France celebrates its little old Citroen

Since it's spring in Paris and I'm taking a few days off, let me indulge in some four-wheeled nostalgia. You see it in the picture --  the Citroen Deux Chevaux.

It's 60 years since the rustic, quirky "deudeuche" was offered to an initially unimpressed public and it's 18 years since the last of five million left the assembly line. You don't see many around any more but the intrepid little 2CV is the object of fond memory for anyone lived those decades. If you're one of them and around Paris, it's worth a visit to the show that the Cité des Sciences has just opened in homage to the little car.

In the post-war years, Italy had its Fiat 500, Germany its VW Beetle and Britain, a little later, its Mini. The Gallic motoring icon was la deudeuche, or the deux-pattes (two paws), as the two-horse car was also nicknamed.  The 2CV Expo Show offers a parade of deudeuches through the decades, from the austere, grey-only 1948 model to the retro-chic "Charleston" of the 1980s. 

You can climb aboard and revisit the rocking suspension and the canvas seats that unclipped for use in picnics. There is the reassuring umbrella handle gear lever sprouting from the dashboard and, in the earlier models, the long accelerator (gas pedal) that was designed so peasant farmers could drive with their wooden clogs. And the show supplies the music of the chugging little two cylinder motor that somehow hauled 1950s families and then a generation of youngsters on long road trips.

As a student and trainee journalist, I managed to drive my bright red one thousands of miles around the continent and once even to Morocco without a breakdown. The main drawback was sunburn from motoring with the cloth roof rolled back. There was so much wind you didn't feel the rays.

The Cité des Sciences says dryly that its show is a "salute to a very little car that was technically innovative and which was able to anticipate the needs of generations of users." Le Monde was more lyrical, hailing the "vibrant homage" and talking of the "joyous oscillation of suspension from the good old days." The 2CV triggered memories of youth like Proust's Madeleine, it said.. "It is difficult to feel anything but affection, given the service it rendered and the memories it gathered."

The more proletarian Parisien said: "Who does not have a memory of the 2CV? The first holidays with the mates, the roof open, hair in the wind at the top speed of 80 kph (50mph) on the autoroute". 

Only the Volkswagen can compete for longevity with the 2CV. Both were invented before World War Two. The first 2CVs were ready for the market in the summer of 1939, the result of specifications for a very simple "very little car with four seats which can cross a ploughed field with a basket of eggs on the seat without breaking any."  Citroen destroyed most of the 100 production models to keep them from the invading Nazis and hid a few in farms and sheds. It was not until 1968 that anyone found one of the originals. Launched in slightly more modern form in 1948, the 2CV disappointed a motoring press that saw it as rustic and behind the times. But the public soon latched onto its simple charm and the waiting list stretched to five years.

In the 1960s the 2CV was part of the landscape across Europe and South America, where Citroen churned out tens of thousands. It starred in movies, including James Bond's For Your Eyes Only in 1981 and in Apocalypse Now. Its most famous movie appearances in France were in Louis de Funes' Gendarmes of Saint Tropez comedies. The gendarme's first ride with a speed-crazy nun at the wheel of her 2CV is a classic. Here it is, below:

Here's another 2CV chase from Le Gendarme en Ballade

And this is the bizarre way that Citroen is now selling it's cars -- by pretending they are German. Here's the commercial that they are showing in Britain and Germany, but not France. Some French commentators say that Citroen is glorifiying Nazi Germany with the ad.

[Footnote: I'll be off in the Cévennes for a week and back at the blog from May 3. But I'll be posting comments so keep them coming please]

Comments

[Romain]

La deu-deuche ! My grand mother driving style was like the sister's on the clip; so I used to take the wheel most of the time (too young to die). After I got my drivers licence, she gave it to me and I toured around Morocco like Charles.
You could repair anything with a pair of pliers, and some wire.
I saw a 2cv in Singapore in 1985, it was belonging to an English publicist, and I hired him for our company's advertising.(talk of a bias). He was excellent anyway.

[Romain]

I saw the clip from your link; I don't understand why people should be obsessed with the third Reich in 2008. The advertising message is simple : C5 is at least as reliable as a german car.

