I own a 2CV Special, model 1986. Works like a clock, goes everywhere. Simple, «rustique», 6 liters/100km, easy to maintain, but be careful with the rust. Not only the engine, but everything is simple and basic on this car. The dashboard is so simple! It is my only car, so it drives almost every day, and every year I make a quite long trip to visit friends all around France. Hope to keep it for a long time.
Felicitations! My dream would be to own a Mahari, but keep it on a Mediterranean island for holiday visits. They are so over-priced, however (I saw one for sale in the Balearics just before the pandemic, and the owner wanted e10,000). The Two Horses was an amazing car - the French just didn't think like anyone else in those days.
@@travelbugse2829 "the French just didn't think like anyone else in those days." An understatement. I visited a small regional airport that has a museum in Chino, California and saw a French motorcycle around the WW1 era. The front wheel has a small displacement radial engine in place of where the center hub and spokes should be. The tire rim is fastened directly to the cylinder heads with spacers. the crankshaft is bolted to the front forks and does not rotate, the rest of the engine does! The carburetor is fastened to one side of the crank and somehow two-stroke mix is delivered to the cylinders. The fuel tank is mounted to the handlebars. The most unique bike I've ever seen.
@@cayankeelord3730 Good grief! But I suppose the Gnome Rotary did the same thing on aircraft, so the French engineers smoked a Gitane and said: "Alors, zat will go well on a moto - miniscule!"
2CV was my first car in the late 70's and a Diane for harvesting spare parts. I was able to do most repairs myself, unlike with todays's cars, I wouldn't even touch them. Still the best car and most fun I ever had!
My dad won a 2CV back in 1954 in a contest with Gulf Oil. His jingle was, "fill up with Gulf and you will see, no tailpipe smog or exhaust debris". The theme was emissions. I may have never been if not for that car; he sold it, and used the money to marry mom and honeymoon in Niagara Falls!
When I had the good fortune to live in Iran in the 70's I had one- licensed to be built in Iran- the Dyane. It was WELL used, and for the high altitude and the heat in the summer- well, it was hardly a tire-burner. I absolutely loved it. Handled so well on the streets and very reliable. I loved the gearshift coming out of the dash, the adjustable headlights, the smooth ride, and the great suspension. One winters day, on the way up to the mountains NE of Tehran, with 3 wonderful skiing companions in the car, going uphill- we chanced upon a VEERY SLOW heavily loaded truck, emitting huge clouds of heavy, thick, black smoke. Even this wonderful loaded Dyane 2CV, had enough HP to pass the truck. Unfortunately, after we passed the truck, we could smell lots of smoke still. I then realized that, coincidentally, new smoke was coming from under the hood of the Dyane.We pulled over and evacuated the car and I raised the hood and found that every inch of all the wiring in the vehicle was burnt to a crisp- all the insulation melted off and only bare copper strands visible. What to do?? I disconnected everything, and then ran one wire (bare,twisted strands) from the battery to the ignition. turned the car around rolled it downhill and drove back to Tehran without further incident. A day or so later I purchased a complete new wring harness, and installed it in about an hour. Car ran perfectly from then on, of course. I really regretted leaving Iran, and that wonderful car. I wish I had one now for commuting, here in northern Nevada- USA. Great memories from this video and great engine explanations, though I watched it with subtitles ON, and the audio OFF. Thanks so much.
The wiring must have been practically fun. "Modern" cars seem to have hundreds or wires at least, one page says a Bentley Bentayga has 110 pounds of wiring harness, while a bare muscle car's harness is only 10 pounds
this reminds me so much that rich people want every little unnecessary detail, but poor people -- most of the world's population -- just want something that keeps working and is easy to fix. the difference between a car that goes 80kmh and one that does 160 is NOTHING compared to the difference between walking and driving even at 50 kmh. everything in this video is a miracle of how simple can be made to work very well. it's an enormous shame that cars now are mostly designed to make money from people who have too much of it. in a way, we were lucky to have post-war poverty in europe where there was a huge market for a simple little car
I've had a -59 B425 and a -79 2CV6, 605cc. Both absolutely lovely everyday cars. On twisty gravel roads I could keep many times more powerful cars behind me. The body roll wasn't a problem and all 4 wheels stayed on the ground at all times. The time I lost on the 'straights' I easily gained through the tight bends. Very annoying to some... They never broke down and I used them as my every day cars, all year round...even below -25C°, completely closed air intake and plastic foam sheets in the roof lined with corduroy fabric. There are so many clever solutions incorporated in this technically advanced car, that even formula one tech people know of them and refer to the 2CV regarding certain aspects. The whole story would take to long to tell here. Thank you for bringing the 2CV back into the limelight where it belongs!
@@dragonbutt 😄 you could be right, but I'm not a sailor.. though I know how to handle a boat. No, seriously, the front end geometry does actually benefit from a bit of body roll. That's why. Body roll can definitely be a problem if it's not taken into consideration when designing a car. Citroën did though. Cheers 😉
One of the most enjoyable cars I ever had, the most comfortable seats ever. This vehicle needs to be brought back, cheap and economical to run, I wish I had one today. I really miss my 2cv.
@@hughleocullen9497 There are some new Mini-Cars out there with Electric Drive. The 2CV could be builded as one, as it don't have to exceed 450kg without Batteries. We are just seeing the Isetta (Bubble Car) returning maybe the good old 2CV as well. Safety is a big concern for those cars and seeing old 2CV in modern Car Crashes, it is not something you want to be in. The 2CV has a sound safety concept but a 500kg car hit by an 1.600kg-2200kg car you know who is losing.
You can drive anything, fancy or not, but NOTHING come close to the unforgettable 2CV experience. Slow yet scary, way too soft yet incredibly good in curves. Love it dearly!
I own a Citroen 2CV6 one of the last ones build in Portugal. I have had several old cars from the 80's and 90's all leaking and at some points leaving me stranded, with one exception the 2CV. despite the fact that I drove it as my daily for some 4 years plus the remaining 5 years as a slightly more spoiled summer car. its engine is so dry that I leave a carpet underneath it in the garage just to boast of this property. Despite being far from today's standards of streamlined design It is also very economical, having a fuel mileage comparable to modern cars. I adore the 2 cylinder air cooled engine.
I remember that when I was young (in the sixties), 60 to 70 % of my generation owned or had owned a 2CV here in Belgium. They were cheap and easy to maintain. We where all mechanics in those days, or so we thought we were😄.
What a golden time for automotive design. The owner’s needs were the prime directive. No ego cars, these. The 2CV’s suspension remains unique, designed for the reality of driving at the time where it was sold and it really did the job like no other.
The Citron Hemi would have been a better marketing plan, than 3CV. It definitely was better designed for rough roads, and beat the socks off the bug in that department. I wonder how it compares to a DKW 3 cylinder.
In the late 70's I was seconded to Agadir, Morocco to be the acting Station Manager for the Airline I worked at that time. I only had to handle one flight per week, hence a lot of free time. I rented a 2CV and explored the surroundings and even went to Marakesh on a desert road. A very reliable car, no matter if in the desert or on paved roads. I simply loved it.
My family has been the proud owner of a ‘75 Citroën Méhari in Montana Green and it’s my Dad’s pride and joy. We take it out to classic car meets every month. Most people confuse it for a mini moke, so I’m glad to see the Méhari got a shoutout! Great video 👍
Thanks for the awesome 3-D, animated illustrations. It is helpful to see the internal parts working. I've owned a '74 2CV for the past 23 years and drive it almost daily during the summer. It loves our local round-a-bouts and puts smiles on just about everyone it meets. Parts are no problem what with several sources along the US west coast. Love the car. Hills are a challenge but most drivers behind you will be patient while you drive in low gear. We all need to slow down a bit anyway!
There was a contest in France that challenge drivers to roll over the car in any sharp curve. This was told by my girlfriend at the time , she was driving a 2 chevaux with the gage gas broken , so from time time we were checking the level with a wood stick ...great times of my youth in France , Bretagne , marvelous people.
I remember in the early 1950's Citroen's challenge for 1 million francs to turn the car (the 2CV) over on a flat surface; with ice or oil at any speed. My school teacher had one with a dip-stick for gas, no gas gauge inside...
Mhm, i heard that story but was the Citroen 11 Ligero in my version. But yes they will not roll over, I drove a few of them and they are still being used in South America, indestructible cars.
En 1963, j’ai acheté une 2cv de 1956 que j’ai conduite jusqu’en 1967. Je n’ai eu qu’une panne de régulateur lors d’un voyage en Espagne. Le garagiste dans un village de campagne n’avait pas le régulateur en stock, mais il a pris un morceau de fil de résistance et l’a installé dans le régulateur abîmé. Cela fonctionnait et j’ai terminé mes vacances et en France j’ai roulé encore 6 mois sans soucis jusqu’à une visite d’entretien chez Citroen qui a mis un régulateur neuf. Voiture increvable passe-partout que je regrette maintenant !
All the while it sounded so dry, right? We had the R4, in the 2cv i was a passenger a few times. Full rpm sounded funny, but equally funny or strange is that other cars were not supposed to be driven that way, while the 2cv could take it.
When they had it on the test bank in 1946-ish they ran it for a 100 hours continuously without a hiccup. I had two 2CV's and the engine was never the problem.
My mom used to own several of these and some bugs.. I remember riding in the 2cv as a kid, I loved it. Especially over bumps because of the suspension. Also the sound it made was unique.. And we drove it pretty far (for european standards).. Like 600km road trips in a 20~ish hp car, most of the time behind trucks.. Fun times.. Back then they were cheap, that's why my mom had them. To think that all her old cars ended up in junkyards because of relatively minor stuff, people today would be furious
There is a british company that makes them new but with an electric motor. It's pretty much the same otherwise, with all its quirks. The price is quite high though, as they are made on command.
One most unknown fun trick of the 2CV ( I discovered it in the 2CV of a student friend) is that you can drive hidden under the glass level. Just open the air vents (those above the dashbord) with the screwbutton. Then bend over to hide and drive looking through the events (it's not that safe for lateral checks, attention). Then, suddenly appear all together to look at the faces of passers-by. Garanteed laughs :D
Wife's grandad restores these, brilliant cars, independent suspension on all corners, inboard brakes has some mad body roll but handles bumps like a pro
I drove the 2cv6, liked the dash mounted hockeystick shift lever. The red hot version. The main competitor was not the beetle but the Renault 4. Which had a rear mounted engine initially. However, Renault redesigned it with a front mounted engine. If you were really quiet, you could hear them rust. But mechanically absolutely indestructible and simple to repair and extremely fuel efficient. About as fuel efficient as todays low end models but half the weight, half the parts, half the price and super easy to repair and maintain
The rear engine version was the dauphin. I had the front engine version,the 4,as a van. The camshaft was driven by a composite gear which was up against the firewall and required removal of the engine. Guess how I know that.
@@martinsaunders7925 my grandfather had both the rear engined Renault 4 and the Dauphine. The Dauphine had a larger engine and was larger overall. Both great cars. Renault grew the model further into the Renault 8 and later the model 10, after which they abandoned rear engined models altogether. Every iteration the engine displacement grew a bit. Fun fact; they produced a Gordini version of the 8 for a while. That was a pretty cool car, based on the rally car Gordini prepped.
