Taking a Citroen 2CV Through an Off-Road Test Course - This Thing is a BEAST!

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In this video we take a Citroen 2CV through an off-road test course and it performs surprisingly awesome!
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#citroen #Off-Road

[@lise1255]

A tip from France: just go through everything with full power. Don't drive it so damn carefully like a modern SUV. It's meant to fly.

[@LordInter]

yeah, no wonder he got stuck going up the hill

[@tenalafel]

I concur. Put that pedal on the floor, you will not go fast enough to be at any risk.... It's almost impossible to roll a Deudeuche in normal conditions. [ even a 2CV6 Charleston from the video which is the end of production model and way more powerful than the original 2 Chevaux ] ( normal conditions being defined by the car requirement : 2 Adults in front a basket of eggs in the back seat, a freshly powed field to cross without breaking any egg )

[@Luis-cr1tw]

American guys are always afraid of the police and getting tickects😁

[@lise1255]

@@johnjohn5315 I never forget my terrifying first time in a 2cv. I was a passenger and the driver never lifted the gaspedal through corners. I have never in my life been more scared in a car. Naturally the driver thought it was great fun . And for some strange reason it never tipped over. I became curious and eventually a fan myself even though I had always driven cx (still does). The simplicity and efficiency of the spring construction, deserves a revival and a modern take on it, in a modern car with an existing crash protection . The lack of crash protection has always been my main concern. When watching the swedish "moose" test, where Citroën Xantia still holds the record, modern cars could certainly benefit from the suspension of a Citroën

[@charlipetersen819]

​@@lise1255 😂 I actually thought that Saab owned the moose test, do you have any links to the test results?

[@Dr.K.Wette_BE]

There has been a limited edition, called "Sahara" with a second motor in the back. So there was a four wheel drive off-road 2CV. 😁

[@kimjensen2743]

Yes and several companies did single engined 4x4 versions too

[@LieuNoir]

yes, unfortunately the "Sahara" variant is rare and really expensive 😥

[@The1trueDave]

I think they made a 'Mehari' as well, with an open off-road-style body. I'm guessing that was just a single engine 2WD job though..?

[@HadmundBala]

​@@The1trueDave The Mehari actually does have a single engine 4x4 version with a completely different chassis. It has the standard 4 gears of a normal 2cv/mehari but with high low gearing as well. If I'm not mistaken the high low even has 3 levels.

[@idrisddraig2]

@@The1trueDave Also available in 4x4

[@RichieRouge206]

Honestly the 2CV is one of the greatest cars ever. It’s simplicity is an engineering forte. No tech, just clever engineering that was designed to a cost so much lower than the budgets new cars have. Yet not one of the new cars will survive over 10 years without a major and very expensive failure which will most likely render it scrapped. Great video

[@dkdanis1340]

Try going 1000 miles on hot desert day with temps over 100F in tiny air cooled carburated 2cv. Modern cars don't even feel those conditions. Modern cars already survived more than this 2cv ever would. They are used everyday. I highly doubt that avg french family drove that much. 10 year is nothing for modern car. I like the 2cv it's a great car but everything has its place.

[@benholroyd5221]

@@dkdanis1340 well the French army operated them in Algeria, and the UK marines operated them in Malaya so they can't be that bad in hot weather. You are right though, a modern car will be more reliable, the difference is though, when this breaks it can be fixed by a farmer with some bailing twine. A modern car not so much.

[@agusw4720]

@DK Danis Here in Argenina, the 2CV was a very popular car, and nowadays, a lot of them are still working, and they went through every condition possible, since the high temperatures of the north to the low temperatures and all the salt of the south! Ofc it will be heavily affected with the climate, but it will survive

[@jorishenger1240]

Completely true, im building my own at the moment and the only electronics its got are the lights and the fuel gauge

[@MrMarinus18]

I also think it just looks really nice with how rounded it is. It looks cute and appealing which is a sharp contrast from all the hostile and aggressive designs you see these days. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the designers were inspired by children's cartoons cause the 2CV actually follows a lot of the principles they use to create appeal. In the 1960's-70's in Europe you say 2CV's in children's shows all the time and you can see why. The 2CV with the shape of it's hood, headlights and grill already looks like a face and it's rounded shape makes you almost want to pet it. It's why I would like to see the EU make a new people's car to get electric cars to the masses and I hope they try to design it a little bit like the 2CV. I do think the antagonistic appearance of modern cars has contributed to the low trust society we live in today. I think a low trust society is a result of many, many factors and the appearance of buildings and vehicles is one of them. I think filling the streets of Europe would rounded friendly looking vehicles would help reduce the antagonism in today's society.

