Citroën 2 CV: Illustrated History Books & Guides

The Complete Catalogue of the Citroen 2cv: And All Variants Including Amis, Dyane & Méhari

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The Citroën 2CV was originally designed to provide affordable transport for rural France. Over more than 40 years of production, it became much more.
After the first Oil Crisis, the 2CV offered a low-cost solution to rising fuel prices and gained new popularity. To support sales, Citroën introduced colourful special editions, some unique to certain countries or varying across regions.

The 2CV also gave rise to a wider range of small cars, known as the A-series, including the Ami, Dyane, and Méhari. These models offered simple and low-cost transport and were adapted for both passenger and light commercial use. In addition, overseas factories produced local versions, adding to the model's diversity.

This book presents a complete and clear record of these vehicles. It begins with the 2CV's origins in the 1930s, then covers the development of all production models and their special editions. Separate chapters focus on commercial types, rare European variants, international versions, and aftermarket conversions and accessories.
For anyone interested in A-series Citroëns, this illustrated book is a detailed and accessible reference.

Product details

Author:	James Taylor
Details:	152 pages, 10.6 x 0.4 x 8.27 in (27 x 1 x 21 cm), hardback
Illustrations:	280+ b&w and color photos
Language:	English
Publisher:	Herridge & Sons Ltd (GB, 2025)
ISBN:	9781914929083

Citroën 2CV - Brooklands Portfolio

Brooklands Portfolio book featuring Citroën 2CV family. Describes the Citroën 2CV 375 cc, Cabriolet, 425 cc, Pick-up, Bijou, AZ, AM, AZL, 602 cc, Charleston and 2CV6 Special.

• The period articles, brought together from leading British and American car magazines, provide much information about history, model changes and engineering.
• Also driving impressions, original road tests, comparison tests, technical data, etc.

More information about Brooklands Portfolio books

Product details

Details:	216 pages, 10.6 x 8.1 x 0.55 in (27 x 20.5 x 1.4 cm), paperback
Illustrations:	400 photos
Language:	English
Publisher:	Brooklands Books (GB, 2000)
Series:	Ultimate Portfolio
ISBN:	9781855204263

Citroën 2CV - Different is Everything

In this readable and informative book, motoring expert Malcolm Bobbitt tells the story of one of the most iconic cars in motoring history. Designed as affordable and practical transport for French farmers travelling on either bad roads or ploughed fields, it also found its way into the fashionable quarters of Paris.
This book shows how designers successfully achieved the specification for rugged and utilitarian design suitable for times of austerity while at the same time producing a truly classless car.

The author explains the history of the car, conceived when Citroen was owned by the Michelin tyre company, and how the idea evolved. He covers the ingenious design aspects of the car, including the corrugated metal bonnet, hammock seats, push-pull gear lever and twin-cylinder air-cooled engine.
Such was the success of the 2CV that it spawned variants such as the Dyane, Ami 6 and Ami 8 and the British-built Bijou, all of which are covered here.

Illustrated with an evocative collection of high quality photographs and written by an authority on Citroen cars, this concise book tells you all you need to know about the famous 2CV.

Product details

Author:	Malcolm Bobbitt
Details:	96 pages, 13.4 x 9.25 x 0.28 in (34 x 23.5 x 0.7 cm), paperback
Illustrations:	100 b&w and color photos
Language:	English
Publisher:	Amberley Publishing (GB, 2019)
ISBN:	9781445687667

Citroën 2 CV, 70 ans de popularité (Autofocus)

The Citroën 2 CV is an iconic car and a symbol of several generations. In 2018, the model celebrated its seventieth anniversary, an occasion that called for a dedicated book on this legendary vehicle.

With a nostalgic yet balanced approach, this book explores the many sides of a car without borders, still seen on the road today. This fully revised edition presents the history of the 2 CV through previously unpublished photographs and a new layout.

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.

