The Citroën 2CV is unquestionably one of the most important European cars of all time. It helped put the French working class on wheels, especially important after the ravages of World War II and offered basic transportation, a boon to the French economy both from a transportation and a manufacturing standpoint. There are a number of ‘urban myths’ concerning head of Citroën, Pierre-Jules Boulanger’s 1930’s vision for the future but, essentially, his car had to be able to ‘transport four peasants with 100kg of farm produce to market at 37mph, in clogs, and across muddy unpaved roads if necessary. The roof had to be high enough, enabling driver and passengers to ride whilst wearing their Sunday hats to church, the car’s fuel consumption would average 90-95mpg, it should be able to drive across a ploughed field without breaking the eggs it was carrying and, above all, it had to stay within the two horsepower fiscal bracket to remain affordable. Disparagingly dubbed ‘Tin Snail’ in the US and fondly known as La Deuche in France, the 2CV is one of the country’s most recognisable icons.

This 2CV is one of a limited run of ‘Charleston’ models, with an eye catching Hélios yellow and black exterior and a yellow and black diamond stitched interior. The car is in very smart condition overall, with a re-trimmed interior and a galvanized chassis also fitted. The history file contains bills for many parts over the years and the car has clearly always been well cared for. It’s hard not to love a Citroen 2CV and this example is now old enough to be tax and MoT exempt, which of course also makes it ULEZ free, an ideal city car then! This 2CV will need to be declared as a historic vehicle when the new logbook is applied for in order to grant it access to ULEZ zones and be tax and MoT exempt. Supplied to auction with a V5C registration document an MoT test certificate valid until May 2025. Consigned by Fraser Smith