It was produced at Citroën’s study office on the Rue du Théâtre, in Paris, refined at the La Ferté-Vidame test center, in the Eureet-Loir district, and presented to the public at the Paris Motor Show, on October 7, 1948.
The iconic Citroën 2 CV, which is now preparing to celebrate its 75th anniversary, has had a career full of numbers: a total of 5,114,969 units were produced, of which 1,246,335 were in truck form.
The last two CVs left the Mangualde factory in Portugal, 42 years after its launch, at 4:30pm on 27 July 1990.
In fact, as suggested in a statement released on Monday, “the Portuguese factory contributed to the success of the 2 CV, producing 81,882 units: 79,914 of the 2 CV (ZL), between 1964 and 1990, and 781 of the 2 CV Furgão” (AZU) from 1964 to 1970 and another 1,187 units of 2 CV Van (AK) from 1965 to 1977.”
Going back in time, it is important to remember that The TPV (Toute Petite Voiture) project was born in the mid-1930s, in 1936.
Its goal, according to the French brand, was “to provide people with low incomes with an economical and versatile car.”
Terre’Blanche Archive / Photononstop
In 1937, the first roadworthy prototype of the TPV project saw the light, weighing only 370 kg and equipped with a single headlight (legislation at the time did not require two). The vehicle could transport up to four people and 50 kilograms of cargo at a top speed of 50 km/h, and was generally considered “very comfortable”.
250 pre-production models were scheduled to be shown at the 1939 Paris Motor Show, but the outbreak of World War II put an end to this project. The prototypes produced were subsequently destroyed, except for four that were secretly stored at Citroën’s testing center in La Ferté-Vidame.
When it went into production in July 1949, the Citroën 2 CV was a small car with a 9 hp, 375 cc two-cylinder engine.
Its unique shape and aesthetics “quickly captured a large portion of the population.” But, according to Citroën, its enormous success can also be attributed to its endless range of uses, as well as its removable seats, agility, agility and comfort. “Without forgetting the fact that it was very economical, which made it the most popular car. In 1950, orders doubled and the delivery period reached six years.
CV 2 is also known around the world in many different ways, and its reputation has earned it a number of nicknames. Some of the most popular are “Deuche”, “Deudeuche” and “Ugly Duckling”. “This diverse collection of titles shows how popular this historic and iconic model is,” states the brand.
There were ten special editions in total of the second CV, launched in France and several other European countries, including SPOT, Charleston and Cocorico. 2 CV covered routes around the world with several raids – such as the 16,500 km Paris-Kabul-Paris raid in 1970, the 13,500 km Paris-Persepolis raid in 1971, and the 1971 Abidjan-to-Tunisia raid. 8,000 kilometers in 1973, all of them organized by Citroën.
To celebrate the 75th anniversary on October 7, at the Citroën Conservatory, 75 registered units of the Citroën 2 CV, passionately restored and preserved by private collectors, will gather at the Citroën Conservatory in Aulnay-sous-Bois.
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