Citroen 2CV Price Guide

Is the Citroën 2CV is the most important car France ever produced? If not, it’s in the running for that claim.

A radical response to the brief that every French peasant farmer should be able to drive to market on unpaved roads in a car that was affordable to buy, cheap to run, and simple enough to maintain with no mechanical knowledge. Pierre Boulanger’s specification called for four wheels under an umbrella. Flaminio Bertoni’s body and André Lefèbvre’s engineering met that brief and created something transcendent.

The Generations

The 2CV ran from 1948 to 1990 across multiple evolutions. The Early cars of 1948–1959 used a 375cc engine and minimal specification. The 1960s generation grew to 425cc. The 1970s cars received the 602cc engine that transformed usability. The 1980s cars were the most refined. Throughout, the independent suspension with interconnected springs gave the 2CV a ride quality on rough surfaces that cars costing twenty times as much could not approach.

Buying

Rust is the 2CV’s defining structural concern as the thin-gauge steel corrodes thoroughly. Check the floor, sills, front and rear valances, and wheel arches. The engine and mechanical components are simple and cheap to repair. A structurally sound 2CV with surface rust is preferable to a polished example with structural rot. The Citroën Car Club, the 2CVGB Club, and an extensive specialist network provide excellent support.