Citroën 2CV

Citroën
Citroën 2CV, built in 1956
2CV
Production period:	1949-1990
Class :	Small car
Body versions :	Limousine , high roof station wagon
Engines:	Otto engines : 0.375-0.6 liters (6.6-21.3 kW)
Length:	3830 mm
Width:	1480 mm
Height:	1600 mm
Wheelbase :	2400 mm
Empty weight :	560 kg
successor	Citroën AX

The Citroën 2CV ( French deux chevaux "two horses"), in Germany and Austria usually duck and Switzerland Döschwo called, was a popular model of the car manufacturer Citroen with an air-cooled two-cylinder - four stroke - boxer engine and front wheel drive .

Between the summer of 1949 and mid-1990, 3,868,631 four-door sedans and 1,246,335 delivery vans ("box ducks ") were produced. From 1960 to 1968 (and 1971) 694 pieces of the Sahara version "4 × 4" with two engines and all-wheel drive were built, which had been introduced in 1958 and was also called "Bimoteur".

Development began in the mid-1930s; Due to the war , Citroën only presented the new 2CV to the public on October 7, 1948 in Paris . Initially ridiculed by the trade press, the 2CV became one of the most famous car models in France in the following decades . The 2CV was the basis for the Citroën models Dyane , Ami and Méhari .

history

First prototypes

Prototype TPV

In 1934, Citroën director Pierre-Jules Boulanger gave the order to develop a minimalist small car . The requirements for the designer André Lefèbvre were allegedly:

“Design a car that offers space for two farmers in boots and a hundredweight of potatoes or a keg of wine, goes at least 60 km / h and only uses three liters of gasoline per 100 km. In addition, it should be able to cover even the worst of stretches and be so easy to use that even an inexperienced driver can handle it without any problems. It has to be extremely well sprung so that a basket full of eggs can withstand a trip over bumpy dirt roads unscathed. And finally, the new car has to be significantly cheaper than our 'Traction Avant' . The appearance of the car is not important at all. "

- Pierre-Jules Boulanger

Prototype TPV with water cooling

In 1939 250 water-cooled prototypes of the 2CV series "A" or TPV were built. The acronym TPV stood for toute petite voiture , in German "very small car". The TPV had only one headlight and was designed with utility in mind. The design of the vehicle was correspondingly sparse.

Conceptually, the TPV was primarily designed for weight reduction through extensive use of light metal. The curb weight was initially only 380 kilograms, thanks to the aluminum structure , there was no need to paint. The car had no starter , it was started with a crank. According to tradition, Citroën boss Pierre-Jules Boulanger is said to have said when an employee asked why a starter was not installed: “The car is intended for farmers, and they are all married and have a wife who can operate the crank. “The seats of the TPV were made of light metal and covered with canvas. The individual windshield wipers were operated via the connectable speedometer cable while the vehicle was moving , while wiping movements were possible using the handwheel. The filler neck was not clad in the trunk through the trunk, so there was a risk of damaging it when loading bulky objects. The lighting only met the minimum standards required by law in France. As a result, indicators and a second headlight and a second rear light were missing . Exterior mirrors have also been omitted.

During the German occupation of France in World War II , the project was kept a secret from the occupiers. In addition, the production halls from the outbreak of war were already for the production of tanks of the mark Renault needed. Some prototypes were hidden, most of them destroyed. In 1994 three TPVs were found in a barn in France. Up to 2005 five surviving TPVs are known. Awakened in his ambition in view of the simple forms of the prototype, the later designer of the Citroën DS , Citroën designer Flaminio Bertoni , began in 1939, without being asked, with designs for a more pleasing appearance for the 2CV.

Presentation and start of production

The simplest technology was defining for the 2CV

At the Paris Motor Show on October 7, 1948, Citroën unveiled a completely redesigned model with an air-cooled engine compared to the TPV . After the vehicle was unveiled, the satirical weekly Le Canard enchaîné wrote : "A tin can, model-free camping for four sardines."

Since the rare raw materials, especially steel , were preferably allocated to the state Régie Nationale des Usines Renault , Citroën was initially only able to produce a few cars. There were short waiting lists of up to six years. During the auto show in 1948, there were no production facilities for the 2CV. After production began in July 1949, primarily farmers and traders were supplied.

cult

Citroën 2CV, built in 1960

The purchase price of the 2CV was quite low. Thanks to the simple technology, the maintenance costs were also relatively low, and the small displacement resulted in low vehicle taxes. These factors contributed to the fact that the duck became the typical student car, especially in Germany. Their possession was seen by many as an expression of a non-conformist and consumer-critical lifestyle, in which status symbols play no role.