@@skydive1424 French engineering is idiosyncratic and usually excellent. The first front wheel drive car was a Citroën in 1934? Of course it had suicide doors.
We bought a used 1968 Dyane 6 with the bigger engine when we first came to France, and I did a lot of maintenance on it myself. The repair manual said (roughly) "to adjust the rocker arms it is not entirely necessary to remove the mudguards, but it helps". They were right; however to do this you had to disconnect the headlamp adjustment cable and remove 16 screws each side. To adjust the points you had to take off the front bumper and the fan. Wondrous. We took ours over the Cockbridge-Tomintoul road in Scotland and over the Alps in the Haute Savoie. Another time we rolled up the roof and got all the wood to make a double bed into it, along with the mattress. It finally died in 1976 when a mechanic at the dealership in Edinburgh stripped a clutch mounting bolt and didn't tell us. Still, it took us back to our home near Paris before the engine lost all its oil and we sold it to a scrap-merchant for 400 frs, which we spent that evening on a fitting wake. Wonderful car.
Can't you replace the engine? I mean the cars were still produced- oh wait a used 1968 Dyane oh then from there on out i got no clue wha- And i forgot i could study the Dyane.
By rolling the roof back, I got a set of four-metre double ladders into my Dyane, while narrowly avoiding a parking ticket. Sadly, I no longer have the car, but still have the ladders. On another occasion, it transported a 280Kg block of marble loaded by forklift. This was the only time it looked low at the back. The bump stops came into play a few times on the way home. Getting it out again on my own was a challenge!
I travelled and drove a 2CV back in 1974 in Spain. It was quite an experience! This car is amazing! Very slow but unstoppable. Very roomy and surprisingly comfortable except for the noisy cabin. It was also an convertible...added bonus.
Hitch hiking in Germany to the Army base in Mannheim I rode in a 2CV for about 15 miles.The driver was getting everything the little car had to offer and the leaning in curves was amazing.Out of a couple million miles I've ridden or driven in 70 years I've never forgotten that experience.Quite the workhorse was the Citroen.
We had two 602 Dyanes, with centrifugal transmissions, and a 2CV, also 602. Utterly brilliant cars that never, ever, went wrong. In some ways they were the pinnacle of car engineering. Thanks for the vid.
In Greece there was a Greek-made Citroen Pony. Same engine and drivetrain but with a jeep-like chassis. Heavier than a 2CV, but could easily fit 10 kids for movie runs! That was with the 602cc engine. I learned how to drive on my dads Pony. It was very fun to drive, especially on dirt roads, thanks to the amazing suspension. It would be interesting to get a video on the gearbox of the 2CV, the weird gear arrangement (reverse and 1st were opposite of each other), why the 2nd gear was the strongest, and why you could go from 3rd to 4th 2 different ways (one was the normal way of going through neutral, and the second was moving to the right first through the location of what would've been a 5th gear if it existed). Thank you for bringing back memories!
The 2CV engine was designed by Walter Becchia, an Italian engineer who had been at Fiat’s race engine design department before WW1. This design bureau was at the very forefront of combustion engine engineering and would see many of its members develop famous engines for a whole range of brands. In its latter stages the engine would rev above and beyond 7,000 rpm, and last forever. Try that with a Beetle engine...
A beetle engine can easily make power over 7,000rpm. The aftermarket for VW performance parts has been the most vast one on the planet for over 50 years.
the vw is still seriously inferior like most German engineering would not give a thank you for it speaking as someone that owned a garage it was always German scrap that gave all the big problems .
Cam is driven by a spring loaded split chevron gear, so as it wears over time the cam timing never changes. Also notice no connecting rod bolts. The con rods are slipped onto the crank at the factory by cooling the crank in liquid nitrogen and heating the con rods. Renewing the engine, you’d purchase a piston/con rod/crank set. All new in minutes!
I bought a 2Cv4, in 1984, with 431 cm³ and 23 hp, top speed 105 km/h. That engine died (heroically!) on the Autobahn, but I had enough inertia to reach an exit and came to a halt in front of a scrap yard - which had a crashed 2CV6 with an intact engine - 602 cm³, 29 hp and a top speed of 125 km/h. I installed that engine, and, as a lark, put the cylinder heads of the old engine on it. That works, if you file down the pistons a bit and prolong the pushrod casings for ~20mm, which I did with bicycle parts... Since the burning chamber on the 2 CV is completely in the cylinder head, that changed the compression ratio from 8.5 to ~12 - and was able to spin the wheels in second gear. Top speed in the plain was ~145 km/h (hand-stopped, the speedometer ended at 130), and on a memorable day and a long and steep decline I reached 170 (might have been a mis-measure - my hands were shaking a lot). Remember, the brakes were designed for a top speed of 105 km/h... I spooked a lot of Beetles and Renault 4's in the day ... and myself, if I'm being honest.
Bless you for this fine article. The 2CV and Beetle are regarded by modern youngsters as weak and feeble or simply a fashion statement. I once rode a BSA Bantam from Norwich to Preston via Leeds in 1976 with a male pillion and luggage through a rainstorm. It never missed a beat. The most humble of our creations are often the most reliable. Just don't expect them to be "cafe racers".
The BSA Bantam was the only stinkpot I ever owned. I preferred the Goldie’s I owned later. The Bantam was almost unbreakable: my pal ended up with it and “converted” it to trials iron. I did ride it from Oxford to Bristol several times during my college days.
The first car that I bought was a 2CV, brand new in 1970. A 425 cc 18HP engine. This version had no belt-driven alternator, but a 6V DC dynamo on the crankshaft just behind the fan.
My first car and the love of my life. Nothing like a 2CV for a first date when the roof blows off while you are driving, leaving you to save the day. Alternatively, on a cold winter day when the engine refuses to start, one can add a few drops of vodka to the carburettor to help it come alive. What a car...
My first car,also.😊 Took us North to Paris and Amsterdam,South to Turkey through Bulgaria and back through Romanika,Hungary and Austria. All with the same ancient 2CV in the seventies,when most everything was simpler... Oh yes,a few drops of ether worked wonders in a cold Winter; and they were really cold back then. The voka ,that was to krep US warm!
In 1966 I had a 2CV made in Argentina. excellent, very reliable little car. In 1967 with my brother as copilot we crossed the Andes through the 4.000m high Cristo Redentor pass, went over to Santiago , then to the beaches near Viña del Mar. We then went south to Puyehue , crossed the All Saint's Lake in a raft and then back to Argentina by Bariloche. From there to Buenos Aires all roads for more than 1.000km.were dirt and gravel ,no pavement until Bahia Blanca. In all we did 7.000km.on some paved, but mostly dirt and gravel roads with no mechanical problems and never a punctured tire.
My family had two in a row in the late 80's (light blue and a green one). I remember the queues it accumulated on the 100kmh roads, the view from the rear seat was great. Was too young to test drive it, but my mom struggled to find the reverse gear and we ended up in a barn door
I have fond memories of getting on the freeway with 85 2CV Charleston. If I was lucky, I'd get behind a semi and enjoy the quiet wind-free ride in its wake. But when it moved out of the way, you quickly realized you weren't driving a Cadillac. LOL. I had 2 2CVs and one Traction Avant. Lots of fun. Then, I got my Volvo PV444 but that's another story...
Great report on a great little car. Actually drove a friend's 2CV once. Something that's possibly not widely know in the U.S. is what the CV part of the description means. it means chevaux = horses. People typically knew them as deux chevaux (two horses) but in the 'back then' tax system chevaux meant horsepower in the mechanical field. But even that is confusing. In countries like France, Switzerland etc. automobiles are or at least used to be, taxed according to engine size, not actual horsepowers. The Citroën Deux Chevaux thus was one of the least expensive vehicles to insure or to be taxed. Post War Europe was much more frugal back then compared to now. So, my dad way back in the 50s, owned a slightly more powerful Renault Dauphine, a small rear engine gizmo, and the first car I ever got to drive, illegally as I was then underage. Cheers ;- )
I worked in a bakery in France in the '70s/early '80s. Not only did I make bread but I had to do the deliveries using a 2cv camionette. One of my favourite cars ever, so simple to use and service. We used it to tour France during the annual 'Grands vacances'. So many great memories. Not once did it ever break down.
I liked the 2CV for its unique design and for its suspension setup. I know some people don't like it, but it's like a type of car you either love or hate. Since I see it being a lot like the Beetle, I called it "France's Beetle" since they both have a similar shape and the design didn't change a whole lot for a long time
Fun fact, the 2CV prototypes were made before the WWII, the car was supposed to be presented in October 1939 at the Paris Motor Show, but after Germany invaded Poland the Paris motor Show was cancelled and the 250 car pilot run and prototypes were either destroyed or hidden in fear of Germany stealing the project and using it against France. There are only 5 existing examples of pre-war 2CVs that we know of. The similar exterior design of the 2CV and the Beetle is completely coincidental as they were both designed in secret during the same time period.
@@arekb5951 The same applies for the beetle, which was designed and first prototypes produced by Mercedes (with engineer Ferdinand Porsche working there, then..) Unfortunately, wikipedia has obviously censored all pages about this car. (I remember very well, that a few years ago, there has been an extremely nice summary with several pictures of Mercedes beetle prototypes/predecessors. Everything wiped away, obviously. Maybe, if you look for "130, 150, 150 V und 170 H (W 23, W 30, W 130, W 28), 1934 - 1939", you´ll find a German webpage, mentioning a W28, which is close to the first 30 prototypes produced at the Mercedes factory in Sindelfingen (under the lead of Porsche) which were the predecessors of the later KdF-Wagen, after the war renamed to Volkswagen. Unfortunately, no good pictures there.. and it seems impossible to find them with google..
@@kriskross63 Unless your are in some country that censors the internet you will find lots of info on the pre-war beetle on wiki, mercedes website etc. It is debatable when a car begins. The beetle was not really created until the final production version. Early concepts are not the car, but the idea for the car.
@@grolfe3210 You are possibly right: The last time, I easily found pages with lots of fotos of beetle prototypes, I looked for them from Germany. (I remember a variant, more or less identical to the beetle, except the „nose“, which contained a typical Mercedes grill on front, it was a Wdd with a 2-digit nr, I thought W40 or W30, but Couldn’t find it anymore now. This time, I googled it from Switzerland…
Yes, they were so simple, practically nothing could go wrong. My racing tortoise served me well for many years - I only sold it because I emigrated, but here in Mexico there aren't any! I really miss them.
Not only my father had one, but I taught myself to drive with it. It was soooo easy and pleasant to drive. Unfortunately, it also died in my hands a few years later (busted crankshaft). It had been ticking for a long time, but dad was not interested in fixing it.
The French Panhard Dyna Z had a similar 2 cylinder boxer engine, but it made far more horsepower and ran quite well. They were larger and according to one man who I met at a car meet driving one, they, like other French cars, were a pleasure and comfortable to drive.
