Jason’s Citroën 2CV is perhaps the happiest little car I’ve ever encountered. It’s just happy to exist and, like a puppy, just wants to run around. I got to drive it during our Watkins Glen trip, and now I’m hooked. But one thing the 2CV is not is fast.
Jason wrote about the 2CV’s journey in getting here, and the fact that so many people became Members that he has to do two hours of laps at Lime Rock Park. I Pete in the woods:
“…maybe even excited about the two hours of laps I’ll have to do in the 2CV.”
You only had 2 people become members?!
Flyingstitch:
The full view is not available because the Full View Not Available bar is obscuring a portion of the full view.
Also, Transformers trailer. The kind of straight-up dad joke we don’t normally expect from Jason, but well played.
TheDrunkenWrench:
Has that little French snail ever seen 80 mph before? I’m not sure, but I was pleased that the roof didn’t fly off.
*Stares at the 55mph sticker on the U-Haul trailer*
Jason Torchinsky:
Hey, be cool.
TheDrunkenWrench:
What’s the first rule of Fight Club towing U-Hauls?
Rob Stercraw:
Every towed car is a 1995 Civic.
Tim Cougar also found the Rolls-Royce that Jason saw on a trailer:
818BLY (Chassis SZD35) just sold on Bring A Trailer 18 days ago, must be in transit from Florida to its new owner: https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1961-rolls-royce-silver-cloud-ii-7/
I wonder if Bibbly was the chauffeur’s name in 1961?
The Bishop drew up a modernized GMT400 truck that we’d all love to be sold today. Y2Keith:
IF/YOU/SEE/KAY, that’s a sharp-looking truck.
Finally, Mark gave us a showdown between a 1967 GMC C1500 and a 1968 Dodge D100. I don’t know why, but Mike Harrell got me with this comment:
Ford and Chevy trucks from the ’60s get all the glory, but for those in the know, there is a stylish third choice…
International? Do you mean International?
…the Dodge D series…
Oh. Not International, then. Fine.
Have a great evening, everyone!
Top graphic image: Mercedes Streeter
Such are the mysterious ways of the Corn Binder. Thanks!
The 2CV is so slow, Torch couldn’t get it to reverse out of its parking spot at WGI. I pushed it out! To be fair, Matt had a hard time with the Murano as well, both had to back up a significant incline.
The funniest thing was getting back to camp (on the complete opposite side of the track) and realizing the photo I took of Mercedes, Torch and Otto in the 2CV was actually just a photo of the ground. It would have been a good photo too. Oh well.
My first COTD! I shall treasure this moment, but truly, ’twas an honor just to be nominated.
My finely honed Google skills pay off at last!
But the 2CV is not slow at all (from zero)!
It just kinda runs out of ablility for much more above 40MPH.
Bet they generally went a lot slower that that (with the basket of eggs of course..) in 1948 France.
Same with the VW T2 split window bus really 😉
Won some green light “drag races” in my 2CVs and VW busses: Loads of fun!
Not that unusual to have slow acceleration (compared to now) back then. The ’70s Mercedes 200d (Diesel) has the nicknahme “Wanderdüne” (wandering dune) in Germany. For a reason. I assume there are american cars from the same era to which this could apply as well…
The point is it isn’t slow accelerating from zero. It’s only slow at anything above that! 😀
– But old diesels are (also) great! Just take off a bit earlier, if you wan’t to be first. Works for me 😉
Right? I used to buy old diesel 123 & 126 chassis Mercedes. Lean against it a bit at the light—then take off in a cloud of hungry-making smoke 🙂 *
Even had a TunerBoi chase me up a significant local mountain once. I saw how mad he was pounding on his dash
* (I produced my own fuel with used oil from a friend’s restaurant until they changed the law here)
These days, just paying attention at a light will “win” most drag races. Ofc, in my 2CV, it’s a tradeoff. With people running red lights at high speeds in gigantic SUVs and trucks, a 2CV is NOT a vehicle in which