Citroën 2CV "Charleston", built in 1983

Citroën 2CV "Dolly", built in 1985

From October 1980 there were 8,000 copies of the “Charleston” special model. It differed from the series models "Club" and "Spécial" by the black and wine-red paintwork in the style of the 1920s. It had special seat cushions in a houndstooth pattern , round headlights in body color and chrome-plated hubcaps. The other interior fittings corresponded to the better equipped “Club” model.

Because of its great success, the “Charleston” -2CV was available as a third series model from spring 1981, with chrome-plated headlights and - like the other models from 1981 - with disc brakes on the front axle, and from summer 1982 also in black and yellow exterior color. In mid-1983 the black and yellow was replaced by a night gray and mist gray version, which remained in the range until production was discontinued.

With the “Dolly” -2CV, another special model was offered from March 1985, which was initially available in three different color patterns, gray / white, gray / cream and gray / red. As early as September 1985, these combinations were replaced by other color variants, including white / green, white / red and cream / red. In April 1986 the last innovation was a cream-blue version instead of the white-green version.

When discussions about the emission values ​​of cars intensified in politics, Citroën decided to bring out a lower-emission variant of the 2CV. At the beginning of 1986 the “I fly unleaded” duck was finally introduced in Germany and Switzerland , which tolerated unleaded fuel instead of leaded fuel . It was only available in green, whereby the stickers on the front and rear fenders and on the doors were darker green and had a shape similar to that of the "Charleston" duck . Further details were the stickers "I fly lead-free" on both sides and "Duck green" on the ventilation flap under the windshield. In 1987 it was replaced by the Sausss duck , which had similarly distinctive lettering as the "Sausss" and a duck equipped with a helmet. It was also delivered almost exclusively in green and a smaller number in red.

In headlong one was a company car cops used.

End of production

Already after the presentation of the Dyane in 1967 there was speculation about the end of the 2CV, but the duck still outlasted the two modern successor models Citroën LN and Visa . It was not until February 1988 that production of the 2CV in France was stopped at the Citroën Levallois plant .

On July 27, 1990, the final car (a gray 2CV6 "Charleston") left the assembly halls at the Citroën plant in Mangualde ( Portugal ). When production was stopped, the 2CV was technically and conceptually very outdated. Its body was no longer up-to-date in the mid-1950s. The car did not correspond to the later state of the art in any category (consumption, noise development, emission behavior, accident safety). The fact that the vehicle was able to be produced and sold for so long at all can be explained - similar to the VW Beetle - among other things with the cult factor that had developed around the obviously likeable car. This cult factor enabled continued sales, especially in the Federal Republic of Germany and Great Britain , while demand fell noticeably, especially in the French-speaking countries. At its peak in the 1960s, more than 150,000 units per year were sold worldwide, compared to 20,000 units in the late 1980s. In some countries, such as Switzerland and Austria , 2CVs were no longer allowed to be registered before the end of production, as they no longer met the stricter emissions standards.

In 2002 the 2CV was voted “Car of the 20th Century” in France. On the occasion of this event, the French Post issued a special postage stamp .

Citroën sold some of the production machines, which continued to produce in small numbers.

Existence in Germany

The number of Citroën 2CVs in Germany as of January 1st (until 2000: July 1st) is listed for selected years according to the Federal Motor Transport Authority . Before March 1, 2007, the vehicle inventory included the number of vehicles registered as well as the number of temporary shutdowns. Since March 1, 2007, the vehicle fleet has only included "flowing traffic" including the seasonal license plates.

Deadline	number
July 1, 1999	37,468
Jan. 1, 2002	approx. 27,000
Jan. 1, 2008	14,063
Jan. 1, 2009	13,613
Jan. 1, 2010	13,120
Jan. 1, 2011	12,874
Jan. 1, 2013	12,646

Since many of the 2CVs registered in Germany were imported from other European countries and thus received the type code number 0000, the KBA cannot determine the actual number of 2CVs registered in Germany; it is significantly higher than indicated in the statistics. An active community of enthusiasts has formed around the remaining 2CVs across Europe. An almost complete supply of spare parts appears to be guaranteed for decades, as parts that are no longer available as originals are now being reproduced. Because of the corrosion-prone substance of the 2CV, chassis and components made of galvanized or rustproof material are often retrofitted to achieve long-term maintenance of the vehicle.

According to the final report of the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control , 171 Citroën 2CVs were scrapped between January 27, 2009 and July 31, 2010 in order to receive the environmental bonus .

