Since the first model was introduced in the 1940s, the Citroen 2CV has captured the interest of car fans around the globe. Time, however, slowly forgot her, and the 2CV name remained dormant and nothing but a fond memory after production ceased in 1990. Hang on, is it coming back? Maybe.
Following the popularity of the new, multiple award-winning Renault 5, there have been recent rumors that the French company may be preparing to revive the 2CV name. This may actually be imminent, according to a recent comment by Head of Design Pierre Leclercq and former Citroen CEO Thierry Koskas.
Would it be beneficial to bring back the 2CV name? There are two sides to this story.
We are not big fans of retro remakes. However, a guaranteed prescription for success is to be able to capture the enchantment of the original while fusing the brand’s ingrained DNA into a modern reinterpretation that could be competitive.
We can look to the revisited MINI and Beetle for ideas
Retro remakes that could be said to have been successful and gained a certain amount of traction after their release included the MINI and VW Beetle. With a redesigned 2CV, Citroen could possibly do something similar. Picture it: a lively, snail-shaped family vehicle with a spacious cabin and electric drivetrain that conceals a cutting-edge platform.
With the highly lauded e-C3 and the sleekly designed C5 Aircross as a concept car in every way except name, Citroen and parent company Stellantis is having a great year.
So let’s look at the facts. When the 2CV was first released, it wasn’t a particularly good car. It was great for transporting eggs over a rutted French field without breaking them, but it offered sluggish performance and a strange driving method.
Perhaps Citroen should create a new icon and leave 2CV alone
Let’s fact it — from the DS and SM to the Picasso and C4 Cactus, Citroen has succeeded throughout the recent years by focusing on the future rather than the past and by attempting to be the first to introduce novel cars. A new 2CV would undoubtedly make people happy, but would they put their money where their mouth is and turn it become a profitable venture?
The car industry is littered with initially well-received retro reinventions that didn’t succeed. Examples include the Chrysler PT Cruiser and the rebooted MINI and Volkswagen Beetle which were mildly successful.
Time will tell how simple it is to maintain the momentum over the next three or four years on such a style statement of a car, but maybe Renault’s new 5 will defy the trend. Citroen executives must be jealous of their French rival.
CARLIST THOUGHTS
Yes, the original 2CV was a design icon, even if it was not a performance icon. To make it work in a new retro-modern adaption, Citroen would have to be as astute, if not more so with balancing past DNA and future design traits than the MINI and Beetle. However, we believe it would be wiser to create a new icon for the twenty-first century that isn’t dependent on emotional recollections of the past.