[@julianwinn4502]

Probably already mentioned but don't forget to take off your Winter Grill when its over 15C (59F) as you don't want to overheat the engine. It just unclips from the main grill.

[@jmi5969]

Only at this point I realized it's not rear-engined like the VW

[@vanlampham2557]

Yup

[@dflack]

@@jmi5969 it’s the car Hitler wanted copying when Andre Citroen destroyed the prototypes to stop him getting them- that’s how the Beatle was born!

[@DominiqueB]

@@dflack prototypes were not destroyed, but hidden in various inconspicuous locations, barns, loft of factory.

[@hackdaniels7253]

@@dflack the Beetle was developed a few years before the war.

[@multislipful]

Great little cars. They were actually designed in the 1930s before the Second World War. Several prototypes were hidden from the enemy during wartime in such places as within the roof structures of country houses and barns. Apparently, the design brief was to build a car that a driver wearing a top hat, could drive across a ploughed field without breaking any of the basketful of eggs being carried on the back seat. You just discovered that they were right! Thanks for your great review. I had a derivative some years back and I was sure that it could get pretty well anywhere and everywhere! Eventually!

[@koomky]

From France...you are right!

[@frankjoziasse7914]

My parents had one of these in the late fifties and went to Italy on vacation in it. The trick to tackling steep slopes is to reverse up them. Slightly lower gearing + more grip from the now rear wheels and Bob's your uncle! No problem!

[@2adamast]

For the Renault 4 the passenger could sit on the bonnet for traction

[@althejazzman]

Haha makes so much sense.

[@marwerno]

Standard trick in Germany on snowy uphill on old cars with front wheel drive :-)

[@yannickdescombes5611]

Your one is a "Helios yellow" and black Charleston 2cv6 series, very rare, only built in 1983 (if genuine of course). An other thing, put the plastic piece off the nose of the car, as soon as external temperature raises 15° Celsius in order to avoid overheating of the engine. Take care of it, it's sincerely a great car. I personly own a 2cv6 Special, 1988, "Bleu Céleste", such a good old car.

[@bartboosman953]

I used to do trials for landrovers etc in my 2CV and it did fine. You can easily set ground clearance a little higher and with snow chains mounted it would go almost anywhere. Because of its light weight and extremely soft suspension it would tackle mud where a typical landrover would sink in up to the windows and I would just drive circles around them. Oh glorious 2CV!

[@slothzombi307]

Kind of like the Model T with its skinny tall tires could navigate ruts and muck quite well.

[@HadmundBala]

The suspension has a very simple height adjustment that can be tuned without changing any parts. It doesn't change the stiffness of the ride either. I believe you can get them up to 30cm or 12 inches of ground clearance.

[@wefalck]

Had one, when I was a geology student in later 70s/early 80s. It never let me down in the field. Did most of the Alpine passes with it, including the 2850 m Col de la Bonnet in France (1st gear …). Went to ski resorts without winter tires - not a big deal with two guys and skiing gear. Probably the most comfortable seats of any car I had.

[@MultiPurposeReviewer]

The creaking brakes were tripping me out. Multiple times, I thought it was my chair making those sounds.

[@yissibiiyte]

I had headphones on and those noises sounded like they were coming from outside

[@mcnuggetapple]

Forreal, it was the loudest most clear sound I’ve ever heard through my headphones

[@Silverback_GMT410]

I read your comment then I saw the video and they still got me. Thought it was a car outside😅

[@zhgt8853]

SAME

[@PedroConejo1939]

Noisy brakes was a standard on French cars of all makes for many years. That particular sound is very 2CV though.

[@citroenfan8930]

My wife and have an 85 Charleston along with a collection of the hydraulic Cits (DS's/XM) - folks are amazed at how comfortable the 2CV is. It would be nice to see a D do the course having the ability to vary the ground clearance to just under 12". The joke among 2CV owners is all you need to carry is some 10 gauge wire, pliers, adjustable metric wrench and Duct Tape and can just about rebuild the entire car.

[@bobirving7460]

Mate: in the 70s a lot of kids started doing big road trips out of Europe, down and round the Med, round Africa and/or India and back. And it was a thing to paint a map on the vehicle door with a line showing the route completed. A lot of those vehicles passed back through Athens where I was. And 3 vehicle models appeared all the time, having made it all the way round those trips: VW beetles, Land Rovers, and Citroen 2CVs...............)

