Citroën 2 CV Charleston 1990 - Lot 5

Lot 5
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Estimation :
50000 - 70000 EUR
Result with fees
Result : 141 960EUR
Citroën 2 CV Charleston 1990 - Lot 5
Citroën 2 CV Charleston 1990 9 km on the odometer Never registered Chassis number: VF7AZKA171949 New car, never registered Most emblematic model, Delage red Charleston A real time capsule The car illustrating these pages is a brand-new Citroën 2 CV Charleston in Delage red from 1990: it has never been sold... nor registered, and has remained in exceptional condition since 1990. A unique fact: the bodywork parts that are supposed to receive the number plates are completely undrilled, and even more unique, the car has the very rare CERFA document n°96-4761, otherwise known as the “Application for a new vehicle registration certificate”. The condition of the vehicle is of course absolutely incredible... Every detail is to the point: the tyres have never been re-inflated (the air is “factory original “), the fluids (engine and gearbox oil, brake fluid) are those put in at the factory, all the factory labels and markings are present, and the interior “smells like new”. It is no exaggeration to say that this car is a real time capsule. No “new” 2CV (we’ve seen one or two) has less than 9km on the clock, and it’s likely that this corresponds to the distance between the various assembly workshops, and the short test drive the cars were subjected to before delivery. The very few “new” 2CVs already seen on the market were sold at the time and stored by their owners for speculation; this one was never sold, for personal reasons to the garage owner who is now disposing of it, having been off the radar since 1990. It is rare to find unsold cars of this period, and we offer you the opportunity to acquire an incredible example of the most iconic of cars.  In a nod to its history, the 2CV was presented in its final version in the nave of the Grand Palais during the first post-war Motor Show in 1948. Between the metallic grey AC 109 Type A unveiled on 7 October 1948 and the grey Charleston that rolled off the production line at the Mangualde factory in Spain on 27 July 1990, 5,114,961 Citroën 2CVs were produced, all versions and series combined. The sale of this exceptional Charleston here was an obvious choice. For those who need to understand the place of the 2CV in French history, the following lines will be useful. In 1935, Citroën, bankrupt, was bought by the Michelin family, who had made their fortune with their tyre factory. Gone was André Citroën, the new boss was Pierre Michelin. But when he was killed in a car accident, Pierre-Jules Boulanger, an engineer by training and until then director of commercial services at Michelin, was called in. To turn the company around, he was forced to lay off some of the staff, but also to put an end to some interesting projects, including the legendary Traction 22 CV with a V8 engine. As part of this rationalization policy, he had his teams work on a car intended for a rural and hard-working population with few resources. The specifications were simple: the future car had to have four seats and to be able to carry 50 kg of luggage at 60 km/h, without exceeding a fiscal power of 2 HP, while being easy to maintain and economical. It must also be able to cross a ploughed field at full speed with a basket of eggs without breaking a single one... The design office was given carte blanche to explore some of the most original solutions. On September 1, 1939, 250 cars were assembled, ready to be launched on the market. But on 3 September, war was declared. The cars (except three, which remained hidden until 1998) were dismantled and destroyed. Nevertheless, studies continued during the war, and after the Liberation, a new air-cooled engine and an astonishing trailing arm suspension were introduced. What happened next? You know it now!
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