Open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm. Closed on Sundays and public holidays.
Mondays by appointment.
We will be closed from December 24th to January 1st.
Open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm. Closed on Sundays and public holidays.
Mondays by appointment.
We will be closed from December 24th to January 1st.
After the death of André Citroën and the takeover of the company by tire manufacturer Michelin, the new management of car manufacturer Citroën decided in 1935 to develop a small car that should be suitable for the rugged French countryside: the TPV, or Toute Petite Voiture. Project leader and driving force Pierre-Jules Boulanger described the goal as 'an umbrella on four wheels'. Based on market research, it was decided that it should be a vehicle that could transport two farmers with 50 kilograms of potatoes or a barrel with 50 liters of wine. The story also goes that it should be possible to take a sheep in the car. The car had to be so comfortable that eggs in a basket would not break when the car drove over a piece of ploughed land. Other requirements were that the car had to be economical, reliable, cheap and easy to operate. A farmer's wife had to be able to drive it to the market. On Sundays, the farmer had to fit in with a hat so that he could go to church by car. The appearance of the car was not considered important.
A car was developed that met most of those requirements, but it was certainly not ready for production. Citroën planned to present a prototype of the car at the Salon d'Automobile in October 1939, but due to the Second World War, the Salon was cancelled.
After the war, and after a thorough change of the original design, the car was presented to the press and public on 23 March 1948. A journalist would have called the cart the ugly duckling and this name has become a nickname in the Netherlands.
In the beginning of its production, the 2CV was mainly supplied to farmers (primary target group), healthcare providers such as general practitioners and well-known French artists (free advertising). The French rural people were immediately enthusiastic, which increased the waiting time to three years. In 1952, the Netherlands was the first export country for the 2CV. However, the car was sold poorly here in the beginning, probably because of its appearance. Later versions became cult vehicles, just like elsewhere in Europe. The ugly duckling can join automotive icons such as the Volkswagen Beetle, the Morris Minor, the Mini and the Fiat 500.
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