[@crispijnsmals5123]

Great videos. Couple of suggestions: your rear suspension is too low. Set it to factory height, you’ll have much more clearance and the car will handle much better. Personal request : take that German plate off a French classic. They don’t match. I would find you a French plate here in Europe if you like authenticity. Again - enjoy your videos, best from Holland.

[@davidaugustofc2574]

I like the comment right below yours basically reads "tip from a french: just go flat out, the car doesn't care"

[@marwerno]

Even as a German: I agree 🙂 A pity, I threw the French plate away I had on my Peugeot 106 Electric import

[@andrelam9898]

Thanks for sharing. Back in 1976 in the Netherlands may parents bought their first car (before that it was bicycles only for them and us kids). I remember it well. A bright green Citroen Dyane. That was the "upgraded" version of the 2CV. It had a straighter roof line to the back (more rear head room), a bigger 650cc engine and slide windows in the front instead of flip up windows (rear windows remained fixed). It would do around 65 mph on the highway, but only just. No power brakes, no power steering. Instruments were speedo, fuel level, turn indicator, hand brake indicator and high beam indicator. That's it. No radio (wouldn't have been able to head it over the noise in the car anyways). Up front it hd inboard brakes and the almost unimaginably small 650 cc 2 cylinder boxer engine. Stick shift in the dash. lots of body leans in turns, but the car would hang on with confidence. It was also the era when you could identify certain brands of cars from the sound of the engine. The small displacement Citroen engines have a very distinct sound /noise. Same for the VW air cooled boxes. By then most other cars had inline 4 engines, so those sounded mostly the same. Great memories. Thanks for sharing.

[@kimjensen2743]

Dyane had the same 602cc engine as the 2cv6, but just with higher compression ratio (same version found in Ami8 and LN), the 652 was found in Visa, LNA and the Romanian Oltcit.

[@amazingjason455]

We need to see a TFL road trip with the 2CV, Mini, 500, and Bug. See which one can get the farthest without breaking down.

[@RCRitterFPV]

the mini and 500 were designed for paved roads... 2CV and Beetles will go anywhere..

[@robervin9107]

Kase and tommy Brendon a mini camping trip that could work it definitely would strengthen the friendship lol 😂

[@mhassouneh]

I think it's fantastic, I think it's a fantastic idea 👍👍👍

[@citroenfan8930]

Not a contest - the 2CV would win hands down 😀

[@andrelam9898]

Our Dyane (upgraded version of the 2CV with an even "bigger" 650cc engine) did fail us a few times with the charging system. The amazing thing is that an 7 and 9 year old can exit the car and help push start it. That happened a few times. My sister and I knew the drill and my mom would pop the clutch at the right time. Couldn't do that with a modern car. Too heavy for kids to get rolling with a push start and most cars have automatics.

[@bogged2theeyeballs695]

2CV (deux chevaux vapeur. Two steam horsepower (literal translation) ) meaning two taxable horsepower. Produced from 1948 - 1990 primarily as an simple, easy to maintain and cheap to run car for farmers. The long-travel suspension and light weight was designed to be driven across freshly ploughed fields.

[@leneanderthalien]

In reality 2cv means 2 chevaux fiscaux : this is the french tax for cars depending from they power and engine volume, but the 2cv with the 602cc 29hp engine was a 3chevaux fiscaux

[@normandiebryant6989]

@@leneanderthalien No, it is Chevaux Vapeur. It was a power rating from the days of steam, based on the power output of a steam-engine of the same capacity, with steam at a certain (quite low) pressure.

[@MrSpathiphyllum]

...driven across freshly ploughed fields with an egg basket without breaking one of them

[@PedroConejo1939]

I've had a number of 2CV6s over the years but my favourite remains the Dyane, which is a tarted-up 2CV. I've been in but never owned an Ami. They were great on unpaved roads and as TFL has demonstrated, in snow. At the other end of Citroën's range, I've had quite a number of the hydropneumatics too - I currently have the last model C5. While I understand the commercial rationale of Peugeot taming Citroën's outréness, I do miss the stuff from the 60s and 70s. Like Saab, it's a manufacturer that you either drive and hate, or drive and stick with. Let's hope the Oli concept marks the return of insanity to the Citroën personality.

[@stevekane4922]

Saw one or two in town here in Portugal recently. Approve. Want an electric 2CV based on similar tech.

