French carmaker Citroen has brought back its 2CV brand in a bid to boost sales of electric cars in a difficult market. The new model, unveiled at the Paris Motor Show, is a small city runabout with retro styling that harks back to one of the company's most famous designs. As a "concept car" intended to show Citroen's direction of travel, it is not yet ready to go on sale, but the plan is to have a version in showrooms by 2028.
As they face mounting competition from Chinese manufacturers, Citroen and other European brands are exploiting their heritage as a means of selling modern motors. Chief executive Xavier Chardon described the new car as "a modern, ingenious and refreshing response to the mobility challenges of tomorrow."
The original Citroen 2CV was launched in 1948, as Europe was recovering from World War Two. It was designed as a cheap, robust way for French farmers and country folk to get around. Its high wheel arches, soft suspension and high roof made it easy to drive, simple to repair and capable of crossing ploughed fields. The car remained in production for more than 40 years and became a cult classic, a favourite of hippies and counter-culturalists.
Now Citroen wants to draw on that heritage to sell an electric small city car expected to cost about £13,000. Its styling, including flared wheel arches, a curved roof and eye-like headlights, recalls the original "deux chevaux." Citroen is following a well-travelled road: Volkswagen revived the Beetle, BMW's Minis carry retro styling, and Fiat has sold a retro Fiat 500 for two decades. Renault has led the trend with the Renault 5 E-Tech, Renault 4 and Twingo, while VW's ID-Buzz echoes the classic T2 Transporter. Analysts say heritage could be a powerful weapon for established brands facing a serious threat from Chinese rivals.
Source: Hacker News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing