Citroën 2 CV: Books - History and Models (1/2)

La Citroën 2CV - L'icône des Trente Glorieuses

At first glance, the 2 CV did not have much going for it, except for a very low purchase and maintenance cost, ease of use, a large interior volume... In short, a perfectly homogeneous car, in line with the needs of the early 1950s.
However, it took more than 10 years to see this car with its very astonishing specifications on the road. After the astonishment of the public when it was presented at the 1948 motor show, it was very warmly received and many waiting lists were created to acquire the vehicle. The latter quickly became a reference in France and beyond its borders, as the authors show us through photographs of the little Citroën's travels and sporting exploits around the world.

With many developments but no revolutionary transformation for over 40 years, the 2 CV remains a special case in the world of automobiles. Its history is closely linked to the changes in society and mentalities of the Trente Glorieuses.
This iconic figure continues to crisscross the roads thanks to enthusiast clubs. Some have agreed to share their love for their Deudeuche in the pages of this book. They remind readers that the 2 CV - and its variations such as the Charleston, the Dyane, the Méhari or the Ami-6 - represent a French art of living.

Information

Author:	Serge Bellu
Details:	176 pages, 31 x 24 x 1.8 cm / 12.2 x 9 x 0.71 in, hardback
Illustrations:	numerous b&w and colour photos
Publisher:	Glénat (F, 2021)
ISBN:	9782344049532

Citroën 2 CV, 70 ans de popularité (Autofocus)

The 2 CV is an iconic car and an icon of an entire generation (70 years in 2018). For the seventieth anniversary of the model, we obviously couldn't ignore this legendary Citroën. It is with a nostalgic and passionate look that you will find here the multiple facets of a car without borders, which has not finished rolling. This new, completely revised edition offers to discover the history of this car without borders through unpublished photos and a new model.

Summary of the book:
1. Citroën TPV prototype (1939), the 5th element
2. Citroën 2 CV (1948-1960), first life
3. Citroën 2 CV (1961-1969), sixties period
4. Citroën 2 CV4 -2 CV6, last salvo of twenty years!
5. Citroën 2CV Van, payload
6. Citroën 2 CV special series, cult!
7. Citroën Dyane, the cubic 2CV
8. Citroën Méhari, the 2CV buggy style!
9. Citroën 2CV, long live the sport
10. Citroën 2 CV, special bodies.

Information

Author:	Thibaut Amant, Etienne Crébessègues
Details:	160 pages, 29 x 24 cm / 11.4 x 9 in, hardback
Illustrations:	210 b&w and colour photos
Publisher:	ETAI (F, 2018)
Series:	Autofocus
ISBN:	9791028303075

Citroën 2CV (Top Model)

A look back at the 2CV, an essential model that has left its mark on several generations in France and around the world. From the beginning of the project by Citroën in 1936 to the last models produced in 1990, the book traces the entire success story that lasted no less than four decades and was produced in more than 5 million units!

Summary:
1) Citroën, a manufacturer like no other.
2) 1936, a crucial year.
3) The occupier and the occupied.
4) An ugly duckling.
5) At the heart of the Fifth Republic.
6) Impossible not French.
7) An icon is born.
8) Cultissime forever.

Information

Author:	François Allain
Details:	192 pages, 29 x 24 cm / 11.4 x 9 in, hardback
Illustrations:	192 b&w and colour photos
Publisher:	ETAI (F, 2017)
Series:	Top Model
ISBN:	9791028301323

Les années 2CV - La folle histoire d'un modèle mythique

Launched in 1948, the 2CV remains one of the legendary models of the Citroën house.
From the post-war period, it became for many a symbol of escape and freedom. In the 1970s it was "the car of all French people". Today, taking advantage of the craze for vintage, this simple and rustic car embodies values that we seek to rediscover.

Organized chronologically and embellished with numerous sections (events of the time, technical specifications, the lady's point of view) the book traces the history of this popular car that has stood the test of time.
Based on numerous period documents from L'Auto-Journal (newspapers, plates, diagrams, comparative files, surveys, tests, testimonials) the book offers an extremely comprehensive look back at 12 essential models in the history of the 2CV.