[@joergmaass]

The C5 is a great car, too! I've owned three in a row and have outpaced Porsches on country roads (most Porsche drivers don't know sh...t about driving fast). The hydro pneumatic suspension is out of this world and the best suspension ever built (except, maybe, for the 2VC's).

[@malthuswasright]

I think the XM was the last true Citroen with some wacky stuff in there. Mind you, the C6 with its concave rear screen was a good effort!

[@Alsinsin]

Just do a search on KZbin for "2CV le gendarme de saint tropez" and you will see what a 2CV can do. From an engineering standpoint it is exemplary of what can be done with a minimalistic approach to achieve the best set of functions to move between two points on any type of surface. You can push her, carry her, take her appart and rebuilt it when the road starts again.

[@fedeenUSA]

My brother has in Argentina a 1962 2CV, 14HP (I think the engine is a 425cm3) on light blue color. It's one of the funnest cars I've ever driven, suspension is amazing, the engine sound is funny and people love that car, so on any red light, someone will ask you for a photo. I’m sending him this video right now!

[@robervin9107]

Can we talk about Brendon using his angelic power to push the car. Holy biscuits that was magnificent. And tommy amazing job bud. Love you guys I agree a road trip in the small cars with kase tommy and Brendon is needed. It might not be as adventurous but just wholesome fun

[@normandiebryant6989]

It would have been more angelic if he didn't push in the middle of the boot-lid. Always push a car on a corner where it's stronger and you're not likely to oil-can the panel.

[@scottbruns2907]

In the same vein, years ago I read an article about a guy who was driving from Pt. Barrow, Alaska, to the southern tip of South America in a Ford Model A. He chose that car for the ground clearance, the narrow tires and the simplicity of the mechanicals which made it easy for him to fix.

[@youtubestolemyusername3419]

It's an awesome car. It can tilt what fees like 45 degrees in the roundabout but all tires remain on the road. But I had bicyles with a thicker frame:) I have also totaled a 2CV with a scooter once. The scooter was repaired.

[@andrelam9898]

Our car was rear ended after we made a right hand turn at a traffic light from a stop. Mom started to accelerate a bit and then had to slow down as the person in front of her was turning again. We couldn't have been going much over 20 mph. The car behind her didn't realize it and was accelerating. Low speed rear ending, yet it totalled the car. The whole frame buckled, the front seat supports ripped out of the chassis. We were totally fine as everything happened at low speed. The car however did not survive. A 2CV or Dyane is only marginally better protection than riding on a motorcycle. If you crash head on in any sort of speed... things will be VERY ugly. After that scare my parents got a Volvo 240.

[@philippepetit3105]

@@andrelam9898 was it rusty or not ?

[@misterthegeoff9767]

The great thing about Peugeot/Citroen is they still tune the suspension for uneven terrain in some of their modern cars. My Peugeot Partner eats up gravel forestry trails and gets me to camping spots where I am the only 2 wheel drive car out there. The ground clearance isn't as good as a 2CV but it still has that soft suspension you just don't get on other modern cars.

[@JosipRadnik1]

In German, we called it ENTE (Duck). The French called it "deux Cheveaux" (two horses) as reference to the horsepower. The upper numberplate seems to be german btw. and judging from the colour, it might have been in postal service somewhere in germany

[@Wannes_]

The color scheme is how they came on the Charleston version, near the end of production. You could also have one with burgundy, grey, green, light blue and the contrasting black trim as seen on TFL's yellow one

[@charlestshiko1028]

Deux Chevaux is without a doubt the proper name. CV is a short for Chevaux, the fiscal horsepower rating. 2 CV is the most basic transportation. I do not know if that unit is still being used for tax purpose, it must have been replaced by some measure of carbon emission like bushels of coals, and this car would not do well😂

[@altepost3805]

@@charlestshiko1028 bushels? hey man, we are in the civilisized world - that means we use metric!

[@energiewender143]

German federal postal service aka Deutsche Bundespost used cars built in Germany whenever possible. So the Citroen 2CV was never in use by them, the VW bug was, though.

[@petemulhearn7787]

I've had 2 of these and you really need to use more speed and not crawl over easy bumps. The chassis will handle it no problem.

[@normandiebryant6989]

Yes, I kept thinking "Just drive the damn thing! Faster is better!" I have a DS and it's similar in that respect.

[@lowrangemaniac5326]

I would love to see you trying the old Fiat Panda 4x4 on that course! I repeat: the OLD Fiat Panda 4x4!

[@roelkomduur8073]

That's clearing... they were build by Steyer in Austria in the same plant as the G wagon.

