Days gone by
I have a special place for the old 2CV( deux chevaux). We travelled from Luxembourg to Brussels on our way to Australia with two adults, two kids and I believe four suitcases without a glitch or hiccup. Our journey with the old "umbrella on wheels"stopped at Brussels but for fun and excitement little comes near to beating the experience.It was a challenge at first getting used to the dashboard mounted gear lever but once one got the hang of it it was fun and a great sense of accomplishment for some reason.
The old 2CV was manufactured from 1948 until 1989 and over 3.8 million of these little icons were produced. Production did continue in Portugal from 1989 - 1990.
Cheap, simple to maintain with low fuel consumption the car was to some extent ahead of its ti,me in an era when cars were expensive and restricted to the fortunate few. It had an extremely long travel suspension offering light off-road capabilities, high ground clearance and height adjustability. Together with the Model T Ford and the 1960 Mini it is an icon for motorheads.
The newer Citroens unfortunately have a hard time keeping up their reputation being expensive to service and often dogged by design and mechanical problems. Perhaps I had bought a Friday or Monday Xsara but it came nowhere near the performance and sheer enjoyment of the old Canard.