Name and nickname

The name 2CV was derived from the Cheval fiscal code in the French vehicle tax system, as was common with many other French models of the time, such as the “creme cutlet” Renault 4CV or the “gangster limousine” Citroën Traction Avant , which, depending on the engine, was 7CV , 11CV or 15CV. In the case of the relatively weakly motorized 2CV in particular, it is often wrongly assumed that these values ​​relate directly to the engine power and would correspond to the usual horsepower ( chevaux vapeur ). However, other factors are also included in the "CV", previously also the number of gears, the gear ratio and the tire size. So you had to pay between 2 and 3 CV vehicle taxes for the 2CV, depending on the year of construction and engine type. Accordingly, it was sold as a 3CV for a while in the 1960s, but despite the higher tax bracket, the name was returned to the 2CV, which had already been naturalized.

In German-speaking countries, the model was colloquially called "Ente". This designation has been adopted from the Netherlands , where a journalist in 1948 called the car de lelijke eend ("the ugly duckling") when it was first seen , after the fairy tale of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen . Thus the vehicle (and also a club) was christened this way in the 1950s, before imports to Germany began in 1959. The term Citroën was taken up very late in Germany itself.

In other northern European language areas, too, the 2CV has been given a name derived from this Dutch root, so ugly duckling in English. In France, the country of origin, the car was instead baptized deux chevaux ( French for "two horses"), abbreviated as deuche or deux-pattes ("double paw"). From deux chevaux [ dø ʃə.vo ] in Switzerland and the border areas of Germany, the short form "Döschwo" or "Döschewo" is derived as a German nickname. In many countries the direct translation of "two horses" ( deux chevaux ) was chosen as the name, such as dos caballos in Spain or due cavalli in Italy . In contrast, the car in Argentina is called el coche rana ("the frog car") or simply "Citro". In Vietnam , the 2CV and the models derived from it are called Dalat .

Special models

→ Main article : Gauloises ducks

technology

engine

Engine compartment of a 2CV

The air-cooled two-cylinder boxer engines had an underneath camshaft and valves operated via tappets, bumpers and rocker arms. The combustion chambers were hemispherical. Initially the displacement was 375 cm³ and the output 6.6 kW (9 hp). In 1955 the displacement was expanded to 425 cm³, the output increased to 8.8 kW (12 PS), then in 1963 to 12 kW (16 PS). From 1966/1967, the AZAM 6 model from Belgium was also offered in Germany as a 3CV. The car had the 602 cm³ engine of the Ami 6 with 15 kW (21 hp) and its reinforced chassis.

In 1970 the 2CV4 appeared with a new 435 cc engine with 17 kW (23 hp) at 7000 rpm, production of which was discontinued in 1978. Also in 1970 the 2CV6 appeared with the new 602 cm³ engine with an initial 21 kW (28 hp) at 6750 rpm, which had been in the AK 350 (long box duck), the Dyane 6 and the AMI 6 / AMI 8 since 1968 1976 with thinner intake pipes and 18 kW (25 HP) at 5750 / min, from 1980 with register carburetor and 29 HP at 6750 / min and from 1986 with a compression ratio reduced from 8.5: 1 to 7.75: 1 for normal unleaded gasoline and 21 kW (28 PS) at 5750 rpm. In the mid-1980s, the 2CV was temporarily tax-privileged in the Federal Republic of Germany like vehicles with an unregulated catalytic converter as "conditionally low in emissions".

In the development stage from around 1972 until then, the 602 cm³ engines achieved unimagined mileages, at least for small cars. With adequate maintenance, 300,000 km is not uncommon. According to the German tax formula, the 602 cm³ engines are downscaled to 597 cm³ by rounding off π / 4 to 0.78 for the piston cross-section (see displacement and vehicle tax ).

The duck is one of the few vehicles whose basic engine output has more than tripled in the course of the development stages. The consumption of the engines in the older versions was between 5 and 7 liters of petrol per 100 kilometers. The engines built in the last few years of production rarely exceeded the 8 liter limit. The first version with 9 hp reached a top speed of around 60  km / h ; the last types with 29 hp achieved a top speed of 115 km / h.

With all 2CV it was possible to start the engine with the help of the jack crank .

Ignition system

2CV scheme of the ignition system

Right half of a 2CV engine: crankshaft with undivided connecting rods above the camshaft with oil pump housing at the rear and drive for the interrupter at the front

The engine has a battery ignition without an ignition distributor . The breaker contact is located in a housing that is screwed onto the motor housing at the end of the camshaft. It can be turned to adjust the ignition timing. The breaker and capacitor are only accessible after removing the protective grille and the fan wheel. At the end of the camshaft there are two breaker cams with a 180 ° offset on a centrifugal adjuster. An ignition coil arranged in the middle of the headlight carrier at right angles to the direction of travel , in which the primary and secondary windings are galvanically separated, supplies both spark plugs . While in a cylinder the spark in the ignition timing at the end of the second clock triggers the burning, he lost as wasted spark ( "wasted spark") in the fourth cycle (ejection) of the other cylinder.

