RE: Chris Harris video: Citroen 2CV
Discussion
My first car was a 2CV, before graduating to (real) Minis.
They are the pure distilled essence of motoring.
For a fairly ordinary chap, I have been lucky enough to own some pretty interesting cars.
In order of my own motoring Nirvana they run as follows...
1. Tuned 1275GT Mini
2. Citroen 2CV
3. Caterham Seven
4. Alfa 156 2.5 V6 (because of that engine)
5. Airportable Series 3 Landie
6. Ferrari 328
7. Lotus Turbo Esprit
Pretty much confirms that the lowest common denominators of motoring are among the best.
I'm sure that I am not alone in finding modern cars desperately boring.
They are the pure distilled essence of motoring.
For a fairly ordinary chap, I have been lucky enough to own some pretty interesting cars.
In order of my own motoring Nirvana they run as follows...
1. Tuned 1275GT Mini
2. Citroen 2CV
3. Caterham Seven
4. Alfa 156 2.5 V6 (because of that engine)
5. Airportable Series 3 Landie
6. Ferrari 328
7. Lotus Turbo Esprit
Pretty much confirms that the lowest common denominators of motoring are among the best.
I'm sure that I am not alone in finding modern cars desperately boring.
Fantuzzi said:
DELETED: Comment made by a member who's account has been deleted.
YES! I Need to read the evo hatch hatch thing with the AX in. 722KG and 85hp = fun.Chris has a truly varied automotive diet!
I think Id still be a hooligan with underpowered cars and get an original Abarth 500, 19hp! In the end they had 38bhp from the 695 SS - Monster! Serious want for one of those. Scary levels of it.
Rear engine, Rwd 500kg car with 19 bhp and little tiny tires, PHs perfect car?
Awesome video Chris.
Will be interested to see what happens if this breaks, can Chris weird a Spanner or is his socket set intact, and very shiny....
Great video! There is something immensely charming about the Citroen 2CV in all its derivatives.
I like to think that true petrolheads "get" cars like the 2CV and understand that cars don't need to be fast, expensive or conventionally beautiful to be interesting.
Incidentally I think the 2CV name derived from the car's tax rating for the French equivalent of road tax. Hence there were 11CV and 15CV versions of the Traction Avant and Renault had the 4CV. I don't think it had anything to do with the actual power output.
I like to think that true petrolheads "get" cars like the 2CV and understand that cars don't need to be fast, expensive or conventionally beautiful to be interesting.
Incidentally I think the 2CV name derived from the car's tax rating for the French equivalent of road tax. Hence there were 11CV and 15CV versions of the Traction Avant and Renault had the 4CV. I don't think it had anything to do with the actual power output.
J4CKO said:
Fantuzzi said:
DELETED: Comment made by a member who's account has been deleted.
YES! I Need to read the evo hatch hatch thing with the AX in. 722KG and 85hp = fun.Chris has a truly varied automotive diet!
I think Id still be a hooligan with underpowered cars and get an original Abarth 500, 19hp! In the end they had 38bhp from the 695 SS - Monster! Serious want for one of those. Scary levels of it.
Rear engine, Rwd 500kg car with 19 bhp and little tiny tires, PHs perfect car?
Awesome video Chris.
Will be interested to see what happens if this breaks, can Chris weird a Spanner or is his socket set intact, and very shiny....
I'm guessing Abarth!
Nostradormouse said:
Everyone should drive one at least once (I haven't, yet!) - suspect it's a great way to learn how to really read the road and plan ahead...
My thoughts exactly and I've had one (often a lot more than one) ever since I passed my test back in the 80's. Current 2CV has been in the fleet since 1995, both MrsTheWife and I's 'other' cars have changed often but this has been a constant. (MoT tomorrow!)
Really good vid, how to enjoy yourself with no power, no frills - just reading the road and using every ounce of the meagre performance.
I had 2CV, but the posh 602cc version, with the mrs and 2 kids as the only car. Loaded for holidays it was quirky, slow and noisy but had a real fun element.
Much more recently I've been driving as Panda base model, almost as good.
I had 2CV, but the posh 602cc version, with the mrs and 2 kids as the only car. Loaded for holidays it was quirky, slow and noisy but had a real fun element.
Much more recently I've been driving as Panda base model, almost as good.
Superb video!
There's something massively infectious about someone really enjoying something. Much moreso than the pooowwweeeerrrr videos with smoking tyres for some reason.
Logically, I want all the supercars but that seems more like a doorway into a lifestyle somehow. Imagine pottering about rural France in that, clad in your polo neck and leather gloves, smoking a Gitanes. You'd stop off at the boulangerie and nip upstairs to give his stunning daughter a quick seeing to before trundling down to the quay and casting off your wooden yacht. Tremendous way to spend a Sunday!
There's something massively infectious about someone really enjoying something. Much moreso than the pooowwweeeerrrr videos with smoking tyres for some reason.
Logically, I want all the supercars but that seems more like a doorway into a lifestyle somehow. Imagine pottering about rural France in that, clad in your polo neck and leather gloves, smoking a Gitanes. You'd stop off at the boulangerie and nip upstairs to give his stunning daughter a quick seeing to before trundling down to the quay and casting off your wooden yacht. Tremendous way to spend a Sunday!
I once borrowed my mothers bright orange 2CV complete with compulsory "nuclear non merci" sticker on the boot. As I barrelled along a flowing but challenging A road I came to an unexpectedly tightening left hander. At approx. 65mph the little car leaned and leaned a bit more the wheels were still on the left hand side of the road but the roof was definitely on the other side of the double white line. As I wrestled with the wee beastie a Police Granada came the other way and nearly took the roof of the 2CV clean off. As the road straightened I could see in my mirror the plodmobile performing a U turn to come after me. Woe is me even the later 600cc Citroen is done for against a 2.8 Granada. But then as I entered the next bend there was an open farmers gate so I checked out the legendary crosscountry ability of the deux chevaux. The Granada roared past in hot pursuit and 30 years on I laugh at how those two enforcers of the law must have been stunned by their inability to catch a 2CV probably thought Hannu Mikkola was at the wheel.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff