1949 Citroen 2CV No list of the ugliest cars ever made would be complete without the French made Citroen 2CV at the top. It's awkward looking, ungainly and from certain angles downright ugly, but like the proverbial ugly duckling, it also has such charm and character that it engenders the most fierce loyalty in its owners. It is practical, economical and so typically French, it has become a symbol of that country and all that it is, alongside Paris, the Eiffel Tower and a glass of chilled champagne. Conceived in 1936, the 2CV was built in prototype form before the Second world war. Although 250 of these prototypes were built prior to the 1939 Paris Auto Show, the war intervened and all but two of them were scrapped to avoid having them fall in German hands. The 2CV eventually reached production in 1949 although only 924 were built that year. Since then some seven million 2CVs and 2CV variations have been produced. The first 2CVs, designated 'A' series, had a 375cc engine and were rated at two horsepower on the French fiscal rating (hence its name 2CV or 'two horses'). It had such features as a canvas roof, running from the windshield to the rear bumper (forming the boot lid as well as the roof) and just two instruments: a speedometer and an ammeter. It was available in only one color, an aluminum grey. Over the years. the 2CV slowly evolved to its present-day form. In 1954 it got the 425cc engine, in 1957 the metal boot lid, in 1959 it offered a wider range of body colors, and received a third side window in 1965. The changes were hardly distinguishable from one year to the next. But a comparison between a 1989 2CV with its forty-year-old predecessor makes the newer 2CV seem almost luxurious. Fortunately, the 2CV didn't lose any of its character and appeal along the way. An early 2CV A 2CV in a James Bond car chase So where did it all begin? Pre war France was, well probably a lot more "French" than it is today! It was also full of farmers - do some things never change? Joking apart, large rural areas of France were still relying almost exclusively on horses and carts for transport, with the motor car out of reach of all but a very small number of people. Citroen's Pierre-Jules Boulanger was very aware of the fact that the typical French farmer could not afford a car, and relied on his horse and cart for a range of duties - from getting his produce to market, to going to Church on Sunday. So Boulanger issued instructions - "design me a car to carry two people and fifty kilos of potatoes at 60km/h, using no more than three litres of fuel every 100km. It must be easy to maintain and capable of running on the worst of roads, able to drive over a ploughed field carrying a basket of eggs without breaking a single one, and must be totally comfortable. Its price must be less than a third of the 11cv Traction Avantо. It also needed to accommodate its driver whilst wearing a hat! So, the "TPV" (Toute Petite Voiture - "Very Small Car") project was born but kept "top secret". Much time was spent on development. Early prototypes made "heavy use" of "lightweight alloys" to keep weight down and therefore minimise fuel consumption. The chassis was magnesium and initially a water cooled engine was used. The seats were hammocks suspended from the roof by wires. The suspension system was unique, with a horizontal layout an linking front and rear. By 1939 approximately 250 prototypes (above right) had been produced and the car was being readied for production. Then a little man with a big ego and no care for anyone else put an end to it all. Hitler thought it might be a good idea to take over the world and kill millions in the process. The TPV was far too secret to allow this little German to get his hands on it, so most prototypes were dismantled and a handful hidden away in barns. Some of these were not re-discovered until the 1990's! After the liberation of France the TPV project was re-started, but the war had changed things, not least the price and availability of materials. The original prototypes would be too expensive to put into production. The car was therefore redesigned with price dictating use of steel panels and chassis. The engine was completely redesigned by Becchia - reportedly taking him only six days to design a 375cc air cooled flat twin engine, perfect in every way! The body was redesigned by none other than the famous Italian designer Bertoni (although the original prototype could still not be mistaken for anything other than a 2CV). On the 7th of October 1948 the 2CV was unveiled to the public with over 1,300,000 visitors seeing the new 2CV at the 35th Paris motor show. Initial press reports ridiculed the new vehicle, but a six-year waiting list quickly developed, with doctorsн, teachersн and farmersн orders given priority, and confirmed orders started to sell at a premium. The first cars were delivered to customers in 1949.