This makes a structurally simple ignition system possible, comparable to that of a single-cylinder engine . Because of the poor accessibility of the interrupter, various electronic ignition systems were developed and offered in the fan scene.

transmission

The mechanical gearbox is flanged behind the engine in the direction of travel. In the prototypes the transmission had one reverse gear and three forward gears, in series production an overdrive gear was added, which was marked with "S" in the shift pattern and could only be shifted from 3rd gear. With the introduction of the 16 hp engine, the overdrive became the normal 4th gear and could also be shifted normally from the idle gate. From 1970, at the same time as the vertical cover plate with the new taillights was introduced, the new gearbox with gear lever was installed in the upper housing cover.

The gears are engaged with a turret shift. The shift lever protrudes from the bulkhead in the middle below the windshield wiper motor. 1st gear is not synchronized and is behind reverse gear (Z shift pattern).

body

Body of the 2CV

"Duck cemetery" in Narbonne

Easily unscrewable front fenders for maintenance and repairs

The four-door steel structure of the 2CV is not self-supporting and is bolted to the chassis , a box frame, as are most of the add-on parts. The hinges on the body (hoods and doors) consist of simple sheet metal folds in which bent parts run into one another. The front doors were later attached to real hinges at the front. This enabled simple and inexpensive repairs in the event of damage. Instead of a fixed roof made of steel, the car was provided with a roll-up roof made of vinyl . When designing the body, neither special beauty nor low air resistance was initially placed on. The duck's c _w value is 0.508.

The front fenders are screwed to the body and the lamp holder with four nuts each. Like the wheel nuts, the nuts have a wrench size of 19 mm and can thus be loosened with the jack crank. As a result, the drive can be made easily accessible with little effort, which makes maintenance work easier.

The simplicity of the entire body made inexpensive production possible, but quality often suffered as well as comfort. When driving fast, the doors began to flutter, and permanently expelling moisture from the interior was considered almost impossible. Rust prevention, which was inadequate at the factory or was neglected by some owners, brought many ducks to an end long before the technology was worn out.

landing gear

The independent suspension systems consist of two transversely on the chassis screwed transverse supports on which two movable tapered roller bearings each swing mounted. The front wings are pushed, the rear ones pulled. At the outer ends of the front swing arms, the steering knuckles sit on the kingpin. The wheel bearings and anchor plates of the drum brakes are mounted at the ends of the rear swing arms .

The rack and pinion steering is integrated in the front cross member. It is operated via a one-piece steering column and acts on the steering knuckles via adjustable tie rods mounted in ball joints .

Cylindrical housings are mounted along both sides of the chassis, each containing two coil springs , spring plates and tension struts. One of the tension struts is hinged to each rocker arm, via which the rocker arm acts on a spring plate and a spring. The short lever of the tension strut on the long swing arm results in a large spring deflection despite the short springs . The housing tube was initially movable within certain limits, so that the compression of the front wheel when driving over a bump increases the spring force on the rear wheel (on the same side of the vehicle), i.e. allows it to rebound. Later, the spring housings were fixed to the frame to reduce the tendency of the vehicle to pitch . Since there are no stabilizers , the off-road mobility is high, but the body roll when cornering is considerable. Because of the light body, the low-lying boxer engine and the low-lying tank, the center of gravity is favorable , so that it is almost impossible to tip over.

The special thing about this type of suspension is the adjustable ground clearance. To do this, you change the length of the pull rod between the swing arm and the spring assembly. However, a higher ground clearance leads to a greater articulation angle of the drive shaft joints, which significantly increases their wear.

Due to the large spring travel, the 2CV was equipped with a hand-operated headlight range control for the headlights from the start of production . The driver can continuously regulate the headlight range from the interior using a hand wheel via a thin rod that is connected to the movable headlight frame by a screw drive.

The vibration dampers of earlier models are friction dampers attached to the side of the swing arm bearings. In addition to these friction dampers, inertial dampers are mounted on the ends of the swing arms. Later models are instead equipped with hydraulic shock absorbers mounted parallel to the tension struts of the suspension .

At first all vehicles were equipped with drum brakes all around . From 1981 disc brakes were installed in the front . The front brakes are flanged to the gearbox so that the cardan shafts not only transmit drive forces, but also braking forces. The cardan shafts are therefore subject to high loads. A broken PTO shaft leads to failure of the braking effect on the relevant side. In addition, the brakes are not cooled as well as those on the wheel. The disc brakes are therefore supplied with cooling air from the blower box via air baffles. The lower unsprung mass and the simple construction are advantageous. The handbrake acts on the front wheels, on models with disc brakes via a separate, smaller brake caliper that is operated by a cable.

