Automobile, Citroën, 2CV

History: The Citroën 2CV (French: pronounce "deux chevaux" i.e. "two fiscal horsepower", often nicknamed Deuche or Deudeuche) is an air-cooled front-engine, front-wheel-drive economy car, manufactured by Citroën for model years 1948–1990.

Conceived by Citroën before WWII as TPV ("Très Petit Véhicule", very small vehicle) to help motorise the large number of farmers still using horses and carts, the 2CV was only industrialised after the war and introduced at the 1948 Paris Mondial de l'Automobile. It has a combination of innovative engineering and utilitarian, straightforward metal bodywork — initially corrugated for added strength without added weight. The 2CV featured low cost, simplicity of overall maintenance, an easily serviced air-cooled engine (originally offering 9 hp), low fuel consumption, and an extremely long-travel suspension offering a soft ride and light off-road capability. The fixed-profile convertible bodywork featured a full-width, canvas, roll-back sunroof, which accommodated oversized loads and until 1955 reached almost to the car's rear bumper.

More than 3.8 million 2CVs were produced, along with over 1.2 million small 2CV-based delivery vans known as fourgonnettes. Citroën ultimately offered several mechanically identical variants including the Ami (over 1.8 million), the Dyane (over 1.4 million), the Acadiane (over 250,000) and the Mehari (over 140,000). In total, Citroën manufactured almost 9 million 2CVs and variants.

From Wikipedia

Railroad/Company: Citroën is a French automobile manufacturer, part of the PSA Peugeot Citroën group since 1976, founded in 1919 by French industrialist André-Gustave Citroën (1878–1935). In 1934, the firm established its reputation for innovative technology with the Traction Avant. This car was the world's first mass-produced front wheel drive car (traction avant, in French), and also one of the first to feature a unitary type body, with no chassis supporting the mechanical components.

In 1954 they produced the world's first hydropneumatic self-levelling suspension system then, in 1955, the revolutionary DS, the first mass-produced car with modern disc brakes and, in 1967, they introduced in several of their models swiveling headlights that allowed for greater visibility on winding roads; these cars have received various national and international awards, including three European Car of the Year.

With a successful history in motorsport, Citroën is the only automobile manufacturer to have won three different official championships from the International Automobile Federation: the World Rally Raid Championship five times, the World Rally Championship eight times and the World Touring Car Championship. Citroën has been selling vehicles in China since 1984, largely via the Dongfeng Peugeot-Citroën joint venture, which today represents a major market for the brand.