[Peter Newman-Legros]

More concerned about why the left hand side of the text is slightly cut off....!!!

[textibule]

Thanks for the memories, Charles.

Back in the old days, I had 3 2CVs parked around the farm. One was transport, one ran if someone was willing to push, the other was for spare parts and to keep the chickens out of the rain.

Cars are not the same anymore.

[Ros]

Pity we can't send photos to this blog - I've a lot of lovely ones of our several 2cv ranging from the original grey to the last green ,which my son bumped into a tree in 1985 - otherwise it could still (perhaps) be with us today - living in the Provençal hills as we did and as says TEXTIBULE, it was used for everything!

[Blendi Progri]

‘France celebrates its little Citroen’ and rightly so, I say;
few thing evoke France of that time, like lil’ Citroen does ( I don’t wanna spoil the ‘memories’ of anyone who uses onions and berets to do so, by all means…) and connecting it to L.D.F. is a great treat. ;)

C.B. Thanks for the link, reminding us all of Louis De Funès.

I saw few other links too, just to have a good laugh in the morning. For me he is a real genius cinema, and a giant of XX century comedy, the best in the planet (without a doubt) outside the Anglo-Saxon world and up there with the very best of them.

Particularly I like, Les Aventures de Rabbi Jacob, as it is a masterpiece (it provoked some controversy at the time, but most gr8 work does) or watch how

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GkZFBmBYSM&NR=1

(on Lui und Herr Müller ) a wonderful transformation inside 1 minute takes place. lol

Also remember seeing him (on the web) in a talk show in Germany (with a famous german talk show host- but, can`t recall his name right now- to put the link in here) it was brilliant too.

---------------------------.
Totally off topic, but an off-topic that concerns us all.

The Torch!

Today it will go to a country, a special one, where no protests will be held (few say where protests aren’t tolerated) and according to gossip, there may even be few celebrations. Phew. At least the Torch will breath free, it deserves that after the endless world-wide abuse. Any lesser-torch would have asked to be back to its mummy ( Athens/ Greece) or at the very least refused to lit up, ‘till proper respect was shown to Him. (one can’t call It, ‘something’ that has 10+ bodyguards and a private room every-night…and a bus too…and….

And the country is called...

Another O.T.T, Just to wish CB, a wonderful week if he’s going on hols…
even if he’s Not ;)

[Blendi Progri]

Check these out:

Rabbi Jacob Y va danser !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaYOeRARwfU&feature=related

-

Leçon de le bon français

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdrBK6XiPLY&feature=related
-

De Funes - La décadence de la restauration française

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9N-kDi0ah_g
--

La Grande Vadrouille

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayPxRa2UrPo&feature=related
---

La Grande Vadrouille - "Tea For Two"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLrtkFJ-6-w&feature=related

;)

The guy is inimitable!!!!!

[Blendi Progri]

Check these out:

Rabbi Jacob Y va danser !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaYOeRARwfU&feature=related

Leçon de le bon français
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdrBK6XiPLY&feature=related

De Funes - La décadence de la restauration française
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9N-kDi0ah_g

La Grande Vadrouille
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayPxRa2UrPo&feature=related

La Grande Vadrouille - "Tea For Two"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLrtkFJ-6-w&feature=related

;) The guy is inimitable!!!!!

[dot king]

The second car of the household where I was an au pair was a 2CV, and it was used to do "Lady Bountiful Good Works" and it did transport us, myself and Lady B, across ploughed fields with baskets of eggs. Exactly that! I was astounded - bounced too - more than the eggs - and none of us broken (or cracked)!
But it had to pull over under a torrential downpour because the screen-wipers couldn't swish fast enough. Fortunately we were on a road at the time . . .

I heard on the radio about a year or so ago that a young man in Paris had started a business taking tourists around Paris in open-topped 2CV's, and hearing him describing the venture, I thought it was a simple and wonderful idea.
Does anyone know if it took off?

[peter kinsley www.peterkinsley.com]

Now do you believe me? GIVE THE NAZIS A CHANCE -- and my TV screen is filled with a beaut. Citroen 5, then, horror of horrors (I drove Citroens for many years in France) they say it is so good it could be G e r m a n !! Beware: This ad. is PROPAGANDA and all the adverts should be stopped and the wording altered (Yes, we have been here before - in Paris last week!)