In the three nuts mounted 15- inch - steel wheels were standard 125 mm wide tires mounted. The narrow, relatively large wheels enabled good grip on loose surfaces. The good driving characteristics, especially in deep snow, were also due to the front-wheel drive.

The hydraulically operated brakes of the 2CV managed without brake hoses from 1970; Movements of the gearbox (front) and the rocker arms (rear) were compensated for with coils in the steel brake lines.

The caster angle is unusually high at 14 ° (unloaded), recognizable by the turned front wheels that appear to be strongly tilted. The large angle is necessary in order to generate restoring forces even when the front wheel swing is extended. The steering forces on the steering wheel are then low, but high when the vehicle is loaded and in fast corners.

The 2CV was originally delivered with a 400 mm rim diameter and later with 15 inches (= 381 mm), like the VW Beetle . The 2CV with radial tires came out as one of the very first cars ever . The tire manufacturer Michelin owned the majority of Citroën. To protect the vulnerable flank from damage, 135 instead of 125 mm wide tires were offered.

Model variants

Limousines

year	Development steps
1949	The first 2CV (A) delivered has 375 cm³ displacement, 9 HP, 65 km / h top speed, only 1 rear light and windshield wiper with speedometer drive (the wiping speed was dependent on the driving speed)
1951	The 2CV has an ignition lock and a lockable driver's door.
1954	The oval frame around the Citroën badge on the radiator grille is removed. The speedometer gets lighting for the night.
1955	The 2CV has side indicators at the top behind the rear doors. It is also available with a displacement of 425 cm³ (AZ), 12.5 hp engine and a top speed of 80 km / h.
1957	A heating / ventilation is installed. The color of the steering wheel changes from black to gray. The rear-view mirrors and the rear window are enlarged. The bonnet is decorated with a longitudinal strip of aluminum (AZL). In September 1957, the AZLP (P for “porte de malle”, tailgate ) model appeared with a trunk lid made of sheet metal. Now the fabric top on the underside no longer had to be opened to get to the trunk .
1958	A higher quality version of the duck (AZL3) was produced in a Belgian Citroën plant. For the first time, it had a third side window and other improved details that were not available in the normal version.
1960	Production of the 375 cc engine is discontinued. Round indicators are integrated into the front fender. The corrugated metal hood is replaced by a 5-ribbed high-gloss hood. At the same time, the radiator grille is changed somewhat (flatter shape with a curved upper edge).
1962	The engine output is increased to 14 hp and the top speed to 85 km / h. Sun visors are also installed.
1963	The engine output is increased to 16 hp. The bumper is changed. An electric wiper motor replaces the drive via the speedometer cable.
1964	The door hinges of the front doors are now at the front. The ammeter is replaced by a charge indicator light. The speedometer is moved from the window post into the dashboard. Instead of a dipstick, there is now a fuel gauge.
1965	The radiator grille is changed again: The Citroën logo is now above the radiator grille. The multi-ribbed grille is replaced by three horizontal bars.
1966	The 2CV gets a third side window. From September 1966, a variant produced in Belgium with the 602 cm³ Ami6 engine and 21 HP was marketed as a 3 CV in Germany (AZAM6). This version was only in the sales program for some export markets until 1968; this model was never available in France itself.
1967	In the late summer of 1967 the slightly better equipped and more powerful Dyane appeared , which is technically based on the 2CV. The external appearance is distinguished by the headlights embedded in the fenders and a body that largely dispensed with curves and should therefore exude seriousness. The car was intended to appeal to those groups of buyers who had migrated after the introduction of the Renault 4 . About 1.4 million Dyane (AYA) were built between September 1967 and June 1984 . The Dyane was originally planned as an upscale version of the duck and - according to the plan - was to replace it completely later. But the 2CV ultimately outlived the Dyane by six years because it was simply not accepted as a replacement by customers.
1970	The taillights and front turn signals are changed. From 1970 only two model series were produced: The 2CV 4 (AZKB) with 435 cm³ and the 2CV 6 (AZKA) with 602 cm³ displacement.
1971	The front bench is replaced by two individual seats.
1972	3-point seat belts are now installed as standard.
1973	The 2CV gets new seat covers, a padded single-spoke steering wheel and ashtray.
1975	Due to new emissions standards, the output is throttled from 28 HP to 25 HP in order to reduce pollutant emissions. The round headlights are replaced by angular ones, which can be adjusted in height from the interior. A new plastic grille replaces the old one (the Citroën logo is now back in the middle of the grille). The bumper is changed.
1976	After the Dyane hit the market, sales fell rapidly at first. Between 1975 and 1990 the AZKB was sold as a drastically slimmed-down basic version under the name “2CV Spécial”. For the time being it is only available in yellow, the rear side windows have disappeared, the roof can be opened again from the outside, the seats are covered with synthetic leather and the headlights are round again. In addition, the small, angular speedometer and the narrow rear bumper were installed again.
1978	The 2CV Spécial is now also available in red and white; he is also given a third side window.
1981	Originally planned as a limited special series, the Charleston, initially only available in red and black, was included in the standard range thanks to the great demand. By changing the carburettor, it reaches a top speed of 115 km / h with 29 hp. In addition to new rear-view mirrors, it also gets internal disc brakes on the front wheels.
1982	All 2CV models have internal disc brakes on the front wheels. The Charleston duck gets chrome headlights and the seats have new upholstery. It is also available in yellow-black, but the color combination is replaced by cormoran gray-night gray one year later.
1986	Introduction of the special series "I Fly lead-free" in Germany and Switzerland, which can also handle super unleaded instead of regular gasoline. It can be recognized by the patterns resembling the Charleston duck. Was introduced mainly because of the stricter emission standards. In 1987 it was replaced by the "Sausss duck".
1990	The last 2CV leaves the production hall in Mangualde / Portugal on July 27th. A total of 5,114,966 units were built.

