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'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!

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.

Fantastically balanced. It’s the only engine I’ve driven continuously at max rpm for several hours on the Autobahn. Without damage.

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😄.

"That thing gotta a HEMI?"

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!

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

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!

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 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.

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...

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

I have restored beetles and recently restored a 2CV they are completely different. But both have simple engineering that makes them endearing and fun.

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 far, i've never seen someone go into so much details, explaining things in a clear manner. This channel has a great future !

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.

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".

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 🤭”

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.

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!

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 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

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 ;- )

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'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 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.

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!

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.

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.

I love that little citroen

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

Many wonderful memories from my 2CV days. Simple to work on and joyful to drive.

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.

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. 👍

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....

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.

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...

I saw so many of these little vehicles while I was stationed in Germany, a very interesting automobile. Thanks for sharing this information. 😊

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

It was my first car: a 2CV model 1956 that I bought second-hand in 1974. You could easily fix everything. So many good memories associated with this car.... 😎 ** C'était ma première voiture : une 2CV modèle 1956 que j'ai achetée d'occasion en 1974. Tu pouvais sans problèmes tout réparer. Que de bons souvenirs liés à cette voiture... 😎

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 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.

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.

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 😂

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!

Thanks for depicting parts operating in the correct direction (blower, gear pump,...). One of my peeves about this type of videos is how often stuff moves incorrectly (backwards).

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

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

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.

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.

The threads for the spark plugs in the cylinder heads where badly constructed, they very often broke and with a huge bang, the spark plug was shot out. I had this and there where ready made kits to repair this, when it happened because it was so frequent. In the first stage, there was a bigger thread cut into the hole and a spiral like thing was put in to hold the spark. When this was also blown out, what often happened, the hole was bored out even bigger and a repair kit was glued in. This was good enough to fix it permanently most times.

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!

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.

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.

Best Chanel for explaining engine pros and cons. Excellent work sir!

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.

Great video, keep it up!

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 owned a 425cc 2CV and two 605(?)cc Dyanes. Great little cars. The 2CV once got me home (along with another adult, two children and a large dog) on one cylinder, having blown out a spark plug following poor workshop maintenance!

I can only wish that I had a chance to drive a 2CV, or even a Dyane or Ami. I was actually happy to see one in my hometown in the American midwest. They are extremely brilliant cars that rose from being practical transportation to becoming iconic. They also have room for taller drivers. The Oliver Pickard on KZfaq is 6ft 6in and is comfortable driving his 2CV. Hmmm...that actually gives the Citroen 1 up on the BMC Mini.

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.

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.

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 !

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.

I had one, but it was the late version of the 90ies with 23hp. The open roof was great in summer. We squeezed the whole physics class inside, consisting of 12 people in total, mostly standing upright. I took a sharp curve, and we´ve been on two wheels for a second - no problem at all. However, I wouldn´t like to have a crash in that tin can.

In the late 70s I owned a 485 ccm 2CV, I wish I still had it today, was one of the best daily cars ever, not for going fast, but to get anywhere you wanted to go, in rain, sun or snow. I never did put winter tyres on it either, the summer tyres worked just fine in the winters then. Today, we hardly have any snow anymore. Yes, one of my favorite cars, and going down curvy roads, it was hard for others to keep up with me, it was a blast! Cheers 👍💪✌

Such a fun comfy ride. Complete death trap in any type of crash. Totally worth it.

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.

With pistons and con-rods being evenly balanced, I have often wondered why such heavy crank-counter balance weights were needed. Bearing in mìnd the weight of the flywheel keeping control. Once, I had to have it, a Volkswagen van with the most startling clanking noise you ever heard !. I clawed the engine apart, and the noise was coming from the crank-shaft, broken in half at an angle down the center main- bearing oil drilling, as it fired, the other half followed and made the banging noise.! I put it down to the owner labouring the engine in the wrong gear, over time........

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.

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.

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 🇧🇷

In France they taxed heavily cars over a certain cc, not HP. Most cars use only a fraction of the HP available most of the time. There is lots of HP available that is not being used. To access all this power you need to highly rev the engine. High revving engines vibrate producing lots of noise. Constantly highly revving an average engine will cause early failure. So the French designed smaller engines to rev highly to access all the HP available without any mechanical problems. That is why 2CVs and Panhards (see Jay Leno on his Panhard) could move well enough in road speed terms and acceleration, but you needed to rev them hard. So, you are using most of the power available in the engine, most of the time, making them more efficient in many ways, which is not the case with most engines. All because of the French taxation system.

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.

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.

The 2cv had inboard hydraulic front discs from the outset which was pretty amazing. Front discs didn't become standard across the Mini range til 1981.

I love the way your 3D Footage is used for explanation of all functions. In all honesty, I Think it would have been better to compare it to its true rival, the Renault 4. I've driven both as they were very common on European roads for decades and really cheap to buy, until later in the nineties they gained cult appeal and at the same time declined in numbers, as they were, although cheap to fix, not really durable.

7:45 The Beetle is the actual record holder of units produced followed by the T. Both cars were actually in production all those years virtually unchanged other than year to year evolution changes. The other cars like the Corolla, Golf, F series, etc. are just badge names on wholly different vehicles.

my brother and I owned a 2CV back in 1998, the 50th anniversary of the vehicle I found out, many years later. It was two tone grey, and amazing fun to drive.

I had a German made Isar between 1969-1973 and its engine was almost identical to the 2CV. It had a 700 cc 30 hp boxer with practically identical technical structures. Even the sound of it was the same.

2Cv sucks

They Really should bring this model back especially the two engined version!!! 🤠👍

My father had 2, for little trips in the valley and go to work, I learnt to drive on the last he had, in the 80s. Zero comfort but so funny to drive and you could go up in the mountain to places only big trucks and tractors would go (so you had less to walk to get to the top). Legendary car, I wish it would still exist.

One of my aunts and uncles had one but I've never enjoyed a ride in it as far as I can remember. Love the way it sounds (that's true for the original Beetle as well) and seems to be alive when it 'gallops'.

Had a 2cv. In red, and the Dyan model back in the 1980s. Travel all over the UK in them. Fantastic simple cars with a lovely soft ride, and loved the dash handle gear stick. Wish I still had the 2cv..as now they are very collectable in 2023.

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.

I owned a 2CV many years ago. Sorry to correct you, but the wiper was later (603ccm engine) driven by an electrical motor... I loved this car as it was my first one ever. Had a lot of fun but also some problems like clutch-wear, starter-motor quits its job and a blown out spark-plug ending on a trailer of a automotive-service vehicle to be towed to the garage. After a helicoil insert all was fine again... thanks for that great video !!