have put it right in my garage if I had the chance....

Cheers,

Gianni

i have fond memories of driving around london in 1985 in a bright red 2cv with the roof rolled back and my girlfriend sitting beside me, her bike standing on the back seat with it's front wheel poking out of the roof.

i caused a crash when i couldn't find first gear and an impatient car overtook me and hit an oncoming car head-on

here is the pic of my french princess the day I picked her up.. Renault Dauphine..
sold her a little while back and stuck with my VW's.. Great time tho..

When I read the subject line I thought the message was going to be about how you got your Skoda up to 60mph

Andrea

My 2CV lasted about 100K km, when one of the pistons broke. I fixed it myself and got it running again like before. When I finally sold it, the buyer discovered a fractured frame beam, and that was the death penalty. Poor little duckling, I loved it (to death, obviously). Its 16 hp got me over the high Alps in Switzerland, all the way down to the south of Spain from Germany, and across Europe in all other directions. A perfect car for a student, which I was at the time. I did all my moves with it, after removing the trunk door, the roll-up top, and all seats other than mine. Ingeniously simple!

I repainted mine (of course). Just with a paint roll. Got orange peel paint all over, which made it even faster (golf ball design!). It was very pale blue (almost white).

I also had a Renault Dauphine, but that didn't last long. Its tail-happy rear engine got me into a skid which I couldn't control, so I rolled over and that was the end of that one. The Renault R4 that I had just before it also got totalled, when some lady violated my right of way and I t-boned her.

Loved those simple, basic cars that were so versatile (and easy to maintain).

windbreaker,

I know what you mean.We came home from a holiday in France once with about 70 bottles of wine packed under the seat and in front of the back seat.
Crossed the Alps with this load and customs never noticed it.
It is still the same 2cv I have now. Only I have restored it completely since then.
And I got married in it

My family (and I) lived in Paris for a little less than 4 years (1957 - 1961). I get nostalgic every time I see a French car. The poster from Richmond, above, certainly did a great job of describing the way that the 2CV behaves on the road; it was almost comical to see these cars entering L'Autoroute. It was as if they sprung like a see-saw as they went down the highway. On the 1 KM steep grade between St. Germain en-laye and Rocquencourt, the little 2CV had to be kept in first gear in order to make it up the hill.

I don't think I ever saw one in any color other than their famous gray in the whole time I lived there (of course the little panel truck was different), but I have seen them in various colors - including hot pink - here in the states. I have not laid eyes on one, though, in about 20 years. I did see a perfect restoration of the classic Citroen (as seen in Casablanca) on Interstate 10 driving through Baton Rouge about 3 years ago. IIRC it had Florida plates on it, and it look like the guy was headed toward Houston. Would have loved to have a cup of coffee and chatted about the car with its owner, but as obvious as it was that I had an interest in his car he just kept on keepin' on.

Very nice

We used to have a Citroën Ami 8 when I was a kid mid 70'ties.
A break version on the 2CV chassis AFAIK.
650 2 cylinder boxer engine....

I wish I still had one.

Met oui! One of the BEST cars involved in a James Bond chase scene. Ever.: What you need when your Lotus blows up

(Speaking of French, the same movie features who I believe to be the most GORGEOUS of all Bond women: Carole Bouquet)