• 

  Citroën 2CV (1957-1960)

• 

  Citroën 2CV Sahara 4 × 4
  (1960–1968)

• 

  Citroën 2CV (1975-1990)

• 

  Steering wheel and fittings

delivery trucks

Citroën 2CV AU (1952)

Citroën "box duck" AK 400 (1978)

Citroën 2CV 4 × 4 Sahara

The 2CV-based delivery vans introduced in the spring of 1951 differed from the sedan from the B-pillar onwards by a box-like, spacious cargo area that can be loaded through two double doors at the rear. The van was called "Fourgonnette" by Citroën.

In France and Switzerland, these vehicles were often to be found at the post office and small businesses, while in Germany the possibility of getting a camper at a low price was more important for buyers. Technically, this variant went through almost the same development steps as the sedan.

Production of the delivery van, also known as the "box duck", was stopped in mid-1978. In the summer of the same year, the high-roof variant of the Dyane, the Acadiane , took its place.

The short versions with 250 kg payload:

• AU (1951–1954)
• AZU (AK-A) with 425 cm³ and 12, 16 and 18 HP
• AZU / AK 250 (AK-B) with 435 cm³ and 23/24 PS

and the long versions with a more powerful 602 cm³ engine

• AK 350 (AK-B) (low box, 350 kg payload)
• AK 400 (AK-S) (high box, 400 kg payload)
• AYCD (Citroën Acadiane)

2CV 4 × 4 Sahara

In 1960 the 2CV 4 × 4 Sahara , later called the 2CV bimoteur , appeared. It has an additional motor-gearbox unit in the rear that is mounted upside down and drives the rear wheels. Both engines (and thus also the axles) can be operated independently of each other and also individually and in early versions each had 12 HP, and in the models built from 1964 onwards, 16 HP each. An ignition lock with starter button, indicator light and choke is mounted on the dashboard for the engines . Both transmissions are shifted with just one center lever instead of the revolver gearshift typical of the 2CV . Separate 15-liter petrol tanks for the two engines are located under the front seats and can be refueled through holes in the doors. The spare wheel is attached to the front of the bonnet, which is also specially made. The tailgate of the Sahara version also differs from the series: In order to supply the air-cooled motor with fresh air, the tailgate has an opening for the fan wheel of the motor. To make the car more suitable for off-road use, the frame has been reinforced at some points and an underrun protection has been added to the front. The rear wheel covers had a curved wheel cutout. The stronger wheel bearings of the Citroën Ami 6 and larger tires are also used. Thanks to the "switchable" all-wheel drive, the car is very off-road, but at twice the price of the standard "duck". Only 693 copies were built until 1968. Many were used by the Swiss Post as delivery vehicles, some were used in the French army. There are still coveted and expensive oldtimers, good specimens of which are traded at prices above 100,000 euros.

