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| The prototypes of the legendary 2 Chevaux. |
"Just before WW2, the German authorities wanted to trade their VW Beetle for our 2CV," Hoeg continued. Monsieur Citroën refused. So in 1940, the prototypes of the 2CV were dismantled and hidden in various locations to be saved from the bombings. After the war, these three cars were reassembled and they are here on display."
The first real 2CV was launched on October 7, 1848 at the Paris Auto Show at the Grand Palais. It was powered by a 375cc, 9-hp engine fitted with a centrifugal clutch. The specifications were clear and simple: it needed to carry four adults and a bag of 50kg of potatoes at a top speed of 60 km/h.
Today, the "Deuce" is 60 years old. Citroën has produced between 1948 and 1990 a total of 5 114 940 units of the 2CV!
In 1955 was launched the stunning DS. It was equipped with an advanced hydro pneumatic suspension that self leveled the car when cornering, accelerating and braking. All main controls were assisted, such as the gearbox, the steering and the disc brakes. It even had an automatic brake balance that took into account the distribution of the weight inside the car!
In 1967, Citroën introduced the first moveable headlamps, which pivoted to the inputs of the steering wheel. In 1972, the DS Prestige was the first mass production car to be equipped with an electronic fuel injection system.
The archives include, primarily, the sketches and plans from the design office. Among them, the original styling drawings signed by Bertoni reflect the rich talent of the brand with respect to vehicle design and aerodynamics. Le Conservatoire also holds all the registers of vehicle chassis numbers, indicating the date and the exact type of the vehicles manufactured. Supplying precise information on the volumes of Citroën vehicles produced, these registers have been kept since 1919.
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| One of the vehicles from the Croisière Jaune in Asia. |