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Saturday, 26 December 2020 19:08

The Belgian Ducks

The Citroën 2CV is as French as camembert, baguette and lavender. Nevertheless, many 2CV units have been built for the Benelux, Switzerland and Germany in the Belgian Citroën factory in Vorst. As was often the case in the past, import levies were levied on (complete) cars. In order to avoid these charges, Citroën imported parts, which were assembled together with locally produced parts into complete cars. Due to the existence of the Benelux, it was in any case more advantageous for the Netherlands to have the 2CV built in Belgium.

The parts for these cars were delivered by road from Paris. Citroën Vorst sprayed and then assembled the parts. The Belgians suspected that the Duck buyer would like to add some luxury to his car, and did not want to miss a business. They therefore exported a more extensive range, although 2CV's were also produced in Belgium which simply met the French specifications. The technique also largely corresponded to France.

More Luxurious Ducks in Frost

Citroën therefore built several 2CV series in Vorst with a higher equipment standard and increasingly different applications. The first Belgian luxury Ducks was the A "Brussels". Other early luxury Ducks, for example, were given a large steel tailgate, re-installed and designed lamps, decorative strips, larger wheels and aluminum bumpers. The AZL 3 was also a typical Belgian adaptation.. This type from the end of 1957 had specially cut rear fenders and a separate flap for the spare wheel. They are just independent examples of a series of adjustments to Ducks from the motherland.

More differences with France

For example, there were more differences. The installation and design of various lighting units, the installation of different dashboards (the crane dashboard is typically Belgian), and other window cut-outs (such as a trapezoidal rear window) were exemplary applications. They characterized the {often personalized} production in Forest, which was additionally type dependent.

Belgians were ahead

Special: the Belgians were regularly ahead of the French. The assembly of a third side window was already done in Belgium at the AZL3, whereas the French only applied it in the mid-1960s. Also, {Vorst} offered the buyer the opportunity to choose from several colors early on, while the French only offered a 2CV in the color gray. Furthermore, the Belgians were more likely to install separate front seats, a windscreen washer and the rectangular direction indicators on the front mudguards. In the 1960s, the luxury Belgian program Citroën came in handy. Renault achieved great success with the R4, and the Dyane was far from in the picture. That's why Citroën continued to make luxury Ducks, also in France.

Luxury in Azam6

In the country of origin Citroën introduced the 2CV Azam. It came in 1963. Based on the Azam (trims, more luxurious, nicer decoration, paperclip bumpers, AMI 6 furniture, dovetail steering wheel, homokinetic drive shafts) Belgium brought the AZM3, with third side window. And in 1965 Vorst launched the first Duck that reached a top speed of more than 100 kilometers per hour: the 2CV Azam6. That was an AZM3, which was built on the chassis of the Ami 6 and got a 602 cc engine (23 SAE-PK). He retired as an Export in 1967, when the Dyane was born. This series was available in a limited number of countries (also in the Netherlands and Belgium) and went through life as a 3CV in Germany and Switzerland.

 

Rationalization until 1978

After the arrival of the Dyane Citroën continued to build ducks in Forest, but separate versions did not come anymore. A trained eye saw at the level of detail whether a late 1960s 2 CV came from Belgium or France. Ducks from that time, for example, had a chassis number that started with the number 29. By the way, luxury versions were also made of the orderers in Belgium. That was the AZUL, and later the AKL, effectively ordering ducks for personal purposes. In 1978, production of the 2CV (now standardised at the request of the Citroën management in Paris) came to an end. And in 1980 Vorst, where other Citroën models (such as the AMI 6, the LN, the ID/DS and the Méhari) closed the gates permanently because the costs no longer went out for the benefit.

Last modified on Saturday, 26 December 2020 19:42
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