Further derivatives and conversions

Since the body of the 2CV bolted to the chassis had no load-bearing function, it was easy to completely replace it with other constructions. The Citroën Méhari is generally regarded as a derivative of the Dyane.

year	image	Specialty
1953		The Citroën 2CV Antem is a one-off. The body, designed as a four-door saloon in pontoon style, was designed by Philippe Charbonneaux ; The car was built at Antem .
1959-1964		The Citroën Bijou was created in the English Citroën plant in Slough . The technology corresponds to the 2CV with 6 volts and 12 hp, also manufactured in the Slough factory. 210 pieces of the coupé with a body made of glass fiber reinforced plastic were produced, of which around 40 are still registered and in use around the world today. The jewel was only available as a right-hand drive.
1961-1978		The Citroën Ami had a frame with the same dimensions as the 2CV, but stronger and larger. This frame was then also used in the 2CVs from model year 1970. The Ami 6 (1961–1969) and Ami 8 (1969–1978) models had a 602 cm³ 2-cylinder boxer engine. The Ami Super (1973–1976), on the other hand, had the 4-cylinder boxer engine with 1015 cm³ and the transmission from the Citroën GS as well as a frame that was slightly longer in the front end.
1968-1987		The Citroën Méhari is an open recreational vehicle based on the 2CV or the Dyane.
1972-1988		The Citroën Pony or Namco Pony was a small, versatile utility vehicle with 2CV technology and a simply manufactured steel body.
since 1982		The Lomax is an English kit car based on the 2CV
since 1988		The Hoffmann 2CV convertible consists of a kit car kit for converting the 2CV. It is made in Hohenfurch , Bavaria .
since 2000		The Burton is a Dutch kit car based on the 2CV.

As early as 1958 and 1959, 25 copies of the Radar were made in Belgium, a roadster with a body made of glass fiber reinforced plastic, developed by Robert Radar and marketed by Citroën Belgium.

Gauloises ducks

In 1981, the manufacturer of Gauloises tobacco raffled off five custom-made Citroën 2CVs in a competition. Each car was kept in the Gauloises colors and yet was unique, because most of them had been extensively redesigned thematically; The amphibious "swimming duck" or the "truck duck" with a semi-trailer were spectacular . In the following years a few more 2CVs were raffled off.

Unrealized successors and studies

At the end of the 1950s, the styling department was already working on a successor to the 2CV. The futuristic-looking, hemispherical prototype C1-C10 with the nickname Coccinelle ("ladybird") was created. An extremely light aluminum body and a low drag coefficient should enable a top speed of 144 km / h with an 18 hp engine. 15 years later, the focus was less on modernizing the small car than on its nostalgic upgrading: the “retro” study “2CV Pop” was created, a 2CV with a representative chrome grille in Traction Avant style and with a 54 hp engine the middle class model GS , based on the chassis of the "Ami Super".

Current retrofitting options

An uncontrolled catalytic converter has been offered as exhaust gas aftertreatment for the 2CV since 1991, and a regulated one since 1992. With the latter, the emission class Euro 1 is achieved and the entry of the key number 77 in the registration certificate enables a green particulate matter sticker to be issued. Occasionally there are 2CVs with G-Kat and key number 01 (early entries before the 77 key number), they also receive a green fine dust sticker.

literature

• Martin Breuninger, E. Utz Orlopp: Everything about the Citroën 2CV. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1984, ISBN 3-613-01029-1 .
• Jan Eggermann: Citroën 2CV COMPACT - All the facts and types. edition garage 2CV, Lüdenscheid 2014, ISBN 978-3-9809082-5-2 .
• Jan Eggermann: Citroën 2CV - The duck in Germany. edition garage 2CV, Lüdenscheid 2005, ISBN 978-3-9809082-2-1 .
• Jan Eggermann, Ingo Meier: Voilà: Monpti - Citroën 2CV advertising in Germany. CD-ROM . edition garage 2CV, Lüdenscheid 2003, ISBN 3-9809082-0-8 .
• Räto Graf: Citroën 2CV - The Döschwo in Switzerland. edition garage 2CV, Lüdenscheid 2011, ISBN 978-3-9809082-4-5 .
• Dieter Korp: Now I'll help myself Volume 12, Citroën 2CV Dyane , Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart, ISBN 3-87943-051-9 .
• Peter Kurz, Ulrich Knaack: Citroën 2CV. The duck - joie de vivre on wheels. Delius Klasing Verlag, Bielefeld 2009, ISBN 978-3-7688-2601-3
• Jürgen Lewandowski, Nikolaus Reichert: The great duck book. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1984 (2nd edition), ISBN 3-87943-984-2 .
• Clemens Losch: The duck manual - 2CV care maintenance repair. Gisbert-Frech-Verlag, Sprockhövel 1999, ISBN 3-9805786-1-5 .
• Ingo Meier: Citroën 2CV - The story of a car called the duck. FGV-Verlag, Hannover 2005, ISBN 3-9810348-0-5 .
• Ingo Meier: “Not unlike a local swimming bird” - how the ugly duckling became a proud duck. [on the history of the term duck], In: Ulrich Knaack, Halwart Schrader (eds.): Citroën year book N ° 1 (2005). FGV-Verlag, Hannover 2004, ISBN 3-00-013667-3 , pp. 38-49.
• Ingo Meier: Belgian high-flyer. The history of the AZAM 6. In: Ulrich Knaack, Halwart Schrader (ed.): Citroën year book N ° 2 (2006). FGV-Verlag, Hannover 2006, ISBN 3-9810348-1-3 , pp. 51-56.
• Immo Mikloweit: Citroën 2CV - The duck, yesterday, today, tomorrow. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1999, ISBN 3-613-87192-0 .
• Immo Mikloweit: 2CV - The duck book. Komet Verlag, Cologne 2008, ISBN 978-3-89836-797-4 .
• Ingo Meier: 2CV - all models from 1948 to 1990. (Series of cars that were still types. ) Heel Verlag, Königswinter 2011, ISBN 978-3-86852-480-2 .
• Jean-Patrick Baraillé, Hans-Jürgen Schneider: Citroën 2 CV: Typology & purchase advice; all models, details, changes 1948–1990, technology, body, colors, upholstery. Schneider Media, 2012, ISBN 978-3-7688-5803-8 .