[@lowrangemaniac5326]

@@roelkomduur8073 to be more precise, the Steyr-Puch builded the 4x4 system for the Panda

[@Tillerman56]

Another tip when you go off road. When you want to go uphill and get no further because of a lack of grip, turn around and continue in reverse. It will go up like a goat!

[@sandystanley1237]

My oldest sister has one of those. She loves its absolute simplicity. As a helicopter pilot she appreciates the ultra simple dash with only the speedometer and fuel gauge... Oh, and her mechanic bumped the power to 31 horse power..

[@LocojustLoco]

When the wheels slide you have more than enough power - you need grip. More weight on the wheels, for example. The 2CV was designed to be able to transport two persons, a bag of potatoes and a tray of eggs, without breaking any egg even when passing in the fields and on bad routes. By the way it seems that the 2CV and Ami6 are the only cars on the world able to scrap the body on the road with having all 4 wheels on the road...

[@thebigguy8306]

Reminded how early American cars - Model T - we essentially SUVs/UTVs as many roads were not paved at the time, muddy and rutted

[@ArneHulstein]

I think you nailed it with your remark on the heavier right foot. I have driven (and seen these driven) these cars and when you boot them, they go over just about everything.

[@oryjen]

That car was designed just after the war precisely for off-road driving, when almost all the roads had been destroyed and there was no money and no arms to repair straight away. It was built with cheap materials, the mecanics is very simple, and with its big wheels you can get off anything. Here we use to say "la deuche, elle monte aux arbres!" ("the 2'C': It climbs at trees!")

[@PahaLukki]

Nice car. Wish Citroen could make cars like this again.

[@keithdicken9486]

I competed in production car trials in the 1980s. They laughed at my bright yell Citroen Dianne but I was runner up in the East Midlands Championship. Up yours.

[@poetryplace]

I had one of these in the late 70s, as long as you weren't in a hurry it would go anywhere over anything. The big bonus is that you could strip most of the body panels off with basic hand tools and open it up like a tiny truck. I shifted full size refrigerators, stoves and such in mine many a time. However those inboard front brakes were a pain to change requiring a special tool to align them. I only got rid of mine because my wife-to-be could only drive an automatic and couldn't cope with the umbrella handle shifter.

[@Longsnowsm]

I love the way it looks and the engineering is wonderful. Would love to see manufacturers attempt such a thing with the new EV's. With all that weight of batteries it probably isn't possible, but would love to see something like this. Just excellent people oriented car.

[@kimjensen2743]

Several companies do 2cv EV conversions

[@Longsnowsm]

@@kimjensen2743I think I heard them say they spent a pretty penny for that car so I can't imagine buying one to do a conversion. Would be interesting to see a modern take on a concept like this.

[@kimjensen2743]

@@Longsnowsm companies are still doing 2CV EV conversions, which was my point. Done for decades.

[@PedroConejo1939]

Check out the Citroën Oli EV concept for off-the-wall engineering vision, but don't listen to the haters - most can't string a coherent sentence together. It won't go into production but it does presage what's coming from Citroën. And yes, there are plenty of companies in Europe doing 2CV EV conversions. There's even some decent DS conversions about.

[@madjh8]

Like the Renault 4L, they were very capable off road. But Citroen has long travel and that suspension system. Still goes to North Africa in 4l clubs from France cross Spain and enter Morocco. Fun Adventures 😃

[@richardhasler6718]

Great video, in the 1980's I also drove a 2CV across the Sahara. Up to Tamanrasset in Algeria, the road is paved and from Arlit in Niger on the other side, so there is only about 400 miles of sand, most of which is fine to drive on apart from the bump corrugations!

[@a.karatas953]

It is so funny, seeing them having so much fun with an cheap car, without all the crazy technique stuff of todays cars. In the 70s my aunt and uncle drove a 2 cv. It was so fun.

[@infernoking7504]

To me it's like a French Model T meant to go off road and if you can get stuck you can just push it out

[@w1924879]

In the late '80's we spent 6 weeks in North and West Africa with 2 Volkswagen Beetles, and halfway in the Sahara desert (which is slightly bigger than North America!) in a place called Tamanrasset, there was a car graveyard with many broken 2 CV's. Two Dutch guys who also had to left there 2 CV's behind, say it started first with heavyer steering. So its better not to go serious offroad without a reinforced frame.

[@HenriBourjade]

Driving fast off-road with a heavily laden 2cv is a good way to get it screwed up.

