Customer Reviews

Citroen 2cv (Crowood Autoclassic)

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This book should be titled by the author "The UNCOMPLETE story",due to a lot of missing information such as , The production of the 2cv,3cv,3cv "Prestige",3cv "M28",Mehari,AK400 & the "IES" 3cv America all this models produced in Argentina,the plant in Tunicia ,Cambodia,Spain,etc,etc.
I really found this book pretty uncomplete it does not contain more information that I can find over the Internet.
Thank you

I looked at 3 books on the 2CV (the Reynolds book, the Essential Buyers Guide, and this one) before deciding that this was the best of the three. Not to say the P. Rivas is wrong in his review, but he doesnt point out that there arent many books available on the 2CV, and this one is the best of the three I mentioned. If I am able to actually buy a 2CV someday, I'll pay the extra $$$ for the Lindsey Porter book, but to read and imagine driving one, this one is about as good as it gets at this point. It covers model changes, has lots of B &W photos scattered throughout, and 8 pages of color photos in the middle. It was written by a guy who has driven them, and I give it 4 stars.

In 1986 I had purchased a 1967 Citroen 2CV6 Charleston from a man who "specialized" in bringing European cars to North America. He assured me that everything was legal and on the up and up. After several delays, my Citroen finally arrived at a Los Angeles Port. I paid the remaining fees such as docking and boarding and learned how to drive the funky French car that is affectionately known as the "duck" because it tends to waddle from side to side when being driven.

Whereas before I had just liked this car because of its unique looks, I now had fallen in love with the "ugly duckling". I've never been in car that drove so smoothly. The car was absolutely amazing. You could take a turn at 50mph and not have to put on the brakes, the car would literally lean into the turn with you. You could drive over potholes at full speed and the car would literally stretch to accomodate the hole. It had a top that rolled down like a sardine can and windows that pinned up rather than rolled up or down which, if left loose, would flap madly like Dumbo's ears if you went on the freeway. Getting on the freeway was another incredible experience. It could go from 0-70mph in the same day and you had to watch for big gusts of wind because at only 1200 pounds it would easily fly across other lanes unexpectedly. But everything aboyt this car, I truly adored. The best thing of all being fuel economy. I could fill her up for $5.00 and a tank of gas would last me for about a month and this included a few trips to to the beach which from where I lived at the time was a 90 mile roundtrip. It also held everything. It truly was a gem of a car.

Sadly, things caught up with me and Custom officials seized my baby saying I had imported it illegally. I told them I had no idea. I was only a 21 year old college student whose biggest crime to date was not finishing a term paper on time. They told me I had to bring it down to the Port Authority and have it destroyed or pay $17,000 on top of the $10,000 I had already paid.

Can anyone say "bribe"? I thought you could...

My beautiful dark gray on light gray Citroen went up on a conveyor belt and into a big crusher and came out in a billion pieces...I was in a billion pieces, as well. I loved that car and I still hold a torch for that car. It is my intention to legally own another one. I know I will. Keep the Light around me, dear readers...

This book brings back fond memories of the object of my heart. Even though her passing brought several gifts to me afterwards that I never saw coming; a renewed sensed of Spirituality, a deeper drive to be more creative and artistically productive, a great sense of self and worth, I really never have been the same since that beautiful little car came and left my life. Maybe fellow 2CV owners will be able to relate.

And so after all is said and done, buy the book. Although not the greatest book I've ever read on the imcomprable 2CV, it did jostle a soul's worth of affectionate memories.

I will own another one. I will.

Peace and Blessings to all of you.