The Diecast Club, the appointment for fans of 2CV in small scale!
NEW! RESERVE NOW BY EMAIL - DELIVERY AS OF SEPTEMBER 2016
- 1:8 scale
- IXO quality
- Color: white Meije
- Engine and mechanical components faithfully reproduced
- The scale model consists of 800 pieces and is already assembled
- Length: 40 cm
- Original small scale replica!
Our “Deux-Chevaux”: The Greatest of Small Cars
When Citroën unveiled its “2CV 6” model at the Paris Salon in 1948, the phonetic reading “Deux-Chevaux” (“Two Horses”) immediately caught on in France as the nickname for the smallest and most affordable car in Citroën’s range.
Contrary to common belief, “2CV” doesn’t refer directly to the engine’s capacity in horsepower terms (CV stands for “Cheval-Vapeur” in French, literally “Steam-Horse Power”), but is a number used to calculate road tax in France. The Citroën Traction Avant, for example, a model known as the gangsters’ favourite car, carried a number between 7CV and 15CV, depending on the size of the motor.
From the very start, the tiny 2CV 6 was intended as a car for the masses. Prototypes were still referred to as “TPV”, short for “Toute Petite Voiture”. Citroën’s director, Pierre-Jules Boulanger, detailed his requirements for the “Very Small Car” to his design team in these terms: “Design a car that can accommodate two farmers in boots and a hundred pounds of potatoes or a wine barrel, reach a speed of at least 60 km/h, and consume only three litres of petrol per 100 km. It should also be capable of driving on the roughest roads and so easy to use that even the most inexperienced lady driver can handle it. It needs excellent suspension, so that a basket of eggs can be carried over bumpy fields without breaking. Finally, the new car must be significantly cheaper than our Traction Avant. Its appearance, on the other hand, doesn’t matter.”
The resulting 2CV 6 certainly fulfilled its role as the farmer’s helper. More importantly, however, it was a truly iconic car, with millions of units sold. One of the main factors of its success was its affordability. The luxury export model with rear side-windows sold in Germany for 3,600 marks in 1963, the equivalent of seven months’ wages for a skilled worker. The 2CV 6 was also easy to maintain and cost little in road tax, thanks to its low-horsepower engine.
The 2CV 6 became the vehicle of choice for drivers who wanted a car that wasn’t a status symbol but made a clear statement nonetheless: the 2CV 6 expressed a non-conformist, unconventional lifestyle. For students and bohemians especially, the Citroën 2CV 6 symbolized “total freedom on four wheels”.
Technically speaking, the 2CV 6 was a model of reliability, thanks to its robust flat-twin engine and famous upward-curved gearstick, often likened to the handle of a revolver or cane. Other notable features include its soft, sedan-like suspension and canvas sunroof, which could be rolled back in seconds, transforming the humble workhorse into a dashing convertible. The only real concern for most owners was rust damage, which explains why, despite a total of 5,114,966 units produced, mint-condition 2CV 6’s are a rarity today, and often sell for considerably more than their original purchase price.
As expected for a car with such a long production history (from 1948 to 1990), many technical innovations were made to the 2CV 6. Citroën also brought out special models, such as the two-tone “Charleston”. The car’s original 9 hp motor allowed it to reach a maximum speed of 65 km/h. Its power was later increased to 14 hp, then 16 hp, and finally 29 hp for the 2CV 6 Club “luxury model”, which could zip along at 110 km/h.
Though Citroën created competition for the 2CV 6 when it started manufacturing the “Dyane”, the iconic car nevertheless remained in production until 1990. From 1986, the AX officially became the carmaker’s basic model. In the meantime, Citroën was incorporated into the PSA group. But the iconic 2CV 6 remained as popular as ever: it was even voted “car of the century” in France in 2002.
Technical specifications
- 2 CV 6 Club
- Motor: air-cooled, four-stroke, flat-twin engine in front lengthwise;
- Engine capacit:y 602 cc, 29–5,750 hp/min; maximum torque 39–3,750Nm/min
- Transmission: front-wheel drive; four-speed gearbox, upward-curved gearstick
- Size and weight: Length/ width/ height: 3,830/ 1,480/ 1,600 mm; wheelbase: 2,400 mm;
- Kerb weight: 600 kg; tank size: 25 litres; maximum load: 330 kg
- Maximum speed: 110 km/h
- Fuel consumption: approx. 6.5 litres regular/100 km