The classic Citroën 2CV prototype of his TPV, kept hidden in a loft at La Ferté-Vidame, and summoned Flaminio Bertoni, the man who later designed another legendary Citroën, the DS, to work on it. Three years later, the TPV, now called 2CV, was presented at the 35th Salon de l’Automobile in Paris. Critics were initially scornful, dubbing the canvasroofed car with a 60km/h speed limit ‘the snail on wheels’ and asking ‘if it came with a can opener’. Country dwellers were quick to see the vehicle’s potential, however, and before the first 2CV had rolled off the production line there was already a six-year waiting list. By 1953, the Levallois factory was turning out 1,500 2CVs a week and DID YOU KNOW? In March, retired carpenter Michel Robillard, who lives near Loches in Indre-et-Loire, completed the construction of a working 2CV built from wood, complete with engine. production continued to soar through the decade. More than just a car, the 2CV was seen as a lifestyle; a philosophy; a façon d’être. ‘No wind-up windows, no retractable headlights, no cigar lighter, no fan belt – no wonder it’s so reliable, there’s nothing that can go wrong,’ read one publicity slogan. During the 1970s oil crisis the car’s economic consumption gave it cult status and in 1981 it even starred in a James Bond film, For Your Eyes Only. Rising costs were making Boulanger’s baby less and less economical to produce, however, and <strong>France</strong>’s most famous car slowly dwindled from sight. The Levallois factory closed in 1988 and Citroën moved its plant to Portugal, but it was only short reprieve. In 1991, the last 2CV left the production line. The advent of MOTs and cheap car loans seemed to have sounded the car’s final death knell. Since the start of a new millennium, however, the 2CV has come back into fashion and there have even been rumours that Citroën plans to build a revamped model. In a world where the use of energy is an increasing problem, there will always be room for <strong>France</strong>’s favourite motoring icon. VISIT A 2CV MUSEUM ● From classic vehicles to souped-up models, you will find dozens of Citroën 2CVs at Le Musée de la 2CV near Sarrebourg in the Moselle département (musee2cv.free.fr). www.completefrance.com FRANCE MAGAZINE 89
GOOD GUY Former Matrix villain LAMBERT WILSON tells Pierre de Villiers about the challenges of playing his childhood hero, underwater explorer Jacques Cousteau 90 FRANCE MAGAZINE www.completefrance.com
Change language