Thursday 17th April 2014

Chris Harris video: Citroen 2CV

UPDATED: Harris introduces his video on his latest acquisition

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Late with the words, sorry! I am already in great peril of being a 2CV bore, but the more time I spend around this car, the more I like it. And the more I read about the way it was created the greater an achievement it seems. Why can't today's small cars match the 2CV's truly ingenious understanding of how people of a certain period in time actually live with a machine the way this car did?

I was a little unsure of the 425cc motor before I'd taken it for a decent drive, thinking it might be sensible to throw a larger 602cc lump at it instead, but the amount of performance is just about right. The gearbox is a little crashy into second and I might play with a few mechanical bits, but the exterior will remain unchanged.

Further written reports to follow soon.

I quite like this car.

Enjoy the vid.

 

 

 

 

[Gandahar]

Very good work by the cameraman there.

He's a bit undersung I feel always but here, without the horsepower smoke bangs and whistles, he really shone through.

That is a fantastic car Chris, never sell it.

[Balmoral]

[moskvich427]

One of the best vids yet... which is high praise coming from a Renault 4 man

[Vaud]

A good example of it's "how you drive it" not "what you drive". Not a big fan of the videos but I did like that one. I've always thought about having a bright yellow one for shopping runs.

[anonymous-user]

I learn to drive in a 2cv, although it was the "sports" version with the "big" engine (602cc) and would do 70mph with enough of a run up......

(i still remember the gear box well, with such a nice sweet 2-3 shift just rapidly but not forcefully teasing the lever straight back out of the dash ;-)

[PetrolTed]

What a great video.

I was cynical about these (and VW Campers) until I drove them.

My lasting memory is racing a 2CV in the dark in pouring rain and it drifting scarily as I was passed on both sides by more skilled drivers. Slow cars are fun!

[W124]

Great work. The sweet spot is somewhere in the middle though. Something that has the vintage feel, and requires compromise and skill to pilot, yet will still (just) keep up with modern traffic, won't kill you, and can be driven to Moscow. Like a diesel W123.

That said, I have driven a 2CV, and it remains a high point. The gearchange was beyond me and it was a 602cc car, but it was a really memorable drive.

[hdrflow]

Top

[Vaud]

W124 said:

That said, I have driven a 2CV, and it remains a high point. The gearchange was beyond me and it was a 602cc car, but it was a really memorable drive.

Try a Renault 6. Makes a 2CV feel like a sharp gear change...

[Robert Elise]

a good few years ago, Car included it in their list of 25 cars you must drive before you die.
Quite right. i fancy another one, but i've gone soft and would have a 602cc.

[ukmike2000]

The very first car I owned was a Renault 4 ....and the 3rd........ the 5th was a Citroen 2CV.

I loved them all - charming, economical, utility cars with a certain French character and comfortable suspension from the days of pre-Germanic sports springing.

With the 2CV I mastered clutchless gearchanges both up and down the box, and you very soon perfect the twin arts of maintaining momentum and gently easing into and out of corners, instead of "yank and go". Not only was the car great fun, it also helps you to perfect your driving. The 2CV is also legendary in the snow, and never failed to get through the drifts.
Anything you add to a 2CV takes something away from its mechanical purity and simplicity. Which is probably why the Dyane and Ami were never as popular.

There should always be a place for cars like this - basic but charming. I think the nearest thing to a Renault 4 is probably the previous model FIAT Panda. The 2CV holds a special place in motoring history - it is unique.

[Quhet]

One of the most enjoyable vids of Chris's I've seen, great stuff

[MonteV]

Thank you for this piece, Chris Harris. I grew up in one, a baby blue, later model, around 1962 model or so. We were overtaken by lorries on the motorway and I remember learning about the effect of vacuum, being sucked along into the slipstream to achieve greater speeds up to 65 mph. Your piece reminds me of the importance of making the product fit for purpose to achieve greatness as well as conceptual clarity, and that Citroën embraced versatility in its vehicles, the last one of which was the Pluriel. I find that Citroën of today to be surface all the way, which, incidentally they've lost.

Edited by MonteV on Wednesday 16th April 21:02

[DonkeyApple]

One of the great cars. Definitely in my top ten.

Like the mini or a Landy, it's one of those cars that just one drive will be a huge addition to your driving history.

[dandare]

Good video. Nice to see Chris enthusing about a slow car. I totally understand that style of driving, making the most of what you've got, and planning your corners and gearchanges. It's like racing a fast car, but you get more time to think.
It would be fun (for a while at least) if all cars on the road were 2CVs.
I do love that 2CV. It looks so good in its unrestored condition. The interior is pure spartan cool.

[Krikkit]

What a bewitching machine! I've always been fond of 2CV's, but that is a really characterful thing.

[AnotherClarkey]

Great stuff, I have always been a 2CV fan - but for me nirvana would be a SAAB 93....

[bangerturner]

Would love a ripple bonnet but here's my tatty but useable one:

[unpc]

This has got to his best work yet. Thoroughly enjoyed that. I'd like to see him do more old stuff.

[loudlashadjuster]

Great stuff. Genuine love of cars shining though there.

Where was the voice-over recorded though? Under the bonnet?