2 CV Prototypes
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Whereas
most of Citroën's prototypes have been shrouded in mystery, the company
has been fairly open about the 2 CV prototypes. For those unfamiliar with
the story of the 2CV's development, read on.
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The
rest of you can skip this bit. In the run up to WW2, a number of prototypes
were built and apparently all but two were destroyed when the Nazis invaded
France. The survivors are the car that has been displayed over the years
plus a vehicle that was converted into a pick up to hide its identity from
the Germans. The basic architecture of the TPV (Toute Petite Voiture or
small car) was determined quite early - flat twin engine, interconnected
suspension - 4 roues sous une parapluie (four wheels under an umbrella)
and while the surviving cars share no parts in common with the vehicle
that went into production, the basic silhouette already existed, together
with the use of corrugated metal to achieve the necessary rigidity for
very lightweight body panels.
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and air cooling for the engine were both investigated. |
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The
prototypes made widespread use of duralinox - a lightweight aluminium alloy
but more conventional materials were employed in the production vehicles.
Three additional cars were found in a barn at the Bureau d'Etudes in 1995 and unlike the car above which has been fully restored, these are exactly as they were found.
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Despite
a prohibition on any photographs of the TPV, this photo was taken at the
Bureau d'Etudes in Ferté-Vidame during road tests in 1939.
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By
1942, the TPV was beginning to look much more like the car that was revealed
in 1948 although only a single headlamp was fitted.
Mechanically too, it was far closer than the 1939 models - the over-complicated torsion bar springing had been replaced by the familiar inter-connected longitudinal coil springs of the production vehicles. transmission was only three speed and the engine was a 700 cm3 flat twin.
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© 1996 Julian Marsh
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