[peter kinsley www.peterkinsley.com]

British Journalists covering an air crash in the mountains near Perpignan in the early 60's (one of the early package tours which had to re-fuel en route to Majorca from London) were told by the Gendarmes: "We can only let you visit the site if you can hire or borrow a 2CV. It is the only car than can make the climb."

[Edward Johns]

Maybe I missed something but the driving sister seemed a normal French driver to me, if not one of the more cautious ones. :0)

[Lily]

KINSLEY:

ever heard of German ENGINEERING ??? of the famous MADE IN GERMANY ??? - Wake up!

In the name of freedom of speech: Your anti-German sentiment is racist and DISGUSTING.

Is this the British way of attracting readers? Who are these people who are interested in your effort to reiterate Nazi atrocities, or 'German'-made cruelty? I wonder. I don't see any desire for peace and harmony in your words, i.e. in the author of these words: you.

Lest we forget...

There are words that need to be said. For some, however, it should be better to remain silent.

Take good care of all your precious body parts. I am German, you know...

-----

My uncle was wounded in WWII, and he was kept in Scotland as a prisoner of war; he had a huge hole in his back where he had received a bullet. My great grandmother lost a son during the war. My father-in-law's family lost everything due to bombing and had to start anew with four young children. One of my grandfathers died due to the consequences of the war, and the other one was a first-aid attendant. My parents were young children.

During WWII Germans were hungry, suffered from losing loved ones or from being seperated from loved ones. They killed and wounded others, and they were wounded and killed, too.

German Jews were Germans, and German society mutilated itself in the Holocaust. Isn't this enough of a terrible truth. Is there ANY need to enumerate details of torture and killings, calling them 'German'?!

I don't deny anything about German history, but when you talk about Nazi Germany, you talk about WAR and the enemy in your eyes. War is never kind to anyone. War is a human tragedy, no matter who is involved and who or what caused it.

-----

I could ask you to give Germans a chance but you must already be annoyed enough by Germany's economic power and subsequent strong political presence. So, "we" will keep you going and some will continue to enjoy (?) reading your words. Sad...

[carmen]

I grew up in Germany and most of my friends drove one of the Citroens at some point or another. Well, we call them 'Ente' which means Duck. Same as we call the VW a Bug. I spend many hours driving around town and I can't say we ever crossed a ploughed field, but in sharp turns the car seemed to separate the from the chassis and somehow bounce back into place (Without breaking eggs). They never broke down, used just about no gas and were very comfortable. So why did they stop making them. I would love to have one

[Jerry Hissong]

Once in 1959, I was one the Autobaun in Germany. I witnessed an accident when an Italian in a Fiat, traveling at a high rate of speed, sideswiped a Frenchman in his Citroen while passing him. I stopped to offer a statement for the Frenchman; there were no police on the scene. The Italian was minimizing the extent of damage to the rear fender. He put his foot on a rear left wheel of the Citroen and attempted to pull the fender out from the tire. After an intense pull, the entire fender came off in his hands, and he nearly fell. He then started laughing uncontrollably. The poor Frenchman was silently unimpressed. I left my name and address for both parties and left. I spoke neither Italian or French. The next year, while in graduate school in the U.S. I received a letter in French. I assumed it regarded the accident, and I responded, explaining that the Italian was clearly at fault.

[colin grayson]

one of the great tragedies of france happened 15-20 years ago ; at a time when the majority of french people still bought french cars , the french manufacturers were nevertheless in trouble for sales ...so the government offered about $1,000 dollars to anyone who scrapped their old car and bought a new one in france

and almost every 2CV disappeared overnight

[jack shimano]

dragged abandoned c2v out of forest about 40 years ago-had been there estimated 15 years-roof rotted and all rusted-managed to get started and ran around block in 1st?gear-no seats or floor-dashboard gear changer rusted and ran on "generator" alone

-friends scrapped car before i could get for me to try to restore since only one in canada that i could find out about -decades before internet and bbs's--

[John]

My favourite is the cartoon chase in "La belleville rendez-vous". Particularly the bit with the pram!