I understand that this engine was originally designed ( pre war- 1930s ) as a generator engine and so was intended to run many hours @ relatively low power. Interestingly a friends father who was a dealer in the sixties told me they never had engine trouble as long as it was worked hard, it was the little old ladies who usually had trouble as they didn’t “ blow them out 🤭”
You go read up what causes carbon buildup and you'll understand how your friends father was right. This still applies to modern fuel injection vehicles
@@HotWheelsBurban agreed but decoking engines seems to have become a cottage industry again having largely died out by the end of the fifties. Back. In the thirties it was recommended every approx 5K miles
no, the engine was designed after WW2, the early engine from the 1939 2cv (TPV) was liquid cooled and still absolutly not derived from a generator, but designed to be able to run without damage permanently at maximum power . The first prototype of TPV was fitted in 1937 , for tests with a BMW 500cc flathead flat twin engine, this explain more or less the later choice for a flat twin, but even the early water cooled engine was OHV and totaly different from the BMW engine...
I have been driving my 2CV since 1988, it is still in excellent condition and is cheap. I maintain it myself, 2.5 liters of oil every 2 years is the only maintenance cost. I bought it for 3,000 euros and it is now worth 13,000 euros. I never thought that driving a car would generate money, usually driving a car is a cost. It has never broken down, a car you can count on.
My first car was a 2CV. Had a lot of fun with it, but going uphill (we have lots of hills in our area) was ridiculous. In winter, it went through the highest snow with ease.
Lived on a Canadian military base in NE France from 63-67, and saw the 2CV everywhere. Members of the military were not allowed to buy one, but I don’t know why. Supposedly fantastic suspension system, a point common in other Citroen models. I remember seeing one in Calgary many years ago.
Had a bright yellow one of these with the 'big' 600cc engine and absolutely loved it. The rear seats were higher than those at the front, so rear passengers could see out better than with most cars. Even now, I've never had a more economical petrol car. Only part-exchanged it when rust became an issue. I'd buy a new one now, if they still made them.
The panhard dyna had a 2cylinder horizontally opposed engine too. But my heart will always belong to the nsu prinz 2 cylinder engine, ive never seen anything like that since. Both cylinders reciprocating together, but only one would fire, the pistons swung back around by a crankshaft counterweight. No belts, as the hemi twin cam overhead valves were driven by eccentrics and straps. It was only about 36 cubic inches, just under 600 cc, and delivered about 20 horsepower. But it got over 50 mpg.
My first car was an NSU Prinz 600cc. It had a Dyno starter, so only about 20amps max Electrical output. It had radial tyres 135 r 12. Alloy finned steel lined drum brakes at the front, steel drums at rear. Cold air heat exchanger for the interior heater. Single speed fan
@@robertwillis4061 yessir, i had 2 of them, a 59 and a 60, one was red, one was black. Tiny differences between the two. One only had 19k miles on it. I also had a 65 Renault dauphine gordini R1095.
What a wonderful vid. THANK YOU! More please. In 1963 my dad, because they were cheap, bought a used 1959 Reaunt 4 and a used 4CV for me. A decade later I worked in Isfahan, Iran were I owned a number of Citron 2CV's. Very 'cool' cars. I drove them like the wind across deserts and to work. These automobiles taught me a great truth; cars can be a 'status symbol', or a play thing, or a 'work horse'. I wish I still had one today.
I've owned two of these quirky little cars and loved them. Really fun to drive, especially if you're not accustomed to 30 degrees of body roll in corners! 😂and so easy to repair. A bit of a death trap if you crash, but that applies to most cars of that era.
@@SahnigReingeloetetnah, exaggerated. There is a hint of acceleration in 2nd or 3rd,like in the Renault 4, but never even a sligtest kick in the back like you would get from some small Fiats.
@@florkgagga I meant that you basically floor it all the time, not that it‘s fast 😅 I distinctly remember the acceleration being so bad that you almost can‘t even feel it (when I was driving in a car that would lightly push you into the seat when you floor it, I was like „wow a sports car 😝“). The accelerator pedal is more like a suggestion to the engine to maybe go faster.
The Citroen 2 CV was the most enjoyable car to drive, it purred and made you feel you are on a carnival ride around bends. The suicide door where awesome.
Thanks, pretty well done! Might mention the centrifugal clutch, non-rubber 8 LARGE tapered roller bearing suspension, one of the earliest rack & pinions, and no shock absorbers to wear out on the early ones, seats & doors removable in about 15 seconds. Also, with that shift pattern, some have NOT known that there was a 4th gear available! Also, also, might mention the horrible F'up with the Mehari plastic's deterioration!
I am Brazilian. Then you already know about our love for the Beetle. My dad was in a cab with him for a loooong time. But I always found the 2CV very nice! I haven't had a chance to see one yet. Yet. 👍
This is really good. I’d still love to see a tutorial on the 2CV heater system. The Beetle has a simple yet convoluted system of piggy backing off the cooling fan, and blowing air over a few places on the exhaust manifold. Then it sends heat to the front of the car inside ducts that have a dual purpose of also giving the floor pan rigidity where it connects to the body. Then a collection of manual dampers. It doesn’t even use an electric fan-just the engine fan. So you get varying volumes of heat-directly depending on RPM of the engine and cooling fan.
I had a 2cv of 1956, with the 400 cc engine and centrifugal clutch, absolutely fantastic. Then, I used a 600 cc, smooth and refined. Finally, a Duane with front disc brakes. Unforgettable. I'd like to keep it.
doubt if they survived the rust and were scrapped - sadly it was a bad point, they spray painted rusty panels at least in the 1970's, and no rust protection on the chassis
The heating/venting system was very simple too. To heat, adjust a lever that influences the amount of air from the fan that cools the engine to enter the cabin.
As a car enthusiast....this was very informative especially with the added animations.....both engines were simple and showed advanced thinking that were good for the times. Individually, it seems the 2CV had some advantageous design points.....shame there wasn't a 4 cyl version produced...but with the axial fan that may have been problematic as to cooling the extra 2 cylinders. Never knew about the 2-engine version.....thanks....
Thats why VW had the cooling arrangement it did: They had to cool 4 cylinders and an axial fan would not have cooled the two rear cylinders. I have often toyed with idea of building a cut-down 2 cylinder version of the VW engine, which is what some small aircraft builders do! Would be interesting to compare such a motor to the Citroen engine.
The air cooled flat four Citroen came with the introduction of the GS, similar hemi head but with overhead cams (and still with the axial fan at the front)
There was at least one 4-cyl engined 2CV in existence in the past. This was during the production of the James Bond film in 1981 where a 1015 cc engine from a Citroën GS was transplanted into the 2CV. The reason was to make the chase sequence a little more exciting whilst still maintaining the familiar engine sound. So it was possible but never produced by Citroën. There have been other attempts to turbo charge the standard engine but, again, on an amateurish level only.
The Diane van variant of the classic van, called an Acadiane was my 1st car. It was the perfect vehicle for someone with little knowledge of cars, but didn't mind learning! Not that it broke a lot, but when something wasn't right, it was easy as hell to investigate and fix. It was a good companion, cheap to run, fix, a hoot for camping trips, easy to leave in dodgy areas when going to gigs, and could be driven hard all day, and despite the roll, it handles really well. I miss it.
Great insight to my wonderful 3 new 2CV6s over 45 years and 550,000 kms. First a 1978 Club in the UK, next a 1982 Charleston and last a 1989/90 Charleston which recently received a Burton 652 cc Big Bore engine plus Power Tube for more power and torque. The 2CV was manufactured in downtown Paris from 1948 to 1987 and moved to Portugal from 1988 to 1990 with the last rolling off the line 27 July 1990. Also manufactured in Belgium, UK, Argentina, Uraguay, Chile, Spain & Yugoslavia. Here in Australia they were sold new in the late 1950s early 1960s. The first car to circumnavigate Australia was a 1923 Citroen 5CV in 1925. Citroen ID19s we assembled here from 1961-1967. I have owned 17 Citroens over 52 years. Totally addicted. My 2019 C4 Cactus plays big brother to my current Portuguese 2CV6 or is that now a 2CV7 with the Big Bore motor? I can no longer say to the policeman... But officer, can I have a credit for all the times I cannot reach the speed limit uphill.
Yes a truly brilliant car. On a hot day simply slip out the doors - on a wet day if you forget tom put the roof down simply tip out the rubber floor 'mats'. In board brakes, longitudinal suspension all made for a lot of fun and with those skinny tyres the lean angles were astonishing. I had a Dyane but preferred 2cv - wish I still had one but so expensive now. Ah happy days and a very happy car!
Thank you for this great presentation! Actually, the 2CV was not only designed for the French roads and landscape, but also for the French colonies as especially North Africa Algeria (desert, heat, sand), but also all other (former) french colonies. (Btw, also the famous Peugeot 504, too..) I had 2 2CVs, and I often think, that every driver should drive this car in the first 2 years after receiving the driver license, as you really learn, how a car works from A to Z, as everything is consequently designed "keep it simple"! To me, the design of the Citroen 2CV is much more brilliant than the VW beetle (4 doors, 4 seats for four adults, big trunk (vs almost no trunk in the beetle), much less noisier engine with same driving capabilites (110km/h max in both cases with advantages for the 2Cv as it is lighter and more comfortable), much less weight, the front wheel drive much more convenient and save than the risky RWD. Even in snow and winter conditions, you can start any 2CV with the provided jack using it as a starting hanfdle easily while all other cars including the beetle need jumper cables and an additional vehicle when the battery is too low. (I´ve experienced this myself in a unusually cold winter in Germany..) But, of course, the beetle just looks cuter, propably radiates more security, though its shape is more "feminine" the sound of the beetle´s boxer is much more "masculine".. and it seems, the beetle was much more reliable...
@@clwomble Well, these few 4WD 2CVs were not really available on the public market, afaik And I think, there were indeed a few 4WD beetles, too (for military purposes, painted in dark green, with bigger tractor-like wheels)… of course, neither available on the free market
The reliability of the Beetle is often overstated and confused with the ease of repairing it. There are fundamental design flaws in the Beetle that cause it to be less reliable than is often thought. These are often noted by people who actually owned and ran it.
The 2CV was beautifully French with a certain romantic joie d’Vie. The Beetle was possibly designed by the guy who worked on the military Stahlhelm. My late grandfather, a WW1 veteran, referred to the Beetle as “Hun Cavalry” The 2CV was endearing, the Beetle just a car.
I have love for the 2CV for a long time. I travelled for a while with two French girls from Paris in one. If I could buy one today I would. A UK fellow, who was building new electric 2CV, said that all the parts are still available.
Being born in France, I had 2 of those wonderful cars when I was young. They were extremely reliable, cheap to maintain and operate, and extremely fun to drive.
I owned two of them here in New York. One a rest bucket van and the other a Mahari. Neither of them ever had any mechanical problems. The van finally broken in two after being vastly overloaded with lumber many times. Someone stole the Mahari and cut it up for junk.
What a fantastic little car as an Englishman what used to amaze us you could spray and paint them in any colour you wanted and they always looked good. Solid and simple brilliant little car well done France 🇫🇷 👏👏
Compared to a mini, Fiat 500 or 126, it was not so "little", actually. The interiour space was much cleverer used than in the Volkswagen beetle (4 vs 2 doors, 4 adults vs 2 adults and 2 children).