[@fifi23o5]

My two friends, twin brothers from Croatia have a 4WD CV2. They went from Croatia to Kazakhstan and back, of course by that thing. To see a football match... That thing is simply incredible off-road. It is very light and it has outstanding articulation.

[@alexvt418]

Brings back super fond memories. These vehicles are amazing off road, with such an amazing ride.... but don't do any jumps. I broke the frame on a 2CV Cargo after a few long sailing jumps on a sandy wavy beach road. A quick visit to the welding shop, however, brought it back to spec. Another tip...on old 2CVs, the gas pedal sometimes get stuck - always drive bare feet so you can curl your toes over the pedal and pull it back to safety. I loved the look, the ride, the sound, the amazing comfortable (and simple) seats, the sunroof, the shifting, and so much more about these cars. 🙂

[@fabrisseterbrugghe8567]

I had the burgundy Charleston paint job on my Deux Chevaux back in the in 1980s. The suspension was designed to go across a furrowed field with a basket of eggs in the passenger seat without breaking an egg. That hill was perfectly possible if you'd geared down. I had to learn that early in driving mine.

[@willtricks9432]

I had a 2CV back in the eighties with snow tyres and it went every where. My first time off roading was on a local Byway, there was 9 of us in a 2CV on a savage sandy track and it handled it fine.

[@richardlionheart793]

I had a 2cv and a dyanne, I actually fell in love with their quirks,Great fun having to thrash them everywhere and judge your revs to get optimum power.

[@pascalcs]

The next time, you have to try the 4x4 2CV. Called the Sahara version. Not too many produced and fetching insane prices nowadays. These were built with 2 engines, one in the front, one in the back.

[@benjamin8031]

Yeah the 2CV's suspension is incredible. Props to Paul Magès who designed it at the time. He also designed the DS's suspension later.

[@Locomotiveman1994]

My dad had a pretty remarkable story about offroading with a 2CV: He an a buddy of his, who owned the 2CV (this was back in the late 80s in Europe, so this was his daily driver), had a meeting with the local forseter. Now I can't remember what it was about, but it involved driving through the forest to get to some location. The route went up an incline, and since it had rained fairly substatialy for the privious couple days, it was drenched with mud. Now the forester drove (iIrc) a Suzuki Jimmny, and had quite some trouble getting up, despite 4WD, off-road tires and locked diff. digging through the mud until they found that needed grip and proppelling the 2CV up that hill like a rocket sled on rails.

[@TheEulerID]

It didn't run out of power going up that slope, it ran out of grip. The secret with an FWD drive in situations like that it to reverse up. That puts much more of a load on the driven wheels.

[@mikedunn7795]

This takes me back to when my dad had a 1950 Desoto sedan. The thing was at least 12 " off the ground. He had studded tires for winter,and it NEVER got stuck in snow. At worst,you might have to rock it when starting in a snow drift. Dad's main ride,a 1970 Cutlass,would regularly get stuck in the back alley,and I would have to hoof it there with a snow shovel to get him going again.

[@robkleinlangevelsloo259]

I own a 2CV. Momentum and keeping high rpms are key. You've got a beautiful one there. Keep it well maintained.

[@mikewho9964]

Check out the "Africar " from the 1980s and the epic journey that took the 3 different Africars from the Artic Circle all the way to the Equator - essentially a plywood 2wd CV2 - amazing what they have already achieved

[@MaryandTheJeepCycle]

Ha ha I love how he’s just shaking it at the start of the video!!🤣

[@Nellie-H]

Love it! You even have the original Michelin ZX tires on! There's some iconic basic cars: The 2CV, Beetle, MINI and Fiat 500 - The Originals! None of all new cars have as much character as these! Gladly I owned some.

[@mattikaki]

That’s also called TIN SNAIL here in Europe. You can get rid of that squealing in your brakes by adding some Copper Grease to the back of the brake pads (between the pad and brake cylinder).

[@boerhenkcb]

It has drumbrakes, not diskbrakes.

[@fulknerra6116]

I want my 2cv back! it eventually rusted its way out of existence despite being welded many times, but I loved that little car so much.

[@fluxfaze]

Rode in a lot of these on streets of Tehran-dirt, paved, dry, wet, muddy, icy-never stuck, never a breakdown. Smooth, too.