[Allan singleton]

I think you will find that the Morris Minor was the Brits first post war car of choice, the Mini being much later.

[Yes Allan, I thought about writing Morris Minor -- my mother had one and I learnt to drive it -- but it was not really an icon, a symbol of its era and nation, like the Fiat, the VW and the 2CV, and later the Mini... CB]

[Lily]

"Here's the commercial that they are showing in Britain and Germany, but not France."

It will be interesting to follow German versus British reactions to this commercial. IMO the commercial is clearly OTT in its Nazi allusions. It is 'attractive' in its lack of sensitivity and taste. Does Citroën care, as long as they get the attention they want?

[azloon]

Peter --

how about this as an alternative to 'killing' the citroen ad: a testimonial from me about being picked up by a 2CV-driving french farmer, in work boots, in december, 1968, somewhere between andorra and toulouse, on a frigid and windy day, after my VW Bug had 'crapped out.' seeing my situation, this kindly Frenchman stopped, offered me a ride to locate a mechanic and a tow truck in a nearby town. i recall we chatted incoherently in french about the Apollo 8 spaceship which was then nearing the moon, mostly by gesticulating wildly with our index fingers while pointing upwards in a circular motion.

so, in at least this single head-to-head comparison, the Bug 'dies' while the 2CV surges on.

the Bug died again the next day on one of paris' ring roads', late at night, and it was nearly hijacked by bulgarian towing service pirates while i was off at a public telephone calling another towing company. a ransom was paid (the european way) to get the hijackers to release it from their hoist.

so much for german engineering genius. btw, one of my favorite experiences, which happens not infrequently, is seeing a Mercedes disabled, and abandoned, sitting on the side of a road. "and i paid $70,000 bucks for this POS?" I imagine the owner is saying to himself.

i'll take Toyota/Lexus any day of the week. the country that brought us the kamikaze brings that same intense focus and sense of purpose to auto manufacture, and the results are apparent. very few of these cars broken down and abandoned.

i am sure there are some opinions on this subject. :)

[Francesca]

The Citroen Deux Chevaux has been designed by the italian Citroen designer Flaminio Bertoni. Citroen has always kept this quite hidden. Bertoni has also designed for la Citroen: la Traction Avant, la Mathis 333, la fabulous DS, et other models.

[Terry]

"Since it's spring in Paris and I'm taking a few days off, let me indulge in some four-wheeled nostalgia."

"[Footnote: I'll be off in the Cévennes for a week and back at the blog from May 3. But I'll be posting comments so keep them coming please]"

Another vacation, Charles? That's the third or fourth one in a year since I came here. Have you, in fact, gone native?

[Francois D]

Marvellous paper. An incredible capacity to make go up forgotten feelings.
Thank you very much Charles for those memories. The "minis", the "coccinelle", the "cinquacento", the "deudeuche": Vive l'Europe des différences!
Thanks, among else details, to remember us "the canvas seats that unclipped for use in picnics".
It is a miracle that this car is still authorized to circulate in spite of the current laws.
Recently, I saw, on the motorway near Calais, a 2cv with young British inside . The car was overloaded, the panes, which can fracture the arm, all opened; the umbrella also... And they went very quickly in the descent, probably with so dangerous and specific trepidations for all the screws. They were a little unconscious.
They were going to the south, perhaps very far.
And to supplement the "passage culte" of the "Gendarme of St Tropez", another "passage culte" from "Le Corniaud" always with De Funes, but Bourvil was the conductor.

http://www.dailymotion.com/related/xoxxb_le-corniaud_blog/video/x10typ_le-corniaud-extrait_fun?from=rss

With this famous last phrase:

"Et maintenant, elle va marcher beaucoup moins bien. Forcément."

"And now, it (she?) will go much less better. Inevitably."

[mark]

I believe that my parents had 2 of these. One grey one pale blue when we were very young. Although I was too young to remember any of the specifics of how it ran I do remember fondly the trips taken in it. The car was most certainly not well appointed with cupholders and the like but it ran and it was a fun looking little thing. I know my father (an engineer) still reminisces about it and even bought a citroen pony because of how impressed he was with the Deux Chevaux. Thanks for the great article!