The 2 CV engine is the most resistant and most economical engine. I call that quality. The Citroen LNA was the same principle with a double body carburetor..It could travel up to 140 km/h. Of course not on the climbs.. :-)
In the summer of 1960, our parents took us to Paris, and while we were there, we got to ride in a Renault Daphine and a Citroen 2CV! As kids, we loved riding in the back seat because they were "bouncy" like a mini-trampoline! I've always had a soft spot in my heart for them ever since!
I have owned three. I crashed the first after a week, the second lasted me for years (and I can't even remember when our relationship ended) and I bought a third from a friend which again lasted for years. That one was wrecked by a 2CV mechanic and it had obviously crashed of a ramp as the door were now out of alignment when I picked it up after a service. They are incredibly useful and I liked mine a lot. I would get another execpt that I can't afford to run two cars and more to the point they are now 'classics' so buying one would be quite expensive. I never knew about the 2CV Sahara, I would love one of those.
The idea to fit a flat twin for 2CV was actually thanks to the Beetle and its engine, in fact the Panhard 850cc air cooled flat-twin is much more interesting then the2 CV engine, in their last model the 24BT and CT the Panhard engine could get these cars to a topspeed of nearly 160 km/h . This engine had self adjusting valves
Ich denke, zu dieser Zeit waren die deutsche und die französische Strassennetze ziemlich anders. Das Lasterhaft vom 2cv bestand einfach im Transport 4 Erwachsener (und roher Eier....) über schlechteste Wegstrecken in der Metropole und Nordafrika mit einer Geschwindigkeit von kaum 50 km/h. Für die deutschen nagelneuen Autobahnen von den 30ern war der Käfer unendlich mehr geeignet.
I have owned 3 Citroen vehicles in my life, one being a Deux Chevaux, a 2CV. Living in the north of France in a rural area, this little car never failed to do its job. It appeared to be bomb proof but it was imperative to keep her fettled, an easy task. It had 80 km when I bought it and 130 when I gave it to a friend to use as a farm truck. It is still running to this day! I also owned a 1955 Beetle, one of the worst cars I had. My 2CV had rubber fenders, canvas seats and sliding windows. It was good for around 50 mph on a good day but there was not a field or bad, hilly road it would balk on. My daughter owned a later model capable of 70 mph and a tad more sophisticated. The 2CV was a product of minimal, intelligent engineering that transported French people and others for years. Today, they make fun classics if you can find a good one.
Always makes me laugh when I see figures of 40 million + for the Toyota Corolla. Unlike the Beetle which was pretty much the same car for its entire production history, the only thing the first and current generation Corollas have in common is four wheels and the name.
@@rconger24He was basically saying. Our generation of cars is nothing like how it was in the past. These days year after year car makers make some type of upgrade (ha). The new Corolla is basically a brand new design. No duh right? They aren't the same from the previous year. Where something like a Model T was made year in and out with basically no changes. It was built in 1909 to 1927 I think. It did get colors eventually, and an electric starter in 1919. Outside a few changes it was basically the same vehicle. The VW type 1 (aka the Beetle... Beatle? The Buggie.) sold more. The original VW Beetle was produced forever across the world in its original specs forever. I don't know for how long. 1938 to until fairly recently as some poorer countries kept it in production or something. Anyway that was what he was trying to say.
Back in the Early 60's I got my Father to buy a Used Sleek Citroen 4CV. An interesting aspect of the design was that In a Turning move, the hydraulic Suspension would lift up the outer side. Incredible Design. Hope you do One on that Version ? This was Well Done 👍 !
The seats in my Diane version came out real easy too and with no rear or passenger seat AND with the roof open you could move a hell of a load …handled well round corners once the body roll is learnt
2CV motor got nearly 100 miles per gallon! Would be acclaimed if released now especially as a range extender for EVs….pr as a motor generally. Great Review!
Very interesting video. I was always interested in these cars, so iconic on French roads for decades. They served post-war France well, being just was required in those days. Cheap, reliable, and homely as a mud fence 😂
Great video ! The flywheel was key to operations offroad. Had to spin it up and use all that stored torque with the clutch pedal as a secondary accelerator. Facing a very steep incline, you'd have to back-end so the front wheels receiving most of the vehicle weight would provide proper traction... err, propulsion. Never stuck with one of those, even without a winch.
The beetle engine shown is a dog house variant where the flow over the oil cooler is routed outside the shroud and thus no retard on cyl. 3. Also the fan on the beetle is much more effective in a pressurized system , where the axial fan will experience compressor stall rather quickly.
Still... no doubt the # 3 cyl ran hotter.....the oil cooler was placed in the air shroud airstream with the discharge directed to #3. Hotrodders of the 50's and 60's often replace the cooler with a coiled-loop of copper external to the shroud right at the intake.....to get cooling and to distribute the shroud airflow more evenly to all 4 cylinders.
@@TheWilferch No the hot air exits out behind the engine under the car on the doghouse shroud, but going external oil cooler is still an option! And those that mounted the oil cooler at the fan intake made a huge mistake, of course they didn't know at the time. Today we know it is the absolutely worst place you can put it. They would have been far better of not running the oil cooler at all.
Perfect comparison, I have owned many mid-60s beetles so your explanations and comparisons were perfectly understood. All these years later I understand so much better.
The 2CV was a very genius car with French understatement and smooth suspensions. Normally the 2CV had 28 HP which was enoug. The 9 HP version was only at the first beginning before WW2
I recall seeing many of the CV2 when I lived in Germany, my wife always commented on the "elbow coolers" the side windows folded down, and you would rest your elbow on the opening. I also remember seeing the odd one that would venture onto the Autobahn....risky business when struggling to reach 100 kph. We had to be careful when passing them at 200+ kph as the wind could upset the little car sending it out of control.
> We had to be careful when passing them at 200+ kph as the wind could upset the little car sending it out of control. There are so many replies to this...
I had an Ami 8 in France. Wonderful car. Slow in the mountains, OK on the highway. incredible, and easy to fix when it went wrong would drive with a flat tire and all you would notice was a bit of a rumble and reduction in speed...no steering issues if it was on the front tire. Suspension was amazing and easy to fix when it went wrong...only happened once (car was 13 yrs old when I got it. Four people and all our camping gear for three months in Europe and averaged 55 mpg (around 5.2 l/100 km)...1971 tech. I wish they still made them just like they did then.
I drove a 2cv recently in Provence. It had adequate power for French back roads, and the quirky dashboard-mounted worked well. The main downer for me was the very heavy steering - getting it around a sharp turn at any speed required muscle. Guess I'm spoiled by power steering.
? the 2cv was very easy to drive even from a skinny woman, the steering was only heawy during slow speed manouvers ,never in normal driving...Not forgott that up to the 80' was power steering mostly optional in Europe even on large cars, as i was young, i had a 1976 Citroën CX 2000 without power steering, and i buy this used car by a slim woman who drove it during 5 years...
People get spoiled by power steering, but they also try to put in huge amounts of steering input at every low speeds. Just getting the car rolling and feeding the steering in more gradually gets it done without a load of effort. Once you have power steering, you never think about it again and just crank away on that wheel. I will admit that parallel parking, my advice is of no use! But other than that, yes.
I had a 2 cv for about 5 years and it was not a good experience. In only 20.000 km following things broke down: Clutch, oilcooler,gearbox,wheelbearing and the carburettor. The gear ratios were not very appropiate, gear 4 was overdrive so up the hills and with heavy load or the wind against you ,one had to go down in gear 3 with a speed of 60. It was difficult to repair, the heat system was lousy and practically not existing and it was a bad starter in the cold winters. But one person could push/ run start it with emty battery.That was good!!
Tenho um fusca ano de fabricação 1964, está em perfeitas condições de uso. Boa parte de seus itens são originais. O fusca é um carro de verdade. Hoje só fabricam carros de plástico, cheios de sensores para quebrar, são verdadeiras porcarias frágeis. Excelente conteúdo! Abraços do Brasil 🇧🇷
I own a 2CV Special, model 1986. Works like a clock, goes everywhere. Simple, «rustique», 6 liters/100km, easy to maintain, but be careful with the rust. Not only the engine, but everything is simple and basic on this car. The dashboard is so simple! It is my only car, so it drives almost every day, and every year I make a quite long trip to visit friends all around France. Hope to keep it for a long time.
I know one shouldn't be envious, but... I ENVY YOU!! 😁👍
Felicitations! My dream would be to own a Mahari, but keep it on a Mediterranean island for holiday visits. They are so over-priced, however (I saw one for sale in the Balearics just before the pandemic, and the owner wanted e10,000). The Two Horses was an amazing car - the French just didn't think like anyone else in those days.
@@travelbugse2829 "the French just didn't think like anyone else in those days." An understatement.
I visited a small regional airport that has a museum in Chino, California and saw a French motorcycle around the WW1 era. The front wheel has a small displacement radial engine in place of where the center hub and spokes should be. The tire rim is fastened directly to the cylinder heads with spacers. the crankshaft is bolted to the front forks and does not rotate, the rest of the engine does! The carburetor is fastened to one side of the crank and somehow two-stroke mix is delivered to the cylinders. The fuel tank is mounted to the handlebars. The most unique bike I've ever seen.
@@cayankeelord3730 Good grief! But I suppose the Gnome Rotary did the same thing on aircraft, so the French engineers smoked a Gitane and said: "Alors, zat will go well on a moto - miniscule!"
@@cayankeelord3730 en france on a pas d'argent mais on a des idées 😂
2CV was my first car in the late 70's and a Diane for harvesting spare parts. I was able to do most repairs myself, unlike with todays's cars, I wouldn't even touch them. Still the best car and most fun I ever had!
My dad won a 2CV back in 1954 in a contest with Gulf Oil. His jingle was, "fill up with Gulf and you will see, no tailpipe smog or exhaust debris". The theme was emissions. I may have never been if not for that car; he sold it, and used the money to marry mom and honeymoon in Niagara Falls!
Wonderful story!!!!
Well at least something good came from at least one of these miscarrages of automotive justice
Your dad was a simp
Comment of the week! Congrats
@@maddhatter3564I would always prefer this car over the monstrosities called SUVs we have today.
When I had the good fortune to live in Iran in the 70's I had one- licensed to be built in Iran- the Dyane. It was WELL used, and for the high altitude and the heat in the summer- well, it was hardly a tire-burner. I absolutely loved it. Handled so well on the streets and very reliable. I loved the gearshift coming out of the dash, the adjustable headlights, the smooth ride, and the great suspension. One winters day, on the way up to the mountains NE of Tehran, with 3 wonderful skiing companions in the car, going uphill- we chanced upon a VEERY SLOW heavily loaded truck, emitting huge clouds of heavy, thick, black smoke. Even this wonderful loaded Dyane 2CV, had enough HP to pass the truck. Unfortunately, after we passed the truck, we could smell lots of smoke still. I then realized that, coincidentally, new smoke was coming from under the hood of the Dyane.We pulled over and evacuated the car and I raised the hood and found that every inch of all the wiring in the vehicle was burnt to a crisp- all the insulation melted off and only bare copper strands visible. What to do?? I disconnected everything, and then ran one wire (bare,twisted strands) from the battery to the ignition. turned the car around rolled it downhill and drove back to Tehran without further incident. A day or so later I purchased a complete new wring harness, and installed it in about an hour. Car ran perfectly from then on, of course. I really regretted leaving Iran, and that wonderful car. I wish I had one now for commuting, here in northern Nevada- USA. Great memories from this video and great engine explanations, though I watched it with subtitles ON, and the audio OFF. Thanks so much.
