Keith Penfold, an expert on the history of the iconic 2CV, revealed in his presentation how the much-loved 'Deuche' almost never existed. How dull the world would be without the charming curves and bright colours of this little car. Keith himself was enraptured at the tender age of 8 by the sound of it's gentle purr while on a family holiday in France. The car's development was beset by problems including two bankruptcies which were a result of the manufacturers investing more in design and engineering than cost control. The car's debut was delayed by the outbreak of war and prototypes were hidden away from the occupiers in strange places including a loft where they were only recently discovered. The reason for the vehicle's success, I felt, lay in the questionnaire which was designed during development to find out exactly what people wanted in an affordable vehicle in terms of capacity, load and speed. I'm not sure whose idea it was to have removable bench seats that could be set up for picnicking on the roadside but we do know that the French like to eat their midday meal in style wherever they might be. Our thanks go to Keith for his fascinating talk. |
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November 2023
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