1960 Citroën 2CV

Wonderfully original condition
One of first ‘new bonnet' models
Vert Embrun AC 511

French registration (normal)
Chassis N° 251281

We're not talking here of a car, but of a myth, a national symbol - a way of living, even. The Citroën 2CV owes its birth to a visionary by the name of Pierre Jules Boulanger. The concept was for a simple and robust vehicle needing the minimum of maintenance, and its origins can bve traced back to the late 1930s when Citroën's engineers began work on what was known as the TPV or ‘Toute Petite Voiture'. Designed under the direction of André Lefèbvre, the first prototype emerged in 1937. The outbreak of war prevented series production beginning and the project - substantially revised - only really got underway again when peace returned. The 2CV's unveiling on 7 October 1948 proved to be the sensation of that year's Paris motor show. Although at first the butt of much criticism, the 2CV rapidly became sought-after and it was normal to have to wait several years before taking delivery, because of the large number of orders Citroën was struggling to fulfil. When the 2CV was discontinued in 1990 after a 42-year life, more than 5m had been built, making this mythological machine the sixth most-sold French vehicle of all time.
The example presented here dates from the end of December 1960, which makes it one of the first 2CVs with the new five-rib bonnet. It left the lines almost on Christmas Day, and one can easily imagine the joy in one particular French household at receiving such a fine festive gift. Currently in unspoilt original condition and good working order, it is finished in Vert Embrun (Spray Green) code AC 511, a shade introduced on the last ‘ripple-bonnet' cars and which livened up a previously somewhat dull range of colours.
With signs of the passage of time intentionally preserved, only the seat fabric has been changed recently. On test the gallant little aircooled twin has proved to be in rude health and the centrifugal clutch found on these early 2CVs to be working perfectly. The car was bought in 2016 by its current owner as a present for his father, who unfortunately is no longer able to drive it. With a valid contrôle technique (MoT) and no mechanical worries - there's even a new battery - this is a fine way to celebrate Citroën's centenary, bowling along the French roads this summer in one of its most legendary vehicles.