greycharlestoner
Enthusiast
- Messages
- 54
both of these iconic French cars are fun practical petrol efficient and evoke friendly responses from the least likely of folk, and lots of the more likely.
Having driven and loved both over the years I'd say there is not a lot to choose in driving experience, both were designed for the same customer base, more or less.
Where things differ now is the ease of getting parts for 2cvs from chassis down to silly things like interior trim and radiator grilles.#
And in the very healthy resale value of good 2cvs of all ages compared to Renault 4s.
Not a lot of people know that Citroen actually took the Regie to court as they reckoned that the 2cv had been plagiarised lock stock and barrel [they lost]
And Renault did launch a rather nasty targeted attack on the 2cv at the time of the launch of the quatrelle, ridiculous trade in deals on 2cv that made no other commercial sense other than an ugly attempt to gain sales not for worthy of the obvious qualities of the new little car.
Remember, in an earlier period Louis Renault was a bitter rival of Andre Citroen, who he[with some justification] looked on as a jumped up Johnny come lately on the French motoring scene in 1919.
And he was pretty vituperative about the Traction Avant parts of which surfaced in the quatrellle's suspension.
He said that one of the worst things that he did was to take André Citroen on a tour of the Billancourt works which he had spent the previous 10 years modernising, followed by a slap up dinner at the ritzy Tour Argent overlooking the Eiffel Tower[Google it, prices make your eyes water!].
This resulted, at a time of gathering economic depression, in André Citroen tearing down the aging Javel works that dated back to his shell production during the Great war, which coupled with crippling costs in the development of the Traction Avant and his profligate gambling habits which had depleted his own ability to bring to bear monies of his own to keep going...and led to his humiliating downfall and sad premature death from stomach cancer when the Michelin company had taken over after a steering wheel manufacturer had brought the company to administration...and such was the right wing prejudice amply shown by Renault that Le petite jeuf de Javel was not to be given govt help to stave off bankcrupcy.
All this sad history has at least given us two very satisfying and fun to drive cars...pick one of them naa both great cars in their own ways, that raise a smile from all their drivers!!!
Having driven and loved both over the years I'd say there is not a lot to choose in driving experience, both were designed for the same customer base, more or less.
Where things differ now is the ease of getting parts for 2cvs from chassis down to silly things like interior trim and radiator grilles.#
And in the very healthy resale value of good 2cvs of all ages compared to Renault 4s.
Not a lot of people know that Citroen actually took the Regie to court as they reckoned that the 2cv had been plagiarised lock stock and barrel [they lost]
And Renault did launch a rather nasty targeted attack on the 2cv at the time of the launch of the quatrelle, ridiculous trade in deals on 2cv that made no other commercial sense other than an ugly attempt to gain sales not for worthy of the obvious qualities of the new little car.
Remember, in an earlier period Louis Renault was a bitter rival of Andre Citroen, who he[with some justification] looked on as a jumped up Johnny come lately on the French motoring scene in 1919.
And he was pretty vituperative about the Traction Avant parts of which surfaced in the quatrellle's suspension.
He said that one of the worst things that he did was to take André Citroen on a tour of the Billancourt works which he had spent the previous 10 years modernising, followed by a slap up dinner at the ritzy Tour Argent overlooking the Eiffel Tower[Google it, prices make your eyes water!].
This resulted, at a time of gathering economic depression, in André Citroen tearing down the aging Javel works that dated back to his shell production during the Great war, which coupled with crippling costs in the development of the Traction Avant and his profligate gambling habits which had depleted his own ability to bring to bear monies of his own to keep going...and led to his humiliating downfall and sad premature death from stomach cancer when the Michelin company had taken over after a steering wheel manufacturer had brought the company to administration...and such was the right wing prejudice amply shown by Renault that Le petite jeuf de Javel was not to be given govt help to stave off bankcrupcy.
All this sad history has at least given us two very satisfying and fun to drive cars...pick one of them naa both great cars in their own ways, that raise a smile from all their drivers!!!