[Ros]

DOT KING: No credit to me whatsoever, I just "googled" it - maybe this is the link to the tourist 2cv you mentioned: http://www.4roues-sous-1parapluie.com/paris-lyon/concept.php?langue=anglais

[Lily]

Germans, according to comments on YouTube that I have just read are much less annoyed with this ad than anyone (I) would have suspected. Most commentators like the humour, say that the ad is a big compliment for German engineering or that the ad flatters German cars more than French cars.

They are aware of prejudices and stereotypes or clichés foreigners have of Germans but are favourable of this play with stereotypes. A German from Bavaria complained about pseudo Bavarian things near Berlin :). Several people wanted to add Sauerkraut and bread to the sausage meal and believed that the accompanying milk was too politically correct.

Someone said the spot played on the stereotypes British people had about Germans to which another person replied that it rather played on the stereotypes the French thought the British had… - and that the spot reawakened the impression the English got of Germany in Word War II (see PK).

The large majority of Germans took it with humour because Nazi Germany is very distant for them. It appears to be much more alive in Britain.

I am very surprised that most YouTube-watching Germans don’t appear to be annoyed to see these Nazi features confounded with the typical German character.

NB: There is a road sign in the ad that says 108 km to Berlin – 1=A; 8=H (AH)…

[Dirk]

As I recall, the 2CV was also a very frugal means of transportation. If I'm correct, it would effortlessly provide 45Mpg.
With its air-cooled engine it did not require the energy hogging water-cooling circuit and reduced the overall complexity of the whole car. I mean you could repair anything with a pair of pliers and an Opinel pocket-knife.
It was extremely easy to operate, would never leave you stranded, would take extensive abuse without protest and provided a ride so smooth and comfortable that it rivaled the cushiest of luxury cars.
I sorely miss the trusty 2CV and its more sporty spinoff; the Mehari.
Wouldn't it be nice if this excellent product could be reproduced and commercially entered into the market.

[clare de loon]

Lily --welcome back.

re German stereotypes to sell cars:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ac_ow0mreVA

hope my Mercedes bashing wasn't too offensive. BMW, now, that's a different story.

[dot king]

Dear Lily and Clare de Loon,
Ladies, do you remember the rusted old Beetle that Woody Allen finds in "Sleeper" (set 200 years into the future from 1970-something)? He and Diane Keaton were on the run and desperate, find this old Beetle with the key in the ignition - one turn and they're away. Zoooooom . . .

Someone has just called on me to ask me to join in with events-organising in the village. One of the hoped-for events is a 2CV rally. Councillor in question has one himself, green, lovingly restored, looks like new. He also has the pick-up version, corrugated tin-looking thing. last year when he'd finished doing it up, it had a notice on it that said:
"Pas de clime, pas de direction assistée, pas d'ordinateur de bord, pas d'emmerdes!"

[peter kinsley www.peterkinsley.com]

Lily, Lily of the Lamplight, what I said (in this thread) was "British Humour". I believe CB and AZloon got it, and Dot. King, I hope. Try this one: A German, a Spaniard, a Frenchman and an Englishmen. Englishman: "English is a beautiful language. For example, the word butterfly...Frenchman: "French is much more musical, the same word: Papillon...papillon. The Spaniard: "No comparison with the flow and rhythm of Spanish: Mariposa ....mariposa.
German: "Oh? And what is wrong with EIN SCHMETTERLING?"
Pax Vobiscum....smile please.

[jopo]

I used to come to France on holiday every year with my parents in the 1960s and 1970s. On the road we used to try and spot the "Daddy" citroens (the DS citroens), the "Mummy" citroens (the Ami series, I think) and the "Baby" citroens (the 2CV).

[John Gregory Flinn]

The following may have some relevance.
I read somewhere (I'm sure it was on a American website) of an old joke about European stereotypes:-

In Heaven: the cooks are French,
the policemen are English,
the mechanics are German,
the lovers are Italian,
and the bankers are Swiss.

In Hell: the cooks are English,
the policemen are German,
the mechanics are French,
the lovers are Swiss,
and the bankers are Italian.

