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Citroen 2cv pages

citrobe.org

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Re: Citroen 2cv pages

#31

Post by janlukacs »

How I miss the "old" internet. These fan made websites used to show up in google serps ages ago. I've never ran into these personal websites in the past 3+ years, no matter how deep I search.

Re: Citroen 2cv pages

#32

Post by olivermarks »

My Francophile artist dad, who was a terrible driver, had a sky blue deux chevaux. He used to drop me off at school sometimes in the morning (UK midlands).

For urban driving he typically drove in 2nd or 3rd gear at around 23 mph which was very slow in a straight line and terrifying around corners and roundabouts. I used to see ashen faced drivers out of the passenger window trying to understand why his engine was screaming and the car was lurching at such an extreme angle around the roundabout lanes. He would typically have a car full of stuff which would be rolling around on the floor and it wasn't unusual be hit on the head with an easel or painting under extreme braking evasions. Great cars, spent a lot of time in 2CVs in France too, such character...

Re: Citroen 2cv pages

#33

Post by Svip »

jacquesm wrote: post #26
Svip wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've been a big fan of Citroëns for a long time, but I cannot quite get the 2CV. I get it's cute, but I think the Dyane is actually cuter. I can see how it lives up to André Citroën's 1930s vision, but what has always truly captured me is the engineering in the hydropneumatic suspension. Fortunately, my first car was (and is) a Citroën DS 23. I have not tried Citroën's new suspension (seems to be limited so far to th…

The 2CV makes perfect sense if you look at why it was designed: 'an umbrella with wheels'. The Dyane is much better as a car but it was also a bit more expensive and people really loved the 2CV for its lines and thought the Dyane to be too blockish. My second car was a DS (a DS 21 to be precise), I loved it and ended up touring the former east bloc with it (and ended up living in Poland because of it).

Was your DS 21 pre- or post-1968? Basically, did it have the red or the green fluid? I once drove mine from Denmark to Provence and back again, it was an experience, and not without problems (it started to leak around Paris). I am not sure I would make that big of a trip in it again (although, some part of me hopes I will). Since those days, I've mostly made the big trips in my '98 Xantia.

Re: Citroen 2cv pages

#34

Post by adhesive_wombat »

Not car-specific but I do miss the days of huge paper catalogues. The multi-volume RS ones were great, but the real joy was something arcane like an optics, RF or connector company.

I was convinced to throw away my relatively small and likely valueless but prized collection to well-intentioned "decluttering" when I moved to my own house. The thing is, they actually did spark joy, as Marie Kondo would say.

Also data books. Sure, electronic formats are objectively better in nearly every sense from weight, dead tree count and Ctrl-F-ability, but nothing says you know what you're about better than a well-thumbed Philips data book.

Re: Citroen 2cv pages

#37

Post by shrx »

jansan wrote: post #16

Did the 2CV have a nickname in other countries? Here in Germany it was called "the duck" ("die Ente"). Oooh, that suspension, great memories :)

In Slovenia it's called "spaček" - a diminutive masculine form of "spaka", i.e. "monstrosity".

Re: Citroen 2cv pages

#39

Post by iancmceachern »

amelius wrote: post #38

They should really make a modern retro version of the 2CV, like they did with the MINI and VW Beatle. It's such an iconic car.

Totally, it was so clever and revolutionary in many ways. I put it on the same pedestal as you say with the Mini and Beetle.
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