Citroën 2CV

Conceived during the late-1930s as a project to motorize rural France with minimal cost, the 2CV was delayed by World War II and finally launched at the 1948 Paris Motor Show. Its brief was stark: carry four people and 50 kg of farm produce at 60 km/h across ploughed fields while achieving 100 mpg. Over four decades it far exceeded expectations, shifting from austerity transport to counter-culture darling.

With just 3830 mm length and a featherweight 560 kg, the 2CV combined an air-cooled flat-twin engine driving the front wheels with long-travel interconnected suspension that let wheels tilt while maintaining ground clearance. The canvas roll-back roof, minimal chrome, and detachable seats reduced material use and cost to the absolute minimum.

Manufacture began in Paris in summer 1948 and expanded to plants across France, Belgium, and Argentina. Annual volume peaked in the mid-1970s with variants including the fourgonnette delivery van. Production finally ended on 27 July 1990 after 3.8 million examples, yielding the commercial Citroën Acadiane as direct successor.

Cheap, cheerful, and endlessly customizable, the 2CV evolved from utilitarian workhorse to 1960s student icon, advertising favorite, and rally entrant. Its corrugated silhouette and scissor-door appearance remain shorthand for French automotive creativity and the democratization of mobility.