[@EnlightenedPatriot1]

I am in the UK, nearly 77, and we owned 2 of these nearly 40 years ago, plus the Diane version. We have such happy memories, like on holiday in Devon with our 2 young sons, dingy, surfboard, etc, sticking out of the roof, we are now seeking one as a 2nd, fun, car. Indestructible, still as practical and economical now as in the days of its conception. Totally insane, I know, but we can all dream, can't we? They are now going for £20k, but good ones going for about half that - if prepared to travel. Thanks for confirming how special these little cars are, especially coming with their economy, ride, spare wheel, starting handle, height-adjustable headlights, all bolt-on panels, soft top, etc.

[@Matticus289]

The horn for the brakes is pretty cool

[@fugu4163]

The 2CV are a part of my childhood and i was driving my fathers 2CV to practice for my carlicense. My father also owned to Citroen AMI 8 that are more modern 1970s version based on the same concept.

[@reallyemptypockets6509]

I did bear creek pass in my 1977 Oldsmobile 98 Regency, on 3 flat tires.

[@robinhughes8822]

My mum had one and when it snowed it was unstoppable, you have to drive them hard they won’t tire ,foot to floor all the time 😊

[@jean-yvesmartin6934]

My first car that my parents bought me when i turn 18 was a 1962 bright orange 2cv...loved her , wish i could drive her today

[@charliegardner6804]

Great video guys thanks for sharing 👍.

[@mikesierra8156]

My first car in France when I was 18 back in '69, and it was a '55 model. You needed the xtra HP because you're a bit shy at driving the thing and you're far from exploring the beginning of it's abilities. I reckon it's normal when you sit at the wheel of such a beautiful and shiny unit of this piece of pure Citroën's genius. You don't want the smallest scratch ruining this splendid yellow!

[@mho...]

I learned about this suspension today & im really blown away by the handling & overall stability of this Chassis! Imagine this with a descent Torque but "slow" Electric engine...with like 100 kmh top speed or something, must be a fun "toy" to go anywhere!

[@ppregisseurs]

I've had one of those too. if the terrain became too steep you have to drive up backwards. then you do have traction. This car drives through everything. I even pulled out a Volkswagen Beetle with it once. (also backwards for traction.

[@Martin_Siegel]

The autocross racers used studed snow tires here. (There were 2CV-Cross competions for a while here, but that was the 1970ies)

[@MolotovAustralia]

I had one in the early nineties and took it off road regularly. 🙂👍👍

[@chrisw3771]

There are lots of 'kit cars' based on the 2CV, Lomax was the most popular. Citroen even built a race car based on them for a year in the 60's with massively oversized chrome lined barrels. My ex father in law raced one in a classic class around 30 years ago, it was refereed to as 'the rolling chicane' by everyone. I remember helping take the factory fibreglass body off to do some work on it. I'm sure it weighed more than the original car.

[@PiersLawsonBrown1972]

As a youngster, my friends and I piled into a friends 2CV and taking it up to a disused airfield to hoon around in it, trying to roll the damn thing. Nope, 2CV's are a rock. It really does showcase how certain development in cars are prioirtised when you look at current 'basic' models and it is all about comfort rather than practical.

[@jf5070]

Félicitations for your French accent when you said Citroen !! Citroen was made with one aim : transport eggs in panier without broken outside a road. Job is done. This is a mythic car here in France. Very happy to see one in test in land of car … USA 😊

[@captainkirk7266]

My mother had a Charlston 2CV we rushed in every weather through the austrian alps. was a great car, reminds me of my childhood and teenager years

[@fungibleunit4477]

FWIW you can get limited slip diffs for 2CVs, and if you really want that extra 1 hp you can hook up a pipe from the cooling fan housing to the carb - thus lightly supercharging it (the later Citroen Dyane used this trick).

[@craigdouglasmartens7037]

Great litle cars! The Citroen Sahara was an amazingly capable overlanding car based on this platform. There was a 4wd version made as well.

[@mfbfreak]

8:16 the later Citroen Visa (which was already peugeot based, but available with the 2cv engine) had 32hp, thanks to minor tuning and electronic ignition. There are easily available kits to bump the engine from 602 to 652cc.

[@kimjensen2743]

The Dyane had 32hp..The Visa had 35hp and did not have the 2CV nor Dyane engine, it was a 652cc with aluminium cylinders, although similar in design it shared very little with the 602 engine.. Oh..overbore/stroker kits are available up to 850cc with and without supercharging..

[@boerhenkcb]

I had a first serie Visa. Brilliant car. I did like it more then the 2cv.

[@paulstewart6293]

I loved my 2CV. I had loads of fun in it especially in summer.

[@patriley9449]

There are some videos of 2CV rally cars, and the cornering angles are so crazy that you can't help but laugh. These are real crowd pleasers.

