Citroen 2CV Charleston test-drive

1981 Citroen 2CV Charleston test-drive. Owner: Chris Ottman. Introduced in 1948, this affordable little car was so popular that it remained in production until 1990. Its basic premise was an affordable and economical means of transportation that was easy to drive and simple to maintain. With its horizontally opposed coil springs, it had such a com-pliant ride quality that Citroen’s ads promoted the 2CV’s ability to carry a basket of eggs across a rough field damage-free.

In 1963, electric windshield wipers were introduced; in 1965 the suicide doors were replaced with conventional doors, and a larger 33hp, 602cc, horizontally opposed two-cylinder engine bowed in 1970. All 2CVs featured removable seats for picnic use and air-cooled engines. The Charleston model, like our feature car, was available starting in 1980 with a two-tone paint scheme applied in a sweeping pattern.

David Towle

Quaint and very mechanical and honest in appearance. The 2CV belongs in the dictionary under “character.” I love it for its appearance, practicality and durability. It rides very well for having such a short wheelbase, but it had trouble tracking through deep ruts in the road. The manual brakes require a surprising amount of effort, yet worked well. As expected, lots of road noise was detected. Through turns it had substantial roll but was still quite stable. With its light steering it was fun to drive, but the steering wheel was too close to the chest. Its performance was sluggish, though adequate. Ergonomics were better than I expected and it had good visibility, but the comfortable strap-type seats were hard to get out of. It’s great for local driving, but for regular use, the safety issue regarding its crash-worthiness would concern me.

John Lobre

Functional and pleasingly modular. With its arched roofline and timeless style, the 2CV is loaded with character; it screams “France.” Its ride was a revelation: supple with an excellent quality about it. For such a light car with a rather short wheelbase, it tracked rather nicely. Although you sit rather high up, it takes turns effortlessly. It has very fast steering and really sticks to the roads. One area where it lacked was in the power department. It needs more power for the hills, and to safely pass on the highway requires the old tractor trailer method: Charge down hills and ease back up them. The spring-loaded shifter is very effective and ingenious, precisely changing into the next gear with little effort. For a car that’s a design icon and whose mission was economic transportation, it really does its job. It’s a tour de force in simplicity of design that works.

Eric Holveg

Flexible usage is apparent in all parts of its design — not so much styled as engineered. Its fold-back roof and fender-mounted headlamps add lots of personality. The ride quality was supple and com-pliant over all surfaces, and control is fantastic. A quick double-pump gives great pedal feel for the strong brakes. The noisy, open-air feeling is a bonus. Very light and direct steering lets you place the car with confidence. Performance-wise, compared to most other cars it doesn’t stand a chance, yet does everything smoothly and competently. It has excellent interior space and driving position for such basic-looking seats. Gauges are easy to read and let you concentrate on driving. Overall, I didn’t find the 2CV to be very desirable. They say you just don’t understand the car until you drive one. Well, I drove one and I still don’t understand.

Michael Cannon

I like the simple, basic shape and logic that reads: This is an inexpensive car meant for the masses. Its minimum use of parts and details such as the exposed headlights and front fenders wrapping the tires are particularly interesting to me. It is instantly recognizable as a French car — understandably, the brunt of many jokes that further endear it. It has a surprisingly smooth ride with a bit of body roll, but it doesn’t really feel like it will topple over. It glides around turns with ease, feels sure-footed, and the steering is responsive and tight. Brakes worked well and didn’t leave me with the impression that I needed to start applying the pedal too far in advance. And it had a quieter ride than I had thought. There’s great leg and head room and visibility, but the slow acceleration is a bit tedious and makes hill climbing a bit uncomfortable. In the right situation, the 2CV would be a great car to have.