It’s been 76 years since Citroën introduced arguably its most influential model of all time.
On October 7, 1948, the 2CV debuted at the Paris Motor Show. When production ceased some 42 years later in 1990, more than 3.8 million had been sold.
However, there are few left in the condition of this UK-registered example which will be auctioned next month with an estimated sale price in the region of £20,000.
With just over 550 miles on the clock, the 2CV being sold at a Birmingham auction features a “remarkable love story” between a father and his daughter…
The best 21st birthday gift: this Citroën 2CV is sold at auction. It is a one-owner car, the owner being registered in the V5 document since he was six years old…
The one-owner car was purchased 34 years ago by a father as a secret 21st birthday gift for his then six-year-old daughter.
It is one of the last examples of the 2CV produced in 1990 at the Mangualde factory in Portugal.
It was given to the father and registered in his daughter’s name in the summer of that year, before being “wrapped in cotton” and stored for safekeeping to be given to her as a birthday present some 15 years later.
The seller, whose identity has not been revealed but is said to be a former athlete turned sports journalist, knew the car during her childhood and there is an old Polaroid photograph in the historical archive of her with the peculiar Citroën.
However, he had no idea that they were going to give it to him when he turned 21 as a surprise gift.
The right-hand drive example, registration ‘H490 SYA’, is a 602 cc, Vallelunga Red, 2CV6 Spéciale.
It has been driven just 557 miles over its lifetime, which surely puts it among the least used 2CVs available in the UK today.
The background of the tiny French car is described as a “remarkable love story.” The seller’s father bought it new in 1990 with the intention of giving it to his daughter 15 years later as a surprise 21st gift.
The little red engine has been used sparingly, traveling just 557 miles in its 34-year life. This makes it one of the lowest mileage right-hand drive 2CVs in the country.
The seller, whose identity has not been revealed but is said to be a former athlete turned sports journalist, knew the car during her childhood and there is an old Polaroid photograph in the historical archive of her with the peculiar Citroën.
The right-hand drive example, registration ‘H490 SYA’, is a 602 cc, Vallelunga Red, 2CV6 Spéciale. It was one of the last produced at the Portugal factory, which continued manufacturing the model two years after assembly in France ended in 1988.
Iconic Auctioneers will offer it to the highest bidder at the NEC Motor Show on November 9 without reserve. However, he predicts it will cost between £15,000 and £20,000.
The auction house said: “This 2CV comes with a remarkable love story for a little girl on her father’s side.
“He bought it as a surprise gift for his daughter for her 21st birthday, a lovely gesture but perhaps a little impulsive as she was only six at the time,” he added.
Although it was not used during its inception, the supplier claims that it was commissioned and serviced periodically to ensure it was functioning properly.
It is completely original, except for the addition of an electronic ignition for greater convenience.
The engine is as it was when it left the factory; It even still bears many of the quality inspection stickers that would have been present when it came off the production line.
Iconic Auctioneers will offer it to the highest bidder at the NEC Motor Show on November 9 without reserve. However, he predicts it will cost between £15,000 and £20,000.
The 2CV is completely original except for the incorporation of an electronic ignition for greater comfort.
The 2CV is undoubtedly one of the most enduring archetypes of global car culture.
The seller, who has driven the vehicle sparingly for the past 19 years, claims the only reason it is being offered to collectors is “loss of storage space.”
Gary Dunne, sales manager at Iconic Auctioneers, said: “Rarely does a car of this age come to light with just one registered owner, even less so when it is a model with cult status and being offered without reserve. we anticipate.” that collectors will abound.
“This is an iconic car in an iconic sale.”
The 2CV is undoubtedly one of the most enduring archetypes of global car culture.
When it was launched on this day in 1948, it was designed to help the French working class get back on their feet after the end of World War II.
But he did more than that; It became a success story for the national economy from both a transportation and manufacturing standpoint.
The name ‘deux chevaux’ translates to ‘two horses’, in reference to its figure of two taxable horsepower when it was released.
While £20,000 may seem like a lot of money for a 2CV, rare low mileage examples have been known to change hands for six-figure sums in recent years.
Most expensive 2CV sold at auction: This wooden model sold for more than £180,000 last year, making it the most expensive example of the iconic car to change hands at a public sale.
And even if it sells at the high end of the estimate, it will pale in comparison to the most expensive ever sold at auction… which is a unique story in itself.
This is because the most expensive 2CV title up for auction is one sculpted in wood.
French carpenter Michel Robillard sold the piece last summer for €210,000 (£181,000 at the time of sale) after spending 5,000 hours crafting it as part of a project dating back to 2011.
The walkable model is made of four different types of wood: walnut for the wings and a combination of pear, apple and cherry wood for the rest of the body.
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