That auto advert is surely trying to allude that French auto-makers have learnt something from their German economic allies.

I feel that Lily has a point; it was'nt the Nazis who made German engineering the envy of the world (except in Japan), it's German workmanship.
Both sides (of the cold war) plundered German technological knowhow after World War 2, while Germany plundered (perhaps 'exchanged' is a better word) some Japanese knowhow - especially in Optics - during.
Luckily for us the other side (the soviet system) was'nt able to make best use of it.

I'm afraid I can't say anything about the 2CV, except that I heard there were 3 in Newcastle-upon-tyne, which had been canabalized from pre-war washing machines and mangles....!

[rocket]

Azloon

"...mostly by gesticulating wildly with our index fingers while pointing upwards in a circular motion."

I guess I could comment on the finger in the air in a whirling motion, lost somewhere with a French farmer in the middle of the countryside between Andorra and Toulouse.

Azz

That's a well known French rural hand signal which means

"Do you want to make whoopee with my goat"

It's very common amongst the rurals.

I almost fell for it once but was able to flee before the goat wearing a garter belt was brought in.

And you did you go all the way? You!

LOL

[Monika]

"Lily, Lily of the Lamplight, what I said (in this thread) was "British Humour". I believe CB and AZloon got it, and Dot. King, I hope. Try this one: A German, a Spaniard, a Frenchman and an Englishmen. Englishman: "English is a beautiful language. For example, the word butterfly...Frenchman: "French is much more musical, the same word: Papillon...papillon. The Spaniard: "No comparison with the flow and rhythm of Spanish: Mariposa ....mariposa.
German: "Oh? And what is wrong with EIN SCHMETTERLING?""

*ggg* ...

Actually, your first post (this ad = another German propaganda) made me think that that one on the other thread was probably meant ironic, too ;)

I think this ad is quite funny and I agree it is probably more flattering to the German cars then for French (with the exception of Citroen).

The "Ente" (duck), as we call it is best remembered by me as the car of my elementary teacher who drove it. It is somehow associated to flower-power (as that famous VW van).
We as childs had a game. Whoever saw an Ente first was allowed to pinch somebody (most likely the brother or sister or one's school friend).

[Edward Johns]

What exactly are the "Nazi" elements of the Citroen advert ? Duelling, eagles, these existed long before the third Reich.Can someone enlighten me please?

[Edward Johns]

What exactly are the "Nazi" elements of the Citroen advert ? Duelling, eagles, these existed long before the third Reich.Can someone enlighten me please?

[Lily]

Re: Heidi

Clare de loon,

Thanks for that clip about long-legged and blonde German engineering :)

Heidi is highly efficient, happy and successful in private and in public; i.e. a very good choice for a car ad.

----

Kinsley,

I don't share your humour, be it as British as it may be. I was reading much of the Paris exhibition thread but was technically inhibited to comment.

----

Re: Small and ancient French cars

I have no experience with a 2CV but am happy in our very reliable and repairable charming 10-year-old (Italian) Fiat Cinquecento, although he's too weak to compete on the 'autoroute'... -

[Jerry Dorey]

We have a beautiful deudeuche -Cécile will be 31 years old in August, and still runs beautifully. We have just had her completely resprayed and de-rusted, and she should be good for another 30 years.

[Maggie]

"so the government offered about $1,000 dollars to anyone who scrapped their old car and bought a new one in france

and almost every 2CV disappeared overnight" (Colin Grayson)

Last year our group had a run in Tanneron, in the Var, famous for its mimosa. We were warned that there was a bike race, the Tour de l'haut Var, and to avoid coming by the Grasse - Draguignan road, but we didn't get any warning about the deux cheveux. Driving up this narrow twisty road towards Tanneron we met over 200 2CVs coming down. (We didn't start counting till after we'd met about fifty, and then counted over 200.) Every time we thought they'd finished, another group would appear, so it was slow going. They were all colours, and all decked out with flowers. Quite a procession.

It was a very windy day, I remember.

[justin]

What about the Quartrelle. A much superior car in every respect to the 2CV.