Same here
Had lots of fun with this car in Iran when I was young. So many friends made a fun of the car but it was a fun car...!! 😊
The wiring must have been practically fun. "Modern" cars seem to have hundreds or wires at least, one page says a Bentley Bentayga has 110 pounds of wiring harness, while a bare muscle car's harness is only 10 pounds
this reminds me so much that rich people want every little unnecessary detail, but poor people -- most of the world's population -- just want something that keeps working and is easy to fix. the difference between a car that goes 80kmh and one that does 160 is NOTHING compared to the difference between walking and driving even at 50 kmh. everything in this video is a miracle of how simple can be made to work very well. it's an enormous shame that cars now are mostly designed to make money from people who have too much of it. in a way, we were lucky to have post-war poverty in europe where there was a huge market for a simple little car
Qq Qq the boys
The
I've had a -59 B425 and a -79 2CV6, 605cc. Both absolutely lovely everyday cars. On twisty gravel roads I could keep many times more powerful cars behind me. The body roll wasn't a problem and all 4 wheels stayed on the ground at all times. The time I lost on the 'straights' I easily gained through the tight bends. Very annoying to some... They never broke down and I used them as my every day cars, all year round...even below -25C°, completely closed air intake and plastic foam sheets in the roof lined with corduroy fabric. There are so many clever solutions incorporated in this technically advanced car, that even formula one tech people know of them and refer to the 2CV regarding certain aspects. The whole story would take to long to tell here. Thank you for bringing the 2CV back into the limelight where it belongs!
>2CV
>Body roll wasnt a problem
Do you just like, lean left and right as you walk or what lol
@@dragonbutt 😄 you could be right, but I'm not a sailor.. though I know how to handle a boat. No, seriously, the front end geometry does actually benefit from a bit of body roll. That's why. Body roll can definitely be a problem if it's not taken into consideration when designing a car. Citroën did though. Cheers 😉
One of the most enjoyable cars I ever had, the most comfortable seats ever. This vehicle needs to be brought back, cheap and economical to run, I wish I had one today. I really miss my 2cv.
@@hughleocullen9497 Me too. Miss my B425 most... smooth as silk at high rpm's 🥰
@@hughleocullen9497 There are some new Mini-Cars out there with Electric Drive. The 2CV could be builded as one, as it don't have to exceed 450kg without Batteries. We are just seeing the Isetta (Bubble Car) returning maybe the good old 2CV as well. Safety is a big concern for those cars and seeing old 2CV in modern Car Crashes, it is not something you want to be in. The 2CV has a sound safety concept but a 500kg car hit by an 1.600kg-2200kg car you know who is losing.
You can drive anything, fancy or not, but NOTHING come close to the unforgettable 2CV experience. Slow yet scary, way too soft yet incredibly good in curves. Love it dearly!
And very good offroad; remember it was designed to replace the horse!
I own a Citroen 2CV6 one of the last ones build in Portugal. I have had several old cars from the 80's and 90's all leaking and at some points leaving me stranded, with one exception the 2CV. despite the fact that I drove it as my daily for some 4 years plus the remaining 5 years as a slightly more spoiled summer car. its engine is so dry that I leave a carpet underneath it in the garage just to boast of this property. Despite being far from today's standards of streamlined design It is also very economical, having a fuel mileage comparable to modern cars.
I adore the 2 cylinder air cooled engine.
So far, i've never seen someone go into so much details, explaining things in a clear manner.
This channel has a great future !
I remember that when I was young (in the sixties), 60 to 70 % of my generation owned or had owned a 2CV here in Belgium. They were cheap and easy to maintain. We where all mechanics in those days, or so we thought we were😄.
Wasn't a Citroen factory in Belgium making 2CVs? I seem to recall in my country the guys that were 2CV owners mentioning something like it.
.."We where all mechanics in those days, or so we thought we were" You make it sound like a bad thing in 2023?
With so few parts to have go wrong, you could easily be a mechanic in those days.
@@ottopartz1 ...cause You're NOT allowed - these days?!?
Oddly enough, my '52 2cv came from Belgium in 1968 or 69
What a golden time for automotive design. The owner’s needs were the prime directive. No ego cars, these. The 2CV’s suspension remains unique, designed for the reality of driving at the time where it was sold and it really did the job like no other.
yes, just to see what they did with the DS today
>No ego cars, these.
they were subconscious cars
"That thing gotta a HEMI?"
was thinking the same thing😂
The Citron Hemi would have been a better marketing plan, than 3CV. It definitely was better designed for rough roads, and beat the socks off the bug in that department. I wonder how it compares to a DKW 3 cylinder.
Yup all two cylinders !!!!! 😀
Sweet
Has the "hemispheric" head configuration. Sounds like a "hemi".
In the late 70's I was seconded to Agadir, Morocco to be the acting Station Manager for the Airline I worked at that time. I only had to handle one flight per week, hence a lot of free time. I rented a 2CV and explored the surroundings and even went to Marakesh on a desert road. A very reliable car, no matter if in the desert or on paved roads. I simply loved it.
My family has been the proud owner of a ‘75 Citroën Méhari in Montana Green and it’s my Dad’s pride and joy. We take it out to classic car meets every month. Most people confuse it for a mini moke, so I’m glad to see the Méhari got a shoutout! Great video 👍
I know very well the Mehari that belonged to a friend of mine early seventies and we throughly enjoyed in summertime...
Confused with a Moke? I think not!
@migliaracer1 are you referring to me? I know quite well both vehicles but in truth I travelled much less on the Moke
@@migliaracer1This video was the 1st time I've seen that odd, boxy Citroën Méhari ( Méhari = "fast camel") and I thought Mini Moke!
a Moke? Surely not, OMG.....
Thanks for the awesome 3-D, animated illustrations. It is helpful to see the internal parts working. I've owned a '74 2CV for the past 23 years and drive it almost daily during the summer. It loves our local round-a-bouts and puts smiles on just about everyone it meets. Parts are no problem what with several sources along the US west coast. Love the car. Hills are a challenge but most drivers behind you will be patient while you drive in low gear. We all need to slow down a bit anyway!
There was a contest in France that challenge drivers to roll over the car in any sharp curve.
This was told by my girlfriend at the time , she was driving a 2 chevaux with the gage gas broken , so from time time we were checking the level with a wood stick ...great times of my youth in France , Bretagne , marvelous people.
I remember in the early 1950's Citroen's challenge for 1 million francs to turn the car (the 2CV) over on a flat surface; with ice or oil at any speed. My school teacher had one with a dip-stick for gas, no gas gauge inside...
The one who could overturn did it by driving backwards.
Broken fuel gauge or just didn't have one? Dipping the tank was the standard way of checking fuel level on early 2CVs.
My '52 has a dipstick in the fuel tank, factory equipment
Mhm, i heard that story but was the Citroen 11 Ligero in my version. But yes they will not roll over, I drove a few of them and they are still being used in South America, indestructible cars.
En 1963, j’ai acheté une 2cv de 1956 que j’ai conduite jusqu’en 1967. Je n’ai eu qu’une panne de régulateur lors d’un voyage en Espagne. Le garagiste dans un village de campagne n’avait pas le régulateur en stock, mais il a pris un morceau de fil de résistance et l’a installé dans le régulateur abîmé. Cela fonctionnait et j’ai terminé mes vacances et en France j’ai roulé encore 6 mois sans soucis jusqu’à une visite d’entretien chez Citroen qui a mis un régulateur neuf. Voiture increvable passe-partout que je regrette maintenant !
Fantastically balanced. It’s the only engine I’ve driven continuously at max rpm for several hours on the Autobahn. Without damage.
All the while it sounded so dry, right? We had the R4, in the 2cv i was a passenger a few times. Full rpm sounded funny, but equally funny or strange is that other cars were not supposed to be driven that way, while the 2cv could take it.
It’s basically a little aircraft engine!
When they had it on the test bank in 1946-ish they ran it for a 100 hours continuously without a hiccup. I had two 2CV's and the engine was never the problem.
So how many other engines have you driven then?
@@JonDingle Many. My point is that this little aircooled opposed twin engine is a real gem…
My mom used to own several of these and some bugs.. I remember riding in the 2cv as a kid, I loved it. Especially over bumps because of the suspension. Also the sound it made was unique.. And we drove it pretty far (for european standards).. Like 600km road trips in a 20~ish hp car, most of the time behind trucks.. Fun times.. Back then they were cheap, that's why my mom had them. To think that all her old cars ended up in junkyards because of relatively minor stuff, people today would be furious
If I could buy one new, I'd do it in a heartbeat. It was an awesome little car with a lot of smart engineering.
Well, not the complete car, but the chassis and body parts you can. They are surplus parts of the production in Spain and Portugal.
@@HolgerKuhrtsBetter to have a modern engine anyway. It would be a great car to use a motorcycle engine in, due to its light weight.
There is a british company that makes them new but with an electric motor. It's pretty much the same otherwise, with all its quirks. The price is quite high though, as they are made on command.
One most unknown fun trick of the 2CV ( I discovered it in the 2CV of a student friend) is that you can drive hidden under the glass level.
Just open the air vents (those above the dashbord) with the screwbutton. Then bend over to hide and drive looking through the events (it's not that safe for lateral checks, attention).
Then, suddenly appear all together to look at the faces of passers-by. Garanteed laughs :D
Brilliant!😆
Wife's grandad restores these, brilliant cars, independent suspension on all corners, inboard brakes has some mad body roll but handles bumps like a pro
So clear and comprehensive with no waffle. Thanks.
I drove the 2cv6, liked the dash mounted hockeystick shift lever. The red hot version. The main competitor was not the beetle but the Renault 4. Which had a rear mounted engine initially. However, Renault redesigned it with a front mounted engine. If you were really quiet, you could hear them rust. But mechanically absolutely indestructible and simple to repair and extremely fuel efficient. About as fuel efficient as todays low end models but half the weight, half the parts, half the price and super easy to repair and maintain
I believe the rear engined car was the Renault 4CV. The Renault 4 was a later front drive car designed to compete with the 2CV.
The rear engine version was the dauphin. I had the front engine version,the 4,as a van. The camshaft was driven by a composite gear which was up against the firewall and required removal of the engine. Guess how I know that.
@@martinsaunders7925 my grandfather had both the rear engined Renault 4 and the Dauphine. The Dauphine had a larger engine and was larger overall. Both great cars. Renault grew the model further into the Renault 8 and later the model 10, after which they abandoned rear engined models altogether. Every iteration the engine displacement grew a bit. Fun fact; they produced a Gordini version of the 8 for a while. That was a pretty cool car, based on the rally car Gordini prepped.
@@skydive1424 French engineering is idiosyncratic and usually excellent. The first front wheel drive car was a Citroën in 1934? Of course it had suicide doors.
......back in the days were less meant more.