Some models: 2 CV 375 cm³, 2 CV 425 cm³, 2 CV AZL, 2 CV van, 2 CV Azam, 2 CV 4 and 6.

Information

Author:	L'Auto-Journal
Details:	136 pages, 29.5 x 22.5 x 1.9 cm / 11.6 x 8.9 x 0.75 in, hardback
Illustrations:	numerous b&w and colour photos
Publisher:	Editions Solar (F, 2015)
ISBN:	9782263068119

Incroyable 2 CV !

From 1948 to 1990, more than 5 million 2CVs were produced. A record that made this popular car, representative of an era and a certain art of living, legendary.
From the design of the project to its official presentation, find all the versions of this emblematic model: whether it is a van, 4x4, Charleston, comfort or luxury, the famous "deudeuche" has always known how to live with its time.

Information

Details:	192 pages, 29 x 24 x 2.2 cm / 11.4 x 9 x 0.87 in, hardback
Illustrations:	numerous b&w and colour photos
Publisher:	Editions Larousse (F, 2015)
ISBN:	9782035923479

Citroën 2 CV : Une histoire française

The "2 CV", affectionately nicknamed Deuche or Deudeuche, occupied the French automotive landscape of the Trente Glorieuses and continues to crisscross the roads thanks to passionate collectors. Synonymous with bohemianism and the good life, the "2 CV" also accompanied a period of profound changes in French society.

On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of its creation, this book looks back at the success and journey of this popular car through those who designed it but also those who used it in a gallery of portraits as unique as they are endearing.

Information

Author:	Serge Bellu
Details:	168 pages, 21 x 29.5 cm / 8.25 x 11.6 in, hardback
Illustrations:	numerous b&w and colour photos
Publisher:	Editions E/P/A (F, 2017)
ISBN:	9782851209269

La naissance de la 2CV

January 1928, Clermont-Ferrand. While the public has just become familiar with their brand new mascot, the Michelin Man, the Michelin factories are in full swing. For good reason: the brothers Édouard and André Michelin are launching a major campaign. Questionnaires are sent out en masse throughout France to find out what everyone wants for the popular car of tomorrow.

Avant-garde initiative or pure search for additional profit? In any case, from this starting point will be told a human and entrepreneurial story of almost twenty years punctuated by dramas, disappointments and strokes of genius, offering the world of French automobiles one of its most legendary models: the 2CV!

After "The Birth of the 4CV", discover with the comic book collection "Plein Gaz" the incredible story of another very famous French popular car - 5 million copies sold to date!

Information

Author:	Dugomier, Olivier Wozniak
Details:	48 pages, 32 x 24 x 1.2 cm / 12.6 x 9 x 0.47 in, hardback
Illustrations:	drawings in colour
Publisher:	Glénat (F, 2019)
ISBN:	9782344029060

2 CV séries limitées, les métamorphoses

If today, in the world of automobiles, "limited series" or "special series" are a common commercial practice, it was in 1976 a big first among manufacturers with Citroën and its 2 CV Spot. Unheard of! It was the beginning of a great period that would mark the fans of the brand, but also the general public who would discover that the 2 CV, the Dyane and the Méhari could still surprise.
Between 1976 and 1986 in France, and until 1989 in our neighboring countries, various models would follow one another, all different from each other. The history of the 2 CV has been told many times, but on the other hand, this is the first time that a book on all the limited series has been published.

Discover in this unique work unpublished photos, authentic testimonies from Citroën employees who designed and created these models, without forgetting the brilliant designer Serge Gevin.

Information

Author:	Benoît Meurie
Details:	128 pages, 28 x 21.5 cm / 11 x 8.5 in, hardback
Illustrations:	200 colour photos
Publisher:	ETAI (F, 2008)
ISBN:	9782726888063

2CV, un fabuleux destin

Blue, white, red, Basque beret, baguette and 2CV! Cult object and symbol of France: trips with friends, freedom, small country roads and the yellow 2CV of the Post Office that brings good news, that of the pastry chef who delivers the wedding cake or the green 2CV from which we take out the bench seat for a Sunday by the water...

This book does not claim to dissect this sociological phenomenon of today: we have chosen to show, through unpublished or rarely reproduced documents, this funny little Citroën.
Through postcards, souvenirs of the passage of Gois or the Spanish border at Le Perthus, hikes and adventures in the four corners of the world, crazy pop-cross races, toys and scale models by the hundreds, the 2CV is everywhere.

