CITROEN

2CV6 Charleston

The CITROEN 2CV6 Charleston is the most charismatic and beloved special edition of the Citroën 2CV — the "umbrella on wheels" that put post-war France on the road. The original 2CV was launched at the Paris Motor Show in 1948 as a deliberately minimalist people's car, but by 1980 the little Citroën had become a cult object, and the Charleston gave it one last burst of Art-Deco glamour. Citroën unveiled the 2CV6 Charleston in October 1980 as a limited run of 8,000 cars priced at 24,800 francs, and the public response was so overwhelming that it was added to the permanent catalogue in July 1981. The Charleston's signature was its two-tone, Art-Deco-inspired paintwork, drawn from the elegant duo-tone schemes Citroën had used on its 1920s models. The launch colour was a striking Delage Red over black, with the curved separation lines lovingly picked out by hand. The 2CV6 Charleston embodied the highest level of finish and equipment ever offered on a 2CV, including round headlamps that were chrome-plated on the catalogue version and diamond-quilted grey upholstery. Mechanically the 2CV6 Charleston used the familiar 602 cc flat-twin air-cooled engine producing around 29 hp, mated to the 2CV's famous four-speed dashboard gearchange and interconnected suspension that let it lean cheerfully through corners while soaking up the worst roads in France. It was never quick, but its charm, economy and indestructible simplicity made the Charleston the best-selling 2CV of the 1980s. Over its run the colour palette evolved: the Delage Red and black launch cars were joined in July 1982 by a Hélios Yellow and black version, which was replaced in July 1983 by a refined two-grey combination of Night Grey and Cormorant Grey. French production ended in 1988 when assembly moved to the Mangualde plant in Portugal. Fittingly, the very last 2CV ever built — the 5,114,969th — rolled off the Mangualde line on 27 July 1990 at 4:30 pm, and it was a Night Grey and Cormorant Grey CITROEN 2CV6 Charleston, closing 42 years of one of history's most loved cars.