We bought a used 1968 Dyane 6 with the bigger engine when we first came to France, and I did a lot of maintenance on it myself. The repair manual said (roughly) "to adjust the rocker arms it is not entirely necessary to remove the mudguards, but it helps". They were right; however to do this you had to disconnect the headlamp adjustment cable and remove 16 screws each side. To adjust the points you had to take off the front bumper and the fan. Wondrous. We took ours over the Cockbridge-Tomintoul road in Scotland and over the Alps in the Haute Savoie. Another time we rolled up the roof and got all the wood to make a double bed into it, along with the mattress.
It finally died in 1976 when a mechanic at the dealership in Edinburgh stripped a clutch mounting bolt and didn't tell us. Still, it took us back to our home near Paris before the engine lost all its oil and we sold it to a scrap-merchant for 400 frs, which we spent that evening on a fitting wake. Wonderful car.
Can't you replace the engine? I mean the cars were still produced- oh wait a used 1968 Dyane oh then from there on out i got no clue wha- And i forgot i could study the Dyane.
By rolling the roof back, I got a set of four-metre double ladders into my Dyane, while narrowly avoiding a parking ticket. Sadly, I no longer have the car, but still have the ladders. On another occasion, it transported a 280Kg block of marble loaded by forklift. This was the only time it looked low at the back. The bump stops came into play a few times on the way home. Getting it out again on my own was a challenge!
@@CrowPal It probably weighed more than the car!
I travelled and drove a 2CV back in 1974 in Spain. It was quite an experience! This car is amazing! Very slow but unstoppable. Very roomy and surprisingly comfortable except for the noisy cabin. It was also an convertible...added bonus.
Hitch hiking in Germany to the Army base in Mannheim I rode in a 2CV for about 15 miles.The driver was getting everything the little car had to offer and the leaning in curves was amazing.Out of a couple million miles I've ridden or driven in 70 years I've never forgotten that experience.Quite the workhorse was the Citroen.
We had two 602 Dyanes, with centrifugal transmissions, and a 2CV, also 602. Utterly brilliant cars that never, ever, went wrong. In some ways they were the pinnacle of car engineering. Thanks for the vid.
I agree the Dyane was a considerable improvement on the 2CV. I had a 1981 model years ago.
Sad that back then these engineering wonders were looked on with some contempt. Nowadays Chinese crap Maxus cars still cannot hold a candle to it.
In Greece there was a Greek-made Citroen Pony. Same engine and drivetrain but with a jeep-like chassis. Heavier than a 2CV, but could easily fit 10 kids for movie runs! That was with the 602cc engine. I learned how to drive on my dads Pony. It was very fun to drive, especially on dirt roads, thanks to the amazing suspension. It would be interesting to get a video on the gearbox of the 2CV, the weird gear arrangement (reverse and 1st were opposite of each other), why the 2nd gear was the strongest, and why you could go from 3rd to 4th 2 different ways (one was the normal way of going through neutral, and the second was moving to the right first through the location of what would've been a 5th gear if it existed). Thank you for bringing back memories!
I couldn’t even work that out about gear changes let alone trying to drive it 😂😂👏
Second and third were used a lot for around-town driving, which was very nice in terms of shifting - just straight back and forth.
The 2CV engine was designed by Walter Becchia, an Italian engineer who had been at Fiat’s race engine design department before WW1. This design bureau was at the very forefront of combustion engine engineering and would see many of its members develop famous engines for a whole range of brands.
In its latter stages the engine would rev above and beyond 7,000 rpm, and last forever. Try that with a Beetle engine...
A beetle engine can easily make power over 7,000rpm. The aftermarket for VW performance parts has been the most vast one on the planet for over 50 years.
@@nicholasagnew2792 I think he means stock (unmodified, from the factory) engines. Anything can be modified to do crazy things.
@@Kimoto504 I was about to say that
the vw is still seriously inferior like most German engineering would not give a thank you for it speaking as someone that owned a garage it was always German scrap that gave all the big problems .
@@nicholasagnew2792 not revving at the redline forever..
This car is what the majority of people would need.
Cam is driven by a spring loaded split chevron gear, so as it wears over time the cam timing never changes. Also notice no connecting rod bolts. The con rods are slipped onto the crank at the factory by cooling the crank in liquid nitrogen and heating the con rods. Renewing the engine, you’d purchase a piston/con rod/crank set. All new in minutes!
No need to heat the rods!
The 2CV is to cars what BREAD is food -- it is the baseline.
Let's get it back into production and make it one of the world's transportation options.
I bought a 2Cv4, in 1984, with 431 cm³ and 23 hp, top speed 105 km/h.
That engine died (heroically!) on the Autobahn, but I had enough inertia to reach an exit and came to a halt in front of a scrap yard - which had a crashed 2CV6 with an intact engine - 602 cm³, 29 hp and a top speed of 125 km/h.
I installed that engine, and, as a lark, put the cylinder heads of the old engine on it.
That works, if you file down the pistons a bit and prolong the pushrod casings for ~20mm, which I did with bicycle parts...
Since the burning chamber on the 2 CV is completely in the cylinder head, that changed the compression ratio from 8.5 to ~12 - and was able to spin the wheels in second gear.
Top speed in the plain was ~145 km/h (hand-stopped, the speedometer ended at 130), and on a memorable day and a long and steep decline I reached 170 (might have been a mis-measure - my hands were shaking a lot).
Remember, the brakes were designed for a top speed of 105 km/h...
I spooked a lot of Beetles and Renault 4's in the day ... and myself, if I'm being honest.
Bless you for this fine article. The 2CV and Beetle are regarded by modern youngsters as weak and feeble or simply a fashion statement.
I once rode a BSA Bantam from Norwich to Preston via Leeds in 1976 with a male pillion and luggage through a rainstorm. It never missed a beat. The most humble of our creations are often the most reliable.
Just don't expect them to be "cafe racers".
Now that bantam tale is,impressive….
The BSA Bantam was the only stinkpot I ever owned. I preferred the Goldie’s I owned later. The Bantam was almost unbreakable: my pal ended up with it and “converted” it to trials iron. I did ride it from Oxford to Bristol several times during my college days.
@@robertjames6640 I had a 1947 hard tail e army job and yes it was unbreakable always started; old fuel or not it max speed 35mph
I loved my grey 1967 2CV, I even fixed the oil cooler when three London garages said "take it away, as its too complex for them "
The first car that I bought was a 2CV, brand new in 1970. A 425 cc 18HP engine. This version had no belt-driven alternator, but a 6V DC dynamo on the crankshaft just behind the fan.
My first car and the love of my life. Nothing like a 2CV for a first date when the roof blows off while you are driving, leaving you to save the day. Alternatively, on a cold winter day when the engine refuses to start, one can add a few drops of vodka to the carburettor to help it come alive. What a car...
My first car,also.😊
Took us North to Paris and Amsterdam,South to Turkey through Bulgaria
and back through Romanika,Hungary and Austria.
All with the same ancient 2CV in the seventies,when most everything was
simpler...
Oh yes,a few drops of ether worked wonders in a cold Winter; and they were
really cold back then. The voka ,that was to krep US warm!
I have restored beetles and recently restored a 2CV they are completely different. But both have simple engineering that makes them endearing and fun.
In 1966 I had a 2CV made in Argentina. excellent, very reliable little car. In 1967 with my brother as copilot we crossed the Andes through the 4.000m high Cristo Redentor pass, went over to Santiago , then to the beaches near Viña del Mar. We then went south to Puyehue , crossed the All Saint's Lake in a raft and then back to Argentina by Bariloche. From there to Buenos Aires all roads for more than 1.000km.were dirt and gravel ,no pavement until Bahia Blanca. In all we did 7.000km.on some paved, but mostly dirt and gravel roads with no mechanical problems and never a punctured tire.
My family had two in a row in the late 80's (light blue and a green one). I remember the queues it accumulated on the 100kmh roads, the view from the rear seat was great. Was too young to test drive it, but my mom struggled to find the reverse gear and we ended up in a barn door
I have fond memories of getting on the freeway with 85 2CV Charleston. If I was lucky, I'd get behind a semi and enjoy the quiet wind-free ride in its wake. But when it moved out of the way, you quickly realized you weren't driving a Cadillac. LOL. I had 2 2CVs and one Traction Avant. Lots of fun. Then, I got my Volvo PV444 but that's another story...
Great report on a great little car. Actually drove a friend's 2CV once.
Something that's possibly not widely know in the U.S. is what the CV part of the description means. it means chevaux = horses. People typically knew them as deux chevaux (two horses) but in the 'back then' tax system chevaux meant horsepower in the mechanical field. But even that is confusing. In countries like France, Switzerland etc. automobiles are or at least used to be, taxed according to engine size, not actual horsepowers. The Citroën Deux Chevaux thus was one of the least expensive vehicles to insure or to be taxed. Post War Europe was much more frugal back then compared to now. So, my dad way back in the 50s, owned a slightly more powerful Renault Dauphine, a small rear engine gizmo, and the first car I ever got to drive, illegally as I was then underage. Cheers ;- )
I worked in a bakery in France in the '70s/early '80s. Not only did I make bread but I had to do the deliveries using a 2cv camionette. One of my favourite cars ever, so simple to use and service. We used it to tour France during the annual 'Grands vacances'. So many great memories. Not once did it ever break down.
I liked the 2CV for its unique design and for its suspension setup. I know some people don't like it, but it's like a type of car you either love or hate. Since I see it being a lot like the Beetle, I called it "France's Beetle" since they both have a similar shape and the design didn't change a whole lot for a long time
Or a tin snail
Fun fact, the 2CV prototypes were made before the WWII, the car was supposed to be presented in October 1939 at the Paris Motor Show, but after Germany invaded Poland the Paris motor Show was cancelled and the 250 car pilot run and prototypes were either destroyed or hidden in fear of Germany stealing the project and using it against France. There are only 5 existing examples of pre-war 2CVs that we know of. The similar exterior design of the 2CV and the Beetle is completely coincidental as they were both designed in secret during the same time period.
@@arekb5951 The same applies for the beetle, which was designed and first prototypes produced by Mercedes (with engineer Ferdinand Porsche working there, then..) Unfortunately, wikipedia has obviously censored all pages about this car. (I remember very well, that a few years ago, there has been an extremely nice summary with several pictures of Mercedes beetle prototypes/predecessors. Everything wiped away, obviously. Maybe, if you look for "130, 150, 150 V und 170 H (W 23, W 30, W 130, W 28), 1934 - 1939", you´ll find a German webpage, mentioning a W28, which is close to the first 30 prototypes produced at the Mercedes factory in Sindelfingen (under the lead of Porsche) which were the predecessors of the later KdF-Wagen, after the war renamed to Volkswagen. Unfortunately, no good pictures there.. and it seems impossible to find them with google..
@@kriskross63 Unless your are in some country that censors the internet you will find lots of info on the pre-war beetle on wiki, mercedes website etc.
It is debatable when a car begins. The beetle was not really created until the final production version. Early concepts are not the car, but the idea for the car.