[@darwinskeeper421]

3:43 You didn't run out of power, you ran out of traction, that's one issue that front wheel drive cars have when climbing hills in slick conditions. The front drive wheels are unloaded when driving up.

[@Introverted_Outlander]

The Renault 4 and 5 do the same thing. The Renault 4CV was very capable as well but it suffered from VW style swing axle rear suspension.

[@frankneser6055]

Believe it or not, you can go pretty fast with s 2CV, too, at least on narrow winding roads. Just keep the speed in curves by not using the brakes. By the way, the Renault 4 (a similar concept) is a great offroader, too.

[@mp-gs5wb]

Hello, great video ! i had the exact same 2cv Charleston yellow and black from 1982. I confirm this is the best car ever ! More than a car it is a lifestyle ( Hope the translation worked 😉)

[@carltwidle9046]

Wonderful Citroen CV2. One of the best cars ever built. 👌

[@rallyfan555]

1CV is a cool little car. I'd like to see you try that course in a Model T too. They were crazy-capable off road too.

[@scottyellis3442]

Love little videos like this. 👍🏻👍🏻

[@user-jr6gn6hr5b]

Korres p4 supercar took this suspension as a base,but it has diagonal interconected anti rol bars simply a true all terrain suspension with adjustable high as well,check their story a 2cv with ls v8 .

[@goostrey4210]

Fantastic video, and an amazing car! I can't help thinking that if someone started off with four mountain bike tires and tried to make a car in the same spirit as the 2CV there would be a really affordable fun car on the market for less than $10k.

[@misterthegeoff9767]

sadly it would be for off road use only because the crash protection, roll over protection etc. needed to make it street legal would make it heavy just like every other modern car.

[@NenadTrajkovic]

I've already mentioned it once, but I have to say it again... it's amazing how much you Americans don't know about manual transmissions... secondly, there's no need to drive a 2CV so slowly, you lose it on the run, and the Charleston's bodywork is quite strong to withstand the stress

[@RichardStefanits]

Fun fact: You can buy newly made frame and other components for this car. Also there is a bimotor version with 4wd (doulbe drivetrain basically) the engines can be controller independently and in case of a failure you can drive home with one of the motors only. The car is nicknamed the "Duck" in some countries.

[@merouln700]

An other thing is yes it lacks power to climb certain hills... but you can always push it to get it away. It's light enough that someone who's not particularly strong (or multiple people for that matter) can get it out of trouble, you don't find yourself with a unmovable stone if it gets stuck. So less necessity to be towed to get out of a bad spot.

[@CaptainKrimson]

You did not run out of power, you ran out of grip. A little left foot braking just might have done the trick ;-)

[@altepost3805]

With a little more gas it would not be stopped... but this guy don't know how to run a 2CV, specially on the log trail. Double speed is no problem!

[@joergmaass]

My uncle owned a Duck (as we call it in Germany). He used to load us children into the back and then swerve left and right on a side road, making us roll from one side to the other. I have very fond memories of the 2CV and think it is one of the best engineered and simply best cars ever built. As a teen, I dreamt of putting a powerful motorbike engine into one and then make Porsche drivers weep at the traffic lights and on winding roads...:).

[@alteisenfahrer]

Funny that there is a german license plate..."FÜ" is Fürth, the neighbor town of Nürnberg. 2 CV means 2 chevaux, english 2 horses which was the tax to pay for in france where the car did come from

[@johnwinters4201]

You mentioned it should have had 31 hp. Its close relatives the Dyane and Acadiane did get 31 hp (compared to the 2CV's 29 hp) from the same engine by the simple addition of supercharging. A pipe from the cowling of the cooling fan fed air directly into the air intake resulting in the extra 2 hp. Perhaps you should try one of those and feel the power! (The motorbike story has been fairly thoroughly debunked as a publicity stunt.)

[@lioneldm5130]

The Mehari is the beach version of the 2cv, worth checking.

[@cartilagehead6326]

There’s a dude on various forums with a mid-50s Citroen Traction Avant that was originally driven from Central Africa, up through the Middle East, through Europe, to the UK before being imported to the States and driven cross-country. The previous owner who did it wrote a book about the experience

[@jorgebaptista3846]

Congratulations for the nice videos! Did you search about POP- CROSS?? I wached some crazy mudd up &downhill circuits competitions in the 70's... Maybe you find something about it, what those crazy guys made with these 2cv...😊

[@Whiteknuckle157]

I had the Charleston with this color scheme back in the 80th. Great fun to drive.