The TPV is designed to carry four people and luggage like a four-wheeled umbrella. The simple vehicle, which is not allowed to consume more than three to four litres of fuel per 100 kilometres and must drive at least 50km/h, is intended for the rural population. Therefore, the "TPV" should feather so well, even on bad roads, that nothing breaks in a basket of eggs. Boulanger would have tried it himself. According to tradition, appearance was not so important.
Had to be destroyed, they were found again in an attic in 1994: the prototypes of the TPV.
In fact, the first prototypes Citroën tested at a new testing site in La Ferté-Vidame west of Paris are extremely simple: a pendulum to start, only one headlight and the seats are made of dust on steel tubes. The prototypes, three of which were re-found in 1994, have four doors, a roof and four wheels. At the end of August 1939 it was approved for use on the road and 250 prototypes will be built at the factory in Levallois. But again, nothing works: France has been at war with Germany since September 3. Boulanger demolished the prototypes. Fortunately, not all TPV's have been destroyed, three of them survived until they were rediscovered in an attic in La Ferté-Vidame in the 1990s. Nowadays the prototypes can be seen in the Conservatory of Aulnay-sous-Bois.
What's special about the 2CV?
Very simple: simplicity. The car feels like a moving garden chair. In early models, the chairs are made of fabric that is stretched over tubes. The doors are thin and all the windows are flat. No complicated plates need to be manufactured. Expansion windows save an electric window mechanism, rotary levers save a button to open the doors. Initially, the 2CV should even be started with a pendulum - not a big problem with a small two-cylinder. It was only at the last minute that Citroën boss Boulanger opted for an electric starter. The prototypes had yet to be pushed by the test riders, which was quite sweaty. Fritz B. Busch sums up the character of the 2CV 1960: "The 2CV is a small car with the interior of a taxi, the comfort of a six-cylinder, the robustness of a tractor and the fuel consumption of an Isetta."
The air-cooled two-cylinder boxer designed by Walter Beccia had 9 hp in the beginning and almost three times as much power at the end: with 29 hp, the duck retired in 1990. It never got really hectic because of that, the 2CV was always a symbol of inertia and was impressed by the mountains, even though they were not so steep for the wavy bonnet. So much for the legend, which also includes the fact that "the duck is not there when an accident happens". Which is better considering the rather scary crash safety. By the way, due to its old structural age, the duck needs a little more attention than modern cars. For example, the kingpin must be lubricated regularly and not only the engine but also the gearbox oil must be refreshed.
Model development
1948 premiere at the Paris Motor Show with 375 cc and 9 hp.
1951 The Fourgonette van is added.
1954 The 2CV is further developed into the AZ, the Fourgonette is further developed until the AZU with 425 ccm and 12 hp, the centrifugal coupling is introduced.
1957 Export version AZPL with third side window, sheet language boot lid, belt straps and storage compartments in the doors
1958 The Sahara duck with two engines is presented. The two 12 hp engines each drive the front and rear axles. The fuel tank is mounted under the driver's seat.
1961 Engine power rises to 13.5 hp.
1962 Instead of the speedometer cable, the windscreen wiper is now powered by an electric motor. The speedometer is integrated into the instrument panel. Instead of an ampere meter, there is now a charging indicator light.
1963 The engine developed 16 hp, the duck went 95 km / h.
1964 The doors now hinge at the front.
1965 Hydraulic shock absorbers and for variants AZAM, AZU and AZA homokinetic drive connections for AZAM and AZU.
1966 The duck comes to Germany with 597 cc and 21 hp.
1970 Two new variants: 2CV 4 with 435 ccm and 2 CV 6 with 602 ccm. Instead of the continuous sofa, there is now an adjustable driver's seat. The steering is new, the interior has been improved. The 2CV 6 motor has a fan with nine blades and a three-phase alternator of 12 volts.
Standard 1972 three-point belts.
1973 12 volt electrical system for all 2CV. Altered dashboard and interior, improved brakes.
1974 New radiator grille and square instead of round headlights.
1980 The special model "Charleston" appears - initially in delagerot / black and a special series limited to 8,000 copies.
1981 disc brakes for.
1982 The 2CV is given a laminated glass windscreen.
On 29 February 1989, production of 2CV's stopped at levallois' main plant and stopped the sale of new 2CV vehicles in France.
27 July 1990 The last 2CV rolls off the assembly line in Mangualde, Portugal. It's a light/dark gray "Charleston".
Prominent 2CV riders:
Moderator Günther Jauch, "the most popular of all Germans", according to the business magazine Brand Eins, drives a white Citroën 2CV, built in 1990. Roger Moore flees as James Bond "In a fatal mission," the twelfth Bond film, starring Carole Bouquet as Melina Havelock in one yellow 2CV for chasers in Peugeot 504 aimed at the duck. Among other things, they collect the boot cover and the turn signal glass. But even a rollover or an excursion to a tree-lined grove prevents the trio Bond, Havelock and 2CV from successfully escaping. Citroën itself uses the look of the film and markets 500 James Bond 2CV's. The "007" inscription including bullet holes is for sale at dealers.
Prices for 2CV have risen again in recent years. There are only handicraft objects for less than 3,000 euros, vehicles that are suitable for daily use for restoration cost from 5,000 euros. For good ducks, a minimum of 10,000 euros must be budgeted; for topexemplaren, the double amount may be due. Dyane and Ami are good alternatives and are as individual as they are characterful.