@@grolfe3210 You are possibly right: The last time, I easily found pages with lots of fotos of beetle prototypes, I looked for them from Germany. (I remember a variant, more or less identical to the beetle, except the „nose“, which contained a typical Mercedes grill on front, it was a Wdd with a 2-digit nr, I thought W40 or W30, but Couldn’t find it anymore now. This time, I googled it from Switzerland…
Yes, they were so simple, practically nothing could go wrong. My racing tortoise served me well for many years - I only sold it because I emigrated, but here in Mexico there aren't any! I really miss them.
Not only my father had one, but I taught myself to drive with it. It was soooo easy and pleasant to drive. Unfortunately, it also died in my hands a few years later (busted crankshaft). It had been ticking for a long time, but dad was not interested in fixing it.
😢
You can buy fully restored engines for about 800€
The French Panhard Dyna Z had a similar 2 cylinder boxer engine, but it made far more horsepower and ran quite well. They were larger and according to one man who I met at a car meet driving one, they, like other French cars, were a pleasure and comfortable to drive.
Panhards are very "space age" - beautiful design and good performance
I understand that this engine was originally designed ( pre war- 1930s ) as a generator engine and so was intended to run many hours @ relatively low power. Interestingly a friends father who was a dealer in the sixties told me they never had engine trouble as long as it was worked hard, it was the little old ladies who usually had trouble as they didn’t “ blow them out 🤭”
You go read up what causes carbon buildup and you'll understand how your friends father was right. This still applies to modern fuel injection vehicles
@@OffGridInvestor yes I recon direct petrol injection is just an answer to a non existent problem- created by those genius non engineers @EUSSR 🤯
Every gasoline powered car or truck runs better when "the cobwebs get blown out" from time to time.
@@HotWheelsBurban agreed but decoking engines seems to have become a cottage industry again having largely died out by the end of the fifties. Back. In the thirties it was recommended every approx 5K miles
no, the engine was designed after WW2, the early engine from the 1939 2cv (TPV) was liquid cooled and still absolutly not derived from a generator, but designed to be able to run without damage permanently at maximum power . The first prototype of TPV was fitted in 1937 , for tests with a BMW 500cc flathead flat twin engine, this explain more or less the later choice for a flat twin, but even the early water cooled engine was OHV and totaly different from the BMW engine...
I have been driving my 2CV since 1988, it is still in excellent condition and is cheap.
I maintain it myself, 2.5 liters of oil every 2 years is the only maintenance cost.
I bought it for 3,000 euros and it is now worth 13,000 euros. I never thought that driving a car would generate money, usually driving a car is a cost.
It has never broken down, a car you can count on.
My first car was a 2CV. Had a lot of fun with it, but going uphill (we have lots of hills in our area) was ridiculous. In winter, it went through the highest snow with ease.
BANNED for emissions on a 605cc engine, but a 6300cc TWIN TURBO MERCEDES G63 G WAGEN weighing 3 tons for £175,000 is fine....... YEAH RIGHT.
Fully to the G point! The tax department approves...
Lived on a Canadian military base in NE France from 63-67, and saw the 2CV everywhere. Members of the military were not allowed to buy one, but I don’t know why. Supposedly fantastic suspension system, a point common in other Citroen models. I remember seeing one in Calgary many years ago.
Had a bright yellow one of these with the 'big' 600cc engine and absolutely loved it. The rear seats were higher than those at the front, so rear passengers could see out better than with most cars. Even now, I've never had a more economical petrol car. Only part-exchanged it when rust became an issue. I'd buy a new one now, if they still made them.
The panhard dyna had a 2cylinder horizontally opposed engine too. But my heart will always belong to the nsu prinz 2 cylinder engine, ive never seen anything like that since. Both cylinders reciprocating together, but only one would fire, the pistons swung back around by a crankshaft counterweight. No belts, as the hemi twin cam overhead valves were driven by eccentrics and straps. It was only about 36 cubic inches, just under 600 cc, and delivered about 20 horsepower. But it got over 50 mpg.
My first car was an NSU Prinz 600cc. It had a Dyno starter, so only about 20amps max Electrical output. It had radial tyres 135 r 12. Alloy finned steel lined drum brakes at the front, steel drums at rear. Cold air heat exchanger for the interior heater. Single speed fan
@@robertwillis4061 yessir, i had 2 of them, a 59 and a 60, one was red, one was black. Tiny differences between the two. One only had 19k miles on it. I also had a 65 Renault dauphine gordini R1095.
What a wonderful vid. THANK YOU! More please. In 1963 my dad, because they were cheap, bought a used 1959 Reaunt 4 and a used 4CV for me. A decade later I worked in Isfahan, Iran were I owned a number of Citron 2CV's. Very 'cool' cars. I drove them like the wind across deserts and to work. These automobiles taught me a great truth; cars can be a 'status symbol', or a play thing, or a 'work horse'. I wish I still had one today.
I've owned two of these quirky little cars and loved them. Really fun to drive, especially if you're not accustomed to 30 degrees of body roll in corners! 😂and so easy to repair. A bit of a death trap if you crash, but that applies to most cars of that era.
The body roll in combination with the weak engine and… let‘s call it spartanic interior meant you felt like you‘re in a race car at all times 😂
@@SahnigReingeloetetbut exceptionally comfortable one.
@@SahnigReingeloetetnah, exaggerated. There is a hint of acceleration in 2nd or 3rd,like in the Renault 4, but never even a sligtest kick in the back like you would get from some small Fiats.
@@florkgagga I meant that you basically floor it all the time, not that it‘s fast 😅 I distinctly remember the acceleration being so bad that you almost can‘t even feel it (when I was driving in a car that would lightly push you into the seat when you floor it, I was like „wow a sports car 😝“). The accelerator pedal is more like a suggestion to the engine to maybe go faster.
One of the Hungarian car journalists said once: a more fancy Swiss chocolate is wrapped in heavier, sturdier tin foil than the 2CV's bodywork sheets.😅
How very interesting. Two engines cool!
The Citroen 2 CV was the most enjoyable car to drive, it purred and made you feel you are on a carnival ride around bends. The suicide door where awesome.
😅
Thanks, pretty well done! Might mention the centrifugal clutch, non-rubber 8 LARGE tapered roller bearing suspension, one of the earliest rack & pinions, and no shock absorbers to wear out on the early ones, seats & doors removable in about 15 seconds.
Also, with that shift pattern, some have NOT known that there was a 4th gear available! Also, also, might mention the horrible F'up with the Mehari plastic's deterioration!
Many wonderful memories from my 2CV days. Simple to work on and joyful to drive.
я о таком двигателе думал еще в 15 летнем возрасте в 60 годы, но все смеялись над этим
I am Brazilian. Then you already know about our love for the Beetle. My dad was in a cab with him for a loooong time. But I always found the 2CV very nice! I haven't had a chance to see one yet. Yet. 👍
This is really good. I’d still love to see a tutorial on the 2CV heater system. The Beetle has a simple yet convoluted system of piggy backing off the cooling fan, and blowing air over a few places on the exhaust manifold. Then it sends heat to the front of the car inside ducts that have a dual purpose of also giving the floor pan rigidity where it connects to the body. Then a collection of manual dampers. It doesn’t even use an electric fan-just the engine fan. So you get varying volumes of heat-directly depending on RPM of the engine and cooling fan.
I though the Heater on a VW Beetle was a Jump Rope in the glove compartment?
I had a 2cv of 1956, with the 400 cc engine and centrifugal clutch, absolutely fantastic. Then, I used a 600 cc, smooth and refined. Finally, a Duane with front disc brakes.
Unforgettable.
I'd like to keep it.
doubt if they survived the rust and were scrapped - sadly it was a bad point, they spray painted rusty panels at least in the 1970's, and no rust protection on the chassis
The heating/venting system was very simple too. To heat, adjust a lever that influences the amount of air from the fan that cools the engine to enter the cabin.
As a car enthusiast....this was very informative especially with the added animations.....both engines were simple and showed advanced thinking that were good for the times. Individually, it seems the 2CV had some advantageous design points.....shame there wasn't a 4 cyl version produced...but with the axial fan that may have been problematic as to cooling the extra 2 cylinders. Never knew about the 2-engine version.....thanks....
Thats why VW had the cooling arrangement it did: They had to cool 4 cylinders and an axial fan would not have cooled the two rear cylinders.
I have often toyed with idea of building a cut-down 2 cylinder version of the VW engine, which is what some small aircraft builders do! Would be interesting to compare such a motor to the Citroen engine.
The air cooled flat four Citroen came with the introduction of the GS, similar hemi head but with overhead cams (and still with the axial fan at the front)
There was at least one 4-cyl engined 2CV in existence in the past. This was during the production of the James Bond film in 1981 where a 1015 cc engine from a Citroën GS was transplanted into the 2CV. The reason was to make the chase sequence a little more exciting whilst still maintaining the familiar engine sound. So it was possible but never produced by Citroën. There have been other attempts to turbo charge the standard engine but, again, on an amateurish level only.
The Diane van variant of the classic van, called an Acadiane was my 1st car. It was the perfect vehicle for someone with little knowledge of cars, but didn't mind learning! Not that it broke a lot, but when something wasn't right, it was easy as hell to investigate and fix. It was a good companion, cheap to run, fix, a hoot for camping trips, easy to leave in dodgy areas when going to gigs, and could be driven hard all day, and despite the roll, it handles really well. I miss it.
>easy to leave in dodgy areas when going to gigs
Because no self-respecting car thief would steal one.
Great insight to my wonderful 3 new 2CV6s over 45 years and 550,000 kms.
First a 1978 Club in the UK, next a 1982 Charleston and last a 1989/90 Charleston which recently received a Burton 652 cc Big Bore engine plus Power Tube for more power and torque.
The 2CV was manufactured in downtown Paris from 1948 to 1987 and moved to Portugal from 1988 to 1990 with the last rolling off the line 27 July 1990. Also manufactured in Belgium, UK, Argentina, Uraguay, Chile, Spain & Yugoslavia.
Here in Australia they were sold new in the late 1950s early 1960s.
The first car to circumnavigate Australia was a 1923 Citroen 5CV in 1925.
Citroen ID19s we assembled here from 1961-1967.
I have owned 17 Citroens over 52 years. Totally addicted.
My 2019 C4 Cactus plays big brother to my current Portuguese 2CV6 or is that now a 2CV7 with the Big Bore motor?
I can no longer say to the policeman...
But officer, can I have a credit for all the times I cannot reach the speed limit uphill.
Best Chanel for explaining engine pros and cons. Excellent work sir!
Yes a truly brilliant car. On a hot day simply slip out the doors - on a wet day if you forget tom put the roof down simply tip out the rubber floor 'mats'. In board brakes, longitudinal suspension all made for a lot of fun and with those skinny tyres the lean angles were astonishing. I had a Dyane but preferred 2cv - wish I still had one but so expensive now. Ah happy days and a very happy car!
Thank you for this great presentation! Actually, the 2CV was not only designed for the French roads and landscape, but also for the French colonies as especially North Africa Algeria (desert, heat, sand), but also all other (former) french colonies. (Btw, also the famous Peugeot 504, too..)
I had 2 2CVs, and I often think, that every driver should drive this car in the first 2 years after receiving the driver license, as you really learn, how a car works from A to Z, as everything is consequently designed "keep it simple"!