Product details

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

Citroën 2CV (Top Model)

A look back at the Citroën 2 CV, a key model that shaped several generations in France and around the world. From the start of the project at Citroën in 1936 to the final cars built in 1990, this book recounts a major industrial and social success that lasted more than forty years and resulted in over five million vehicles produced.

With a clear and illustrated approach, the book places the 2 CV in its historical, industrial, and social context and explains how it became a true automotive icon.

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.

Product details

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

La Citroën 2CV - L'icône des Trente Glorieuses

At first glance, the 2 CV stood out mainly for its low price, low running costs, ease of use, and generous interior space. It matched well the needs of the early 1950s.
Although developed just after the war, it reached the market only after more than ten years. Presented at the 1948 Motor Show, it first surprised the public, then enjoyed strong demand. Long waiting lists followed, and the 2 CV soon became a reference in France and abroad, as shown by many journeys and sporting exploits.

Produced for over forty years, the 2 CV evolved gradually without radical changes. It holds a unique place in automotive history and reflects the social changes of the post-war boom years.
Today, it remains alive thanks to enthusiast clubs. Some owners share their attachment to the "Deudeuche" in this book, reminding readers that the 2 CV and its variants, such as the Charleston, Dyane, Méhari, and Ami 6, represent a distinct French way of life.

Product details

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

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.

Pages of the book "Les années 2CV - La folle histoire d'un modèle mythique"

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.

Product details

Author:	L'Auto-Journal
Details:	136 pages, 11.6 x 8.9 x 0.75 in (29.5 x 22.5 x 1.9 cm), hardback
Illustrations:	many b&w and color photos
Language:	French
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.

Product details

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

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.

Product details

Author:	Benoît Meurie
Details:	128 pages, 11 x 8.5 in (28 x 21.5 cm), hardback
Illustrations:	200 color photos
Language:	French
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!

Product details

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

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.

Product details

Author:	Serge Bellu
Details:	168 pages, 8.25 x 11.6 in (21 x 29.5 cm), hardback
Illustrations:	many b&w and color photos
Language:	French
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!

Product details

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

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!

Product details

Author:	Collectif
Details:	224 pages, 11.8 x 9 x 0.91 in (30 x 24 x 2.3 cm), hardback
Illustrations:	many b&w and color photos
Language:	French
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.

Product details

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

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...

Pages of the book "La Citroën 2CV de mon père"

• 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.

Product details

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

Citroën 2CV - Alle Modelle von 1948 bis 1990 (Autos, die noch Typen waren)

The 2CV was something like the French Volkswagen and perfectly embodied the synthesis of automotive minimalism and the French way of life.
The 2CV expert Ingo Meier invites you on an amusing journey through time and, with charming images and plenty of background information, provides a nostalgic look back at the favorite car of all students and nonconformists. With numerous contemporary photos, this book presents the era of this classic in an authentic and lively way.

Pages of the book "Citroën 2CV - Alle Modelle von 1948 bis 1990"

Product details

Author:	Ingo Meie
Details:	128 pages, 9.7 x 8.7 in (24.5 x 22 cm), hardback
Illustrations:	160 b&w and color photos
Language:	German
Publisher:	Heel-Verlag GmbH (D, 2011)
Series:	Autos, die noch Typen waren
ISBN:	9783868524802

Citroën 2CV - Die Ente (Bewegte Zeiten)

Between 1959 and 1992, more than a quarter of a million examples of the unmistakable "Duck" were sold in Germany, as it impressed with its unique suspension comfort and high suitability for everyday use. Even furniture transport could be organized with a Duck, as the seats could be easily removed. Thanks to the roll-up roof, it even felt like a convertible in the summer. In return, the drivers accepted that the maximum 29 hp engine quickly ran out of steam on hills.

With many contemporary illustrations, this lovingly designed book presents the story of a car that could do more than just drive: the Citroën 2 CV offered the opportunity to show style with very limited means!

