Frank Herzog Citroen 2 CV with 65 HP in the driving report
05.06.2013
A C itroën 2 CV, even today every child knows that is a minimalist vehicle - only suitable for people who have lost the proverbial calm. Only with a lot of running-up and good persuasion does a duck rock itself up to a little over 100 kilometers per hour. The small two-cylinder boxer engine does not make a racket like modern sedans even at 250 km /h. And a duck can smell inclines: it reports its approach by falling engine speeds - long before the eye registers anything other than flat land.
Even with a caravan in the fast lane
Little more than highway speed is also for the white Citroën 2 CV from Jörg Siecker-Tries from Rosengarten a magical limit at Schwäbisch Hall. However, only when he is towing his caravan. 'Abroad you can drive a bit faster with it,' says the duck driver, 'but it did happen now and then that the drivers of Volvo or Daimler sidecars angrily showed me their fists when I crossed the Alps uphill overtook with 105 or 110. ' How can that be? Anyone who sees this brown duck standing anywhere will not notice anything unusual.
In view of the perforated rims, only connoisseurs realize that they could have something special in front of them with this duck. At the time, these wheels were only used on the Citroën Ami Super, often used as a basis for building fast ducks. As with the 2 CV, the chassis is screwed to the frame here. The dimensions that no in-line four-cylinder can manage. The GSA boxer reacts to throttle bumps with a spontaneous increase in engine speed - no trace of the inertia of the time-honored duck engine. With a little benevolence, this 2 CV sounds a bit like a Porsche.
Citroën construction kit from 2CV, Ami Super, GSA donates parts
The background noise is that of the short exhaust system from the duck, quite moderate. The GSA unit needs to be rotated for brisk locomotion. Up to around 3,000 rpm it is comparatively tame, above this the boxer puts more and more effort into his stuff, only to beyond 6,000 tours afterto ask for the next course. The bottom line is that the 1300 is noticeably more powerful, but subjectively it is less stormy than the Ami engine, whose nominal speed is 1,000 revolutions higher. With the GSA unit, the engine power is available over a broader range and can be better dosed.
If the engine is turned off, the Citroën 2 CV up to country road speed less than 10 seconds. For a weight of around 650 kilograms, 65 hp is a very decent value. Only at around 140 kilometers per hour do you have to change from fourth to fifth level in the racing duck.
The fact that the Visa speedometer shows a maximum of 200 km /h is by no means imposture. 'The duck can actually always run 170 kilometers per hour, with a little run-up it can manage 180 on the level', says the owner. The only problem is the soft top of the Citroën 2 CV. 'It just wears out too quickly with the high wind pressure,' says Siecker-Tries. 'That's why I always have a few in reserve.'
The Ami chassis, which, by the way, was equipped with 145 tires instead of the standard 135 Michelin, is designed to be much tighter than a standard duck running gear, but without being uncomfortable. It remains good-natured in every driving situation - too high cornering speeds are announced early on by gently pushing the front wheels.
This duck is not for wimps
The legendary inclines familiar from conventional Citroën 2 CV cannot be achieved with the common duck. This Citroën 2 CV also proves to be unsuitable for wimps in sporty driving. The - of course not servo-assisted - steering requires a lot of gripping. And for decent delays, the duck's brake has to be pulled hard.
The shift pattern of the five-speed gearbox adapted to the stick shift is conventional, but mirrored in the longitudinal axis - the first stage is at the rear, the second at the front. As in every Citroën 2 CV, the shift travel is long, and quick gear changes are only possible after sufficient practice. Nevertheless: This duck leaves a rounded impression and is just a lot of fun. By the way: you can also stroll through the landscape with the roof open.
Why could Citroën never bring itself to offer such a vehicle? Yes, yes, security. At a time when a car without ESP and with fewer than ten airbags is difficult to sell, even a duck with 10 hp would be demonized as an acute danger to life and limb. Anyway: if a white duck soon appears behind you on the motorway, make room as a precaution.
