60th birthday for the 'Deux-Chevaux'

This year, Citroen celebrates 60 years since the commencement of 2CV production.

Volkswagen is commonly credited with developing a car for the masses -- the people's car, from which the company derives its name.

But the late 1930s was a period when many European manufacturers were committed to developing the erstwhile paradigm for the Tata Nano. Citroen's contribution was the 2CV.

With the invasion of France by the Germans in 1940, the original prototypes for the 2CV were rapidly hidden -- curiously perhaps, given Volkswagen was further advanced with the Volkswagen than Citroen was with the 2CV. The French car didn't go into production until three years after the war ended, two years after Volkswagen production recommenced in war-ravaged Germany.

Production was delayed by post-war shortages, bureaucracy and obsolete equipment. After the production car arrived on the scene, the order bank quickly grew to five years.

In its original concept, the 2CV was designed to carry a basket of eggs across a ploughed field without creating the makings for a giant omelet. Secondary to this important criterion came a top speed of 50km/h, fuel consumption of 5.0L/100km and low production and running costs. To achieve these measures, the 2CV -- named for its taxable power rating: two-horsepower, or deux-chevaux in French -- was powered by a flat-twin engine displacing 375cm3 and developing 8bhp. Drive ran to the front wheels via a three-speed manual transmission.

Nicknamed the 'tin snail', the 2CV's style has been recaptured in the look of the current C3 model and caricatured in Nissan's S-Cargo from the 1990s.

More recently, the 2CV also provided the inspiration for Citroen's C-Cactus concept car, unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show last year.

The company will base the anniversary celebrations around a display at the Paris Museum of Science and Industry, focusing particularly on the 2CV's innovative design.

Another exhibition honoring the 2CV will be open from 15 April to 30 November 2008 at the Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie.

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