Tag: Citroen

  • Jay Leno drops the top on a 1967 Hoffman Citroen 2CV convertible

    The Citroën 2CV (or Deux Chevaux) is France’s equivalent to the Ford Model T or Volkswagen Beetle—an iconic car built in massive numbers that helped mobilize an entire nation. Of the millions of 2CVs built between 1948 and 1990, this one stands out thanks to an aftermarket convertible, err, conversion. This episode of Jay Leno’s Garage has the full story on this unusual car.

    Jay Leno’s Garage fans wanted a video on this car after seeing it in the background of other videos. This 2CV was modified by Wolfgang Hoffman with a fiberglass body that attached to the existing chassis, not unlike Meyers Manx dune buggy conversions. The idea was to make the 2CV a little fancier, Jay says. The 2CV was developed before World War II, but the war delayed the start of production until 1948. The car is largely credited with mobilizing rural France during that postwar period.

    The bodywork may be different, but the Hoffman 2CV is mechanically stock, meaning it’s powered by an air-cooled 2-cylinder engine making as little as 26 hp. That tiny engine drives the front wheels. The 2CV also features long-travel suspension that, according to legend, was designed for driving through farmers’ fields.

    1967 Hoffman Citroën 2CV on Jay Leno's Garage

    1967 Hoffman Citroën 2CV on Jay Leno’s Garage

    Leno acquired this car from a United Nations ambassador, who had stored it in Southern California for about 20 years. While it didn’t require a full restoration, a lot of work still went into making this convertible roadworthy.

    The 2CV was mechanically sound, with good paint and bodywork, but had also become a home for mice, Leno explains. It had to be fumigated and cleaned, which seemed to be a more difficult process than the minor mechanical work needed to get it running again.

    Other iconic “people’s cars,” such as the VW Beetle, Fiat 500, and Mini Cooper, have gotten modern reinterpretations, but Citroën has said it won’t do a modern 2CV. The automaker is now part of the Stellantis conglomerate, but is unlikely to make a return to the U.S. anytime soon. Stellantis recently dropped plans to bring sibling brand Peugeot back to the U.S.

    Check out the full video for the complete story on this car, and to see Jay drive it in the streets of Los Angeles.

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  • 1949 Citroen Traction Avant featured on Jay Leno’s Garage

    With front-wheel drive and unibody construction, the Citroën Traction Avant helped set the template for modern cars. A 1949-built example of the groundbreaking French sedan was featured on a recent episode of Jay Leno’s Garage.

    Introduced in 1934, the Traction Avant wasn’t the first car with front-wheel drive, but it was the first to try to take front-wheel drive mainstream. Company founder André Citroën identified the benefits of front-wheel drive, including better traction from positioning the engine over the driven axle, and greater interior space due to the lack of a transmission tunnel. Unibody construction gave the Traction Avant greater structural rigidity than traditional body-on-frame cars, while independent suspension improved ride quality. These features are commonplace on cars today and they all existed when this car was introduced, but few if any others put them all together. Several of those features would take decades to catch on in the industry.

    For all of its innovation, the Traction Avant was a financial failure. André Citroën gambled big on the car, rebuilding his company’s factory in anticipation of production. But he couldn’t recoup that investment, and eight months after Traction Avant production started, the company went bankrupt. Michelin soon took control, and André Citroën died shortly thereafter. However, the Traction Avant stayed in production until 1957 (excluding the World War II years), with about 760,000 built.

    1949 Citroën Traction Avant on Jay Leno's Garage

    1949 Citroën Traction Avant on Jay Leno’s Garage

    Leno’s car is a later 1949 model with the larger 2.9-liter 6-cylinder engine. Leno said he prefers this version because he believes the earlier 4-cylinder engine was underpowered. The bigger engine allows the car to keep up with modern traffic, although the extra weight in the nose makes the steering a bit heavier, Leno said.

    This car is unrestored, as evidenced by scuff marks on the painted steel wheels, and currently shows 58,000 kilometers (36,000 miles) on its odometer. Leno, who is the third owner, said he made some mechanical repairs and updates, but has otherwise tried to keep the Citroën original.

    Watch the full video for more details on the Traction Avant, and to see Leno put that 6-cylinder engine to good use on the streets of Los Angeles.

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