Pages of the book "Citroën 2CV - Die Ente"

This illustrated book brings the great era of the small car back to life:
- From an inexpensive car to a style icon: the history of the Citroën 2 CV
- More than a car: the attitude to life in the 60s and 70s
- What made the 2CV so unique: car design and technical details
- Our life with the 2CV: anecdotes and original photos from private collections.

Product details

Author:	Peter Kurze, Ulrich Knaack
Details:	112 pages, 9.7 x 6.7 in (24.5 x 17 cm), hardback
Illustrations:	156 b&w and color photos
Language:	German
Publisher:	Delius Klasing Verlag GmbH (D, 2020)
Series:	Bewegte Zeiten
ISBN:	9783667118332

Citroën 2CV: Der Döschwo in der Schweiz

The Geneva Citroën branch is responsible for imports into the Swiss Confederation and starts selling 2CVs in 1952. This makes the Swiss, along with the Dutch, the first outside France to be able to buy 2CVs.
But while the beginnings in the Netherlands are rather hesitant, and elsewhere you even have to wait many years for a new 2CV, the 2CV soon finds a loyal following in Switzerland.

The collaboration between the Swiss and the headquarters in Paris and Brussels is at times so successful that Geneva becomes a kind of think tank for Citroën when it comes to 2CVs: Together with the Belgian assembly plant, they develop a number of independent model variants that later become successful in other markets and play a decisive role in the 2CV being built for 42 years. Did you know, for example, to thank the Swiss to have the 600 cc engine in the 2CV?

The fact that the history of the 2CV in Switzerland is now being published in book form for the first time is thanks to author Räto Graf, who - himself a passionate 2CV driver - discovered a few years ago that almost nothing had been recorded about this part of the duck's history. He then spent years collecting material, spoke to contemporary witnesses and decided to write a book about the Döschwo in Switzerland.

And so the new publication from Edition Garage 2CV contains much that has never been written down or published before. Around 300 mostly unpublished illustrations make the book a comprehensive treatise on the 2CV in Switzerland.

Product details

Author:	Räto Graf
Details:	144 pages, 12 x 8.5 x 0.51 in (30.5 x 21.5 x 1.3 cm), hardback
Illustrations:	extensively illustrated
Language:	German
Publisher:	Edition Garage 2CV (D, 2011)
ISBN:	9783980908245

Legende 2 CV - Fahren, Fühlen, Leben

The love for the 2CV has many facets: There is Oliver L. with his "Dune" from 1988 - a 2CV 6 Special. Or Xavier L. and his 1955 Type AZ. A collector's item with a lot of patina that he rescued from 18 years of hibernation in a barn.
They and the many other 2CV fans presented here have one thing in common: They love their 2CV, they drive 2CVs, they live 2CVs. Because a 2CV is more than just a car - it is pure passion.

Product details

Author:	Michaël Levivier
Details:	240 pages, 14.2 x 10.8 x 1.02 in (36 x 27.5 x 2.6 cm), hardback
Illustrations:	220 b&w and color photos
Language:	German
Publisher:	GeraMond Verlag (D, 2021)
ISBN:	9783964533609

Citroën 2 CV

"A four-wheeled platform with an umbrella on top", designed for customers who live in the French countryside, who needed two seats with their cargo of products to sell at the market. That is how Citroën conceived the car that became famous for its robustness and reliability, which undertook incredible tasks throughout the world, even achieved motor sport success and was able to transcend the history of the car and social trends.

Seventy years after the 2CV's introduction, this book enables readers to live once more the successful career of this grand utility vehicle, which was able to go way beyond its original role as a car of the people to become a symbol, a standard bearer for more than a generation, a consecrated myth of practicality and, perhaps, a legend on four wheels. More than a car, a way of life ...

Text in Italian.

Product details

Author:	Giancarlo Catarsi
Details:	128 pages, 10.6 x 9.7 in (27 x 24.5 cm), paperback
Illustrations:	many b&w and color photos
Language:	Italian
Publisher:	Giorgio Nada Editore (I, 2010)
Series:	Le vetture che hanno fatto la storia
ISBN:	9788879114509