To me, the design of the Citroen 2CV is much more brilliant than the VW beetle (4 doors, 4 seats for four adults, big trunk (vs almost no trunk in the beetle), much less noisier engine with same driving capabilites (110km/h max in both cases with advantages for the 2Cv as it is lighter and more comfortable), much less weight, the front wheel drive much more convenient and save than the risky RWD. Even in snow and winter conditions, you can start any 2CV with the provided jack using it as a starting hanfdle easily while all other cars including the beetle need jumper cables and an additional vehicle when the battery is too low. (I´ve experienced this myself in a unusually cold winter in Germany..)
But, of course, the beetle just looks cuter, propably radiates more security, though its shape is more "feminine" the sound of the beetle´s boxer is much more "masculine".. and it seems, the beetle was much more reliable...
But you couldn’t get a 4WD beetle. Go Citroën.
@@clwomble Well, these few 4WD 2CVs were not really available on the public market, afaik
And I think, there were indeed a few 4WD beetles, too (for military purposes, painted in dark green, with bigger tractor-like wheels)… of course, neither available on the free market
The reliability of the Beetle is often overstated and confused with the ease of repairing it. There are fundamental design flaws in the Beetle that cause it to be less reliable than is often thought. These are often noted by people who actually owned and ran it.
The 2CV was beautifully French with a certain romantic joie d’Vie.
The Beetle was possibly designed by the guy who worked on the military Stahlhelm. My late grandfather, a WW1 veteran, referred to the Beetle as “Hun Cavalry”
The 2CV was endearing, the Beetle just a car.
I have love for the 2CV for a long time. I travelled for a while with two French girls from Paris in one. If I could buy one today I would. A UK fellow, who was building new electric 2CV, said that all the parts are still available.
Being born in France, I had 2 of those wonderful cars when I was young. They were extremely reliable, cheap to maintain and operate, and extremely fun to drive.
I owned two of them here in New York. One a rest bucket van and the other a Mahari. Neither of them ever had any mechanical problems. The van finally broken in two after being vastly overloaded with lumber many times. Someone stole the Mahari and cut it up for junk.
What a fantastic little car as an Englishman what used to amaze us you could spray and paint them in any colour you wanted and they always looked good. Solid and simple brilliant little car well done France 🇫🇷 👏👏
I love that little citroen
Compared to a mini, Fiat 500 or 126, it was not so "little", actually.
The interiour space was much cleverer used than in the Volkswagen beetle (4 vs 2 doors, 4 adults vs 2 adults and 2 children).
I got a lift in a 2CV once. It was quite comfortable. It did feel very basic, which is fine. It's an honest car.
I saw so many of these little vehicles while I was stationed in Germany, a very interesting automobile. Thanks for sharing this information. 😊
The 2 CV engine is the most resistant and most economical engine. I call that quality. The Citroen LNA was the same principle with a double body carburetor..It could travel up to 140 km/h. Of course not on the climbs.. :-)
In the summer of 1960, our parents took us to Paris, and while we were there, we got to ride in a Renault Daphine and a Citroen 2CV! As kids, we loved riding in the back seat because they were "bouncy" like a mini-trampoline! I've always had a soft spot in my heart for them ever since!
I have owned three. I crashed the first after a week, the second lasted me for years (and I can't even remember when our relationship ended) and I bought a third from a friend which again lasted for years. That one was wrecked by a 2CV mechanic and it had obviously crashed of a ramp as the door were now out of alignment when I picked it up after a service. They are incredibly useful and I liked mine a lot. I would get another execpt that I can't afford to run two cars and more to the point they are now 'classics' so buying one would be quite expensive. I never knew about the 2CV Sahara, I would love one of those.
The idea to fit a flat twin for 2CV was actually thanks to the Beetle and its engine, in fact the Panhard 850cc air cooled flat-twin is much more interesting then the2 CV engine, in their last model the 24BT and CT the Panhard engine could get these cars to a topspeed of nearly 160 km/h . This engine had self adjusting valves
Ich denke, zu dieser Zeit waren die deutsche und die französische Strassennetze ziemlich anders.
Das Lasterhaft vom 2cv bestand einfach im Transport 4 Erwachsener (und roher Eier....) über schlechteste Wegstrecken in der Metropole und Nordafrika mit einer Geschwindigkeit von kaum 50 km/h. Für die deutschen nagelneuen Autobahnen von den 30ern war der Käfer unendlich mehr geeignet.
The 2cv engine design is actually based on the pre-war BMW motorcycle engine
I have owned 3 Citroen vehicles in my life, one being a Deux Chevaux, a 2CV. Living in the north of France in a rural area, this little car never failed to do its job. It appeared to be bomb proof but it was imperative to keep her fettled, an easy task.
It had 80 km when I bought it and 130 when I gave it to a friend to use as a farm truck. It is still running to this day!
I also owned a 1955 Beetle, one of the worst cars I had.
My 2CV had rubber fenders, canvas seats and sliding windows. It was good for around 50 mph on a good day but there was not a field or bad, hilly road it would balk on.
My daughter owned a later model capable of 70 mph and a tad more sophisticated.
The 2CV was a product of minimal, intelligent engineering that transported French people and others for years. Today, they make fun classics if you can find a good one.
Always makes me laugh when I see figures of 40 million + for the Toyota Corolla. Unlike the Beetle which was pretty much the same car for its entire production history, the only thing the first and current generation Corollas have in common is four wheels and the name.
Topic?
@@rconger24He was basically saying.
Our generation of cars is nothing like how it was in the past.
These days year after year car makers make some type of upgrade (ha). The new Corolla is basically a brand new design. No duh right?
They aren't the same from the previous year.
Where something like a Model T was made year in and out with basically no changes. It was built in 1909 to 1927 I think. It did get colors eventually, and an electric starter in 1919. Outside a few changes it was basically the same vehicle.
The VW type 1 (aka the Beetle... Beatle? The Buggie.) sold more.
The original VW Beetle was produced forever across the world in its original specs forever. I don't know for how long. 1938 to until fairly recently as some poorer countries kept it in production or something.
Anyway that was what he was trying to say.
Back in the Early 60's I got my Father to buy a Used Sleek Citroen 4CV. An interesting aspect of the design was that In a Turning move, the hydraulic Suspension would lift up the outer side. Incredible Design.
Hope you do One on that Version ?
This was Well Done 👍 !
The seats in my Diane version came out real easy too and with no rear or passenger seat AND with the roof open you could move a hell of a load …handled well round corners once the body roll is learnt
2CV motor got nearly 100 miles per gallon! Would be acclaimed if released now especially as a range extender for EVs….pr as a motor generally.
Great Review!
Very interesting video. I was always interested in these cars, so iconic on French roads for decades. They served post-war France well, being just was required in those days.
Cheap, reliable, and homely as a mud fence 😂
One thing I do have to credit the French with... Good or bad, they were never afraid of taking an idea and tweaking it from the ground up.
Great video ! The flywheel was key to operations offroad. Had to spin it up and use all that stored torque with the clutch pedal as a secondary accelerator. Facing a very steep incline, you'd have to back-end so the front wheels receiving most of the vehicle weight would provide proper traction... err, propulsion. Never stuck with one of those, even without a winch.
Such a fun comfy ride. Complete death trap in any type of crash. Totally worth it.
Great video, keep it up!
Thanks!
Thank youuu
The beetle engine shown is a dog house variant where the flow over the oil cooler is routed outside the shroud and thus no retard on cyl. 3. Also the fan on the beetle is much more effective in a pressurized system , where the axial fan will experience compressor stall rather quickly.
Still... no doubt the # 3 cyl ran hotter.....the oil cooler was placed in the air shroud airstream with the discharge directed to #3. Hotrodders of the 50's and 60's often replace the cooler with a coiled-loop of copper external to the shroud right at the intake.....to get cooling and to distribute the shroud airflow more evenly to all 4 cylinders.
@@TheWilferch No the hot air exits out behind the engine under the car on the doghouse shroud, but going external oil cooler is still an option!
And those that mounted the oil cooler at the fan intake made a huge mistake, of course they didn't know at the time. Today we know it is the absolutely worst place you can put it. They would have been far better of not running the oil cooler at all.
Perfect comparison, I have owned many mid-60s beetles so your explanations and comparisons were perfectly understood. All these years later I understand so much better.
these videos are sooo cool! could you do the BMC A Series some time please? 2CV, Beetle and Morris minor were 3 of a kind in my mind!
Plus maybe the Fiat 500.
The BMC A series also had a diesel version. Thousands of those still in service, in small boats.
The 2CV was a very genius car with French understatement and smooth suspensions. Normally the 2CV had 28 HP which was enoug. The 9 HP version was only at the first beginning before WW2
I recall seeing many of the CV2 when I lived in Germany, my wife always commented on the "elbow coolers" the side windows folded down, and you would rest your elbow on the opening. I also remember seeing the odd one that would venture onto the Autobahn....risky business when struggling to reach 100 kph. We had to be careful when passing them at 200+ kph as the wind could upset the little car sending it out of control.
> We had to be careful when passing them at 200+ kph as the wind could upset the little car sending it out of control.
There are so many replies to this...
I had an Ami 8 in France. Wonderful car. Slow in the mountains, OK on the highway. incredible, and easy to fix when it went wrong would drive with a flat tire and all you would notice was a bit of a rumble and reduction in speed...no steering issues if it was on the front tire. Suspension was amazing and easy to fix when it went wrong...only happened once (car was 13 yrs old when I got it. Four people and all our camping gear for three months in Europe and averaged 55 mpg (around 5.2 l/100 km)...1971 tech. I wish they still made them just like they did then.
I drove a 2cv recently in Provence. It had adequate power for French back roads, and the quirky dashboard-mounted worked well. The main downer for me was the very heavy steering - getting it around a sharp turn at any speed required muscle. Guess I'm spoiled by power steering.
? the 2cv was very easy to drive even from a skinny woman, the steering was only heawy during slow speed manouvers ,never in normal driving...Not forgott that up to the 80' was power steering mostly optional in Europe even on large cars, as i was young, i had a 1976 Citroën CX 2000 without power steering, and i buy this used car by a slim woman who drove it during 5 years...
People get spoiled by power steering, but they also try to put in huge amounts of steering input at every low speeds. Just getting the car rolling and feeding the steering in more gradually gets it done without a load of effort. Once you have power steering, you never think about it again and just crank away on that wheel.
I will admit that parallel parking, my advice is of no use! But other than that, yes.
I had a 2 cv for about 5 years and it was not a good experience. In only 20.000 km following things broke down: Clutch, oilcooler,gearbox,wheelbearing and the carburettor. The gear ratios were not very appropiate, gear 4 was overdrive so up the hills and with heavy load or the wind against you ,one had to go down in gear 3 with a speed of 60. It was difficult to repair, the heat system was lousy and practically not existing and it was a bad starter in the cold winters. But one person could push/ run start it with emty battery.That was good!!
Tenho um fusca ano de fabricação 1964, está em perfeitas condições de uso.
Boa parte de seus itens são originais.
O fusca é um carro de verdade.
Hoje só fabricam carros de plástico, cheios de sensores para quebrar, são verdadeiras porcarias frágeis.
Excelente conteúdo!
Abraços do Brasil 🇧🇷
You don't travel in a 2CV. You pray for your life in a 2CV.