Today’s Nice Price or Crack Pipe Deux Chevaux has upholstery made out of denim. That means every trip is going to be by the seat of your pants, but will its price make this Ctroën haute couture?
I love it when a vote is neck and neck, don’t you? It’s much better than when it’s... oh, I don’t know, neck and butt cheeks. Yesterday’s 2007 BMW 530Xi was just such a close call, at first leaning Crack Pipe, but in the end eking out a narrow 54% victory. I’m thinking the kicker was the free phone that was thrown in to sweeten the deal.
That E60 was representative of what was arguably not one of BMW’s finest moments when it comes to exterior styling. Oh sure, they are considered to be great drivers, but history is unlikely to remember them with any veneration owing to their quirky looks.
There’s another car with quirky looks that is venerated, and in fact was in production for so long that it gained that status while cars were still being pumped out of the factories. That car of course is Citroën’s chariot for the Prolétariat, the 2CV.
This 1972 Citroën 2CV looks to be a fine example of the breed and a proud supporter of the colors of the French flag. That’s a white respray over original red (still visible in the boot) and seats covered in blue jean material. Tres chic! Ah, but what to do with it?
Have you ever traversed your country of origin by ground? For some of you - those living in places like Luxembourg, San Marino, or who are currently under house arrest - that might mean a really short trip. For those of us in the U.S. however, that can mean many days behind the wheel, marveling at the ever changing topography and - once East of the Rockies - wondering what they do with all that corn.
I have made the cross-U.S. trip six or seven times in my adult life, and that hasn’t been enough to sate my wanderlust. I have fantasies about taking cross country trips in a variety of different vehicles, and one that I would like to employ for such an adventure is a 2CV. Yes, I would plan on blocking out a couple of weeks to take the back roads and would probably write a book afterwards.
This 2CV looks like it might just be a likely contender for such a trip. The ad says that it was brought over from the South of France in 2001 and that at present it has a clean Michigan title. The odometer shows 43,936 kilometers, however since it’s only a five-barrel display it could be 100k or 200k more.
Making those miles possible is a 29-bhp 609-cc aircooled horizontal twin that is mated to a four-speed transaxle and powering the front wheels. Suspension is by way of leading arm front/trailing arm rear, and keep in mind that these were intended to carry a basket of eggs across a French field without breaking a single shell so the travel is generous.
The design of 2CV was always twee and this one, with its roll-back canvas roof and unique upholstery, is fully befitting of that description. The seller says that everything works as it should, and that while not a show car, it is a viable driver. Of course that means a top speed of about 65… maybe... with a tail wind. It also means fuel economy approaching that of a motorcycle.
The 2CV has gained a stature of respectability and desirability over the years, and they are generally sought after here in the U.S. as official import numbers were low and many of those have long since gone the way of Elvis. This one comes with a $6,500 price tag, which is probably something like three-times what it sold for new in ’72, in France.
If someone were going to take a slow trek across the country - any country - or just wanted a cool little car for trips to the coffee shop and car meet, do you think this 2CV’s price would make it a viable choice? What do you think, is $6,500 a fair price for this 2CV as it’s presented in its ad? Or, is that too much dough for all that denim?
You decide!
Ann Arbor MI Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to CarsThatDriveByMyHouse for the hookup!
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