Web links

Commons : Citroën 2CV  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• www.garage2cv.de
• CCRR umbrella organization of German 2CV friends

Individual evidence

1. ↑ 70 years of Döschwo - the car that uses little gasoline and is a lot of fun , NZZ, October 7, 2018
2. ↑ 60 years of Citroën 2CV, 1948–2008, a sheet of pictures. Citroën Deutschland AG 2008, Directorate Public Relations / Press
3. ↑ Ingo Meier: Citroën 2CV - The story of a car called duck. FGV-Verlag, Hannover 2005, ISBN 3-9810348-0-5 .
4. ↑ Robert Skuppin, Volker Wieprecht: The Lexicon of Vanished Things . Rowohlt E-Book, 2009, ISBN 978-3-644-10081-7 ( google.de [accessed October 5, 2019]).
5. ↑ ^{a b} January Eggersmann: Citroen 2CV COMPACT - All the facts and types. edition garage 2CV, Lüdenscheid 2014, ISBN 978-3-9809082-5-2 .
6. ↑ Immo Mikloweit: 2CV - The Duck Book. Komet Verlag, Cologne 2008, ISBN 978-3-89836-797-4 .
7. ^ Jacques Séguéla: 80 ans de publicité Citroën et toujours 20 ans. Editions Hoëbeke, Paris 1999, ISBN 2-84230-088-2 .
8. ↑ Citropolis HS n ° 3 and Jacques Wolgensinger: Nous nous sommes tant aimés. In: L'Alsace, November 24, 1998.
9. ↑ www.citroenchen.de illustration
10. ↑ Thomas Eberding: Die Ente - Kultauto Citroen 2 CV , YouTube channel from SWR - marktcheck from January 12, 2019
11. ↑ Press release No. 4/2008. The vehicle stock on January 1st, 2008 (PDF; 120 kB) Federal Motor Transport Authority, accessed on October 8th, 2013 . 
12. ↑ Press report 2000 (PDF; 397 kB) Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt, December 1999, p. 14 , accessed on October 8, 2013 . 
13. ↑ Press report 2003 (PDF; 637 kB) Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt, December 2002, p. 17 , accessed on October 8, 2013 . 
14. ↑ ^{a b c} Annual Report 2009 (PDF; 2.1 MB) Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt, p. 22 , accessed on October 8, 2013 . 
15. ↑ Less and less Trabis. (PDF; 123 kB) Federal Motor Transport Authority, accessed on October 8, 2013 . 
16. ↑ Every 100th passenger car is a classic car. (PDF; 137 kB) Federal Motor Transport Authority, accessed on October 8, 2013 . 
17. ↑ Final report - environmental bonus. (PDF; 1.6 MB) Federal Office for Economics and Export Control and Federal Motor Transport Authority, November 1, 2010, accessed on October 8, 2013 . 
18. ↑ Ingo Meier in: Citroën year book 2005. Fgv-Verlag 2004, ISBN 3-00-013667-3 .
19. ↑ Land and racing technology in the Citroën 2CV (second part), Eigenwege II, heise Ato> Technik, heise.de, pp. 1–4. August 14, 2015, accessed May 14, 2016. - Construction details.
20. ↑ Citroën passenger cars 1963. In: Motor vehicle technology 12/1962, pp. 510-511.
21. ↑ http://www.citroenorigins.fr/fr/vehicule/2cv-fourgonnette
22. ^ Räto Graf: Citroën 2CV - The Döschwo in Switzerland . edition garage 2CV, Lüdenscheid 2011, ISBN 978-3-9809082-4-5 .
23. ↑ http://www.lexicar.de/portal/zwei-motoren-in-serie-der-2cv-4x4-sahara.html
24. ↑ Gauloises ducks

This version was added to the list of articles worth reading on December 28, 2005 .