[jack shimano]

2nd Deux Chevaux experience was in the 1980's since on that camping trip,i met and ran a few kilometers with Terry Fox on his one-legged attempt to run across canada
i was towing a camper behind my then Toyota station wagon never designed or rated for towing-kinda gutless but came upon a c2v Deux Chevaux obviously shipped over from europe from the wide licence plate on vehicle
-since towing a loaded trailer,my car was quite gutless but somehow managed to pass c2v that was even more burdened with four tourists from "france??" with all their touring gear-
don't know where they were trying to go but such a rare vehicle in the middle of CANADA ALMOST FOOLHARDY SINCE GARAGES AND PARTS NOT CLOSE BY EVEN IF YOU HAD A DOMESTIC CAR LET ALONE A C2V WHERE NO SOURCE OF PARTS ANYWHERE IN NORTH AMERICA
-WISHED THEM WELL AND TRUST THEY MADE TOUR WITHOUT PERIL OR BREAKDOWN

[ROG]

First time I visited France, my hosts picked me up from the airport in their natty yellow 2CV. I had to hold the roof on manually all the way into Paris. A great introduction to French traditions. Thank God we couldn't go faster than 80kmh. Those were the days....

[Paul M]

Remember the dancing transformer C4 advert? Well, there's one where a 2CV does the same thing (almost) - Citroen even OKed it so long as it didn't include their emblems. I don't have a link as I only have a file copy. Worthwhile searching out though.
I misspent my youth in a series of 2CVs and Dyanes. Excellent cars but so rare today. There are more surviving Renault 4s here in Spain than 2CVs. The Spanish preferred the Renaults.
As for the C5 adverts - it's a joke, so why get heated up over it?

[David Jane]

The best thing that could happen to one of these is that someone takes it apart and makes one of these... www.bra-cars.com/html/cv3.html

[Francois D]

Belgian advert for condom. All poetry is in suspension's quality.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xzfdy_durex2cv_ads

ps: it's the same term which is used in bad french for condom and in good one for 2cv soft top. (capote).

[richard jones]

I had one - like a mobile garden seat - in Switzerland for about 10 years - we called then 'deux chevaux'. It got taken out by a Geneva tram (doubtless driven by a German propagandist).

[Daniel Strohl]

The Citroen ad is really funny. And a good ad has to be funny, otherwise it does not strike the mind.

Charles' link to some French (stupid) commentators does not work. Ce n'est pas une perte!

PS : I keep my post as short as possible, since Charles is probably battling with his slow dial up connection in his Cévennes mountains ...

[Mads]

Ah, what it was to have a real car! My favourite memory of our 2cv was the time I forgot to take a shopping bag into the local shop and came out with arms loaded and unable to open the door. (No point in locking with a soft top in those days). I put the shopping on the roof, opened the door , and put the shopping on the passenger seat. As I was driving the short distance home, I noticed that people were looking at me and laughing. As the car was running smoothly, I just carried on home. Imagine my surprise when I got out of the car and saw tins of cat food
and a loaf of bread still on the roof!! The Renault 4 was the most popular car round here for many years. There is a very old farmer who drives a beige one around still. He looks to be about 100 and can only just see over the steering wheel. Although I regularly see at least one or two every week, (R4s that is, not 100 year old farmers) most cars round here now have been replaced by 4x4s. They still do the same job of transporting the odd cow/calf, cattle feed and of course the corpses after a day's hunting.

[Mads]

Ah, what it was to have a real car! My favourite memory of our 2cv was the time I forgot to take a shopping bag into the local shop and came out with arms loaded and unable to open the door. (No point in locking with a soft top in those days). I put the shopping on the roof, opened the door , and put the shopping on the passenger seat. As I was driving the short distance home, I noticed that people were looking at me and laughing. As the car was running smoothly, I just carried on home. Imagine my surprise when I got out of the car and saw tins of cat food
and a loaf of bread still on the roof!! The Renault 4 was the most popular car round here for many years. There is a very old farmer who drives a beige one around still. He looks to be about 100 and can only just see over the steering wheel. Although I regularly see at least one or two every week, (R4s that is, not 100 year old farmers) most cars round here now have been replaced by 4x4s. They still do the same job of transporting the odd cow/calf, cattle feed and of course the corpses after a day's hunting.