Ever spry, the most popular of all French cars has just in fact blown out in 2008 the candles of its 60th birthday.
Its brilliant design, simultaneously toylike, reliable and economical, ensured its success with the young as well as the aged, from the most humble to the most famous people, from ordinary families to adventurers.
To-day, and for many years to come, enthusiasts extend this history and keep the flame burning for a vehicle that is definitely exceptional.

Engine : Its metallic slightly intrusive tone is recognizable among thousand others. With its two air-cooled cylinders, it certainly does not boast excess power, but it has given proof of its reliability from the trails of the North Cape to those of the African Sahara.

Suspension : One of the main assets of the 2CV. Four large wheels, long ride clearances added to numerous technical stunts are as many ingredients of its legendary driveability and road holding capacity, with an astonishing talent for all-roads driving and impressive swaying during turns...

Body : Most of the components of the body are screwed or bolted to the shell, making for very easy repairs.

Windshield : It does out seem nowadays very tiny, as it is drastically reduced by the ventilation hatch. On the very first models, the windshield wipers, which were also very small, had to be operated by hand.

Lateral windows : Only the front windows can be opened, with a hinge device which to-day always invites a smile.

Seating : Mere rubber rings stretched over a metal frame, covered with canvas or leatherette : the seats are extremely soft, but whoever sits in the middle at the rear should be forewarned!

Convertible : Thanks to the tarpaulin that covers the whole cockpit, the 2CV has been the cheapest convertible. At the outset, in order to reduce costs, this tarpaulin replaced the door of the trunk and went down towards the rear bumper, thus making it easier for thieves!

Heating : Part of the air from the engine cooling system is used for this purpose. This is partly the source of an indefinable interior smell of mechanics.

Rust : It is the worst enemy of the 2CV. It eats away the whole frame little by little until, in extreme cases, the latter will fold over.

Evolution : It was designed at the dawn of the 2nd World War, was officially launched in 1948, and its manufacture stopped as late as 1990. Between these two dates, it really did not evolve very much (the power of its engine was nevertheless multiplied by a factor of 3). Products with such an extended life span are very rare, which testifies to the comprehensiveness of the concept.

In order to give a new boost to the commercial career of the 2CV, from the end of the 1970s and until the production stopped in 1990, Citroen marketed a number of special series, each with its specific decoration.
The CHARLESTON was launched in 1981 as a numbered series with a bicoloured livery in mauve and black that met with such a commercial success that Citroen decided to carry on with it and also to offer it with two other liveries : yellow and black, and grey and black. The last 2CV produced by the assembly line in 1990 was in fact a Charleston.
Our model is a grey Charleston « Export » from 1988. It is provided with the twin 602 cm3 engine that develops 30 ch din and a maximum speed of about 110 km/h. It enjoys the ultimate advances in safety technology, with disk brakes at the front and 4 safety belts (with belt winders in front).