Painters and sculptors have also represented it and we have even introduced it in the paintings The Yellow House by Van Gogh, Sunday on the Island of La Grande-Jatte by Seurat or even in an Egyptian fresco. And then, in a joyful bazaar, 2CV key rings, ashtrays, porcelain piggy banks, beans, pictures and a chocolate 2CV...

In this book, illustrated with more than 600 pictures, the author tells the epic story, which is still not over, of this indestructible and very likeable car!

Information

Author:	Serge Defradat
Details:	160 pages, 25.5 x 25.5 cm / 10 x 10 in, hardback
Illustrations:	600 colour photos
Publisher:	Du May (F, 2012)
ISBN:	9782841021451

La Citroën 2CV de mon père

Presented for the first time to the general public at the Paris Motor Show on October 7 1948, the 2CV is part of the history of the French and European automobile industry as a car apart.
After forty-two years of a successful career, its production ceased in July 1990 at the Citroën factory in Mangualde (Portugal). But the 2CV is not dead. It will forever remain in the memories of those who used it. With it, they went to work every morning. They took it all around the world, making light of difficult situations by crossing continents with the simplest of ease.

Today, the 2CV is a true symbol that brings together many generations of die-hard fans. A true historical monument of the French automotive landscape, this small rustic car, which has never aged, remains terribly contagiously youthful...

• Richly illustrated, this book is dedicated to Citroën 2 CV cars from 1948-1990.
• Retraces in detail the history and evolution of the Citroën 2 CV.
• This volume of the collection "La voiture de mon père" is not only a source of in-depth information for the owner, but also a concise guide to originality.
• The technique, variants, modifications and special versions are described in detail.
• Also deals with manufacturing abroad.
• Contains more than 200 period photos, often unpublished.

Information

Author:	Antoine Demetz
Details:	120 pages, 21.5 x 24 cm / 8.5 x 9 in, hardback
Illustrations:	220 b&w and colour photos
Publisher:	ETAI (F, 2020)
Series:	De mon père
ISBN:	9791028304089

2 CV, le charme à la française

The legendary 2 CV is attracting more and more enthusiasts. Since the 1950s, it has attracted penniless students, environmentalists, priests and police officers! The inimitable Deudeuche has become trendy: full of character, it evokes a popular way of life.

This richly illustrated book traces the evolution of the 2CV through its different models such as the Charleston, the Azam or the van version. We also find the story of the travels and sporting exploits of the little Citroën: in the mountains, in the middle of a desert or hanging from a helicopter!

Information

Author:	Collectif
Details:	224 pages, 30 x 24 x 2.3 cm / 11.8 x 9 x 0.91 in, hardback
Illustrations:	numerous b&w and colour photos
Publisher:	Glénat (F, 2017)
ISBN:	9782344021231

Citroën 2CV sur les 5 continents

Few models in the history of the automobile can boast of having had such a rich and unique history as that of the Citroën 2 CV. Over more than four decades of production, it has become an ambassador of the French art of living and, thanks to a very simple design, it has been able to be exported to the four corners of the globe.

In addition to being distributed in considerable numbers outside our country, the chevron firm has even had new factories built in the four corners of the world. While displaying a young and enthusiastic spirit, it lends itself more than any other to multiple and sometimes fanciful transformations thanks to a base that can be modulated as desired.

The many fans who have played the game are also driven by this joyful and unique spirit to the point of creating ever more eccentric models but in which the essence of the "2CV" has been subtly preserved.
The fashion for special series inaugurated on the 2CV in 1976 has crossed our borders. The bodywork and the interior of this true citizen of the world have become fabulous supports on which the fashions and trends of each country could be brilliantly reflected.

This book invites the reader to travel around the world in order to experience the spirit of the 2CV in the manner of the countries where it has conquered hearts.

Information

Author:	Aurélien Charle
Details:	176 pages, 29 x 24 cm / 11.4 x 9 in, hardback
Illustrations:	300 b&w and colour photos
Publisher:	ETAI (F, 2017)
ISBN:	9791028302023