One of the longest running models of any car, the Citroen 2CV was introduced in 1948 as one of those fabulous vehicles engineered to bring motoring to the masses. Originally conceived in the 1930s, Citroen was in financial peril, and Michelin took control as the largest creditor. To get the company back on its feet, management knew it had to build something that would sell in quantity. Doing a little market research revealed that France had a major agricultural population that couldn’t afford a car, and it was a big population—thus, Citroen’s target. It was developed in secrecy with top engineers and designers who all knew to keep the project quiet, which worked very well. France declared war on Germany, which caused Citroen and Michelin to cease concerns with the 2CV, although both companies knew it would be the savior. When Germany occupied France during World War II, Pierre- Jules Boulanger, vice president of Citroen, went to great lengths to thwart the Nazis from raiding the factory and discovering the top-secret 2CV, going so far as to mislabel train cars so the Germans would let them pass, destroying and even burying prototypes in secret locations to avoid confiscation and copying by the Germans. Boulanger was labeled as an enemy of the Third Reich and threatened on numerous occasions with arrest and imprisonment in Germany, but the Nazis never made good on their threat. The silver lining of the war for Citroen, however, was that it gave the team more time to think over how to improve the car for when the war was over, and it paid off. Popular the world over, by the time production ceased in 1990, over 3 million had been sold. Over the years, various improvements in performance, durability and refinement had taken place, but each change was very slight. Citroen was not eager to change something that wasn’t broken. Quickly, the 2CV became synonymous with France, just as the Volkswagen’s Beetle had become synonymous with Germany and the Ford Model T had become synonymous with the U.S. All three had one major thread in common: allowing common people earning a decent wage to enjoy the pleasures and conveniences of motoring. This 1966 2CV is powered by the 425cc air-cooled flat twin-cylinder engine and 4-speed manual transmission, and it’s finished in two-tone black and maroon with just the right amount of chrome and brightwork. Fitted with a manual sliding ragtop sunroof, dual wipers, drum brakes, a speedometer with ammeter and a six-volt electrical system, it also has bumper guards and painted wheels with bright center caps. The interior features a bench seat with black upholstery, an AM/FM/Cassette stereo and unique sideview windows that flip open. It’s as basic as can be, much as it was intended for the era and the task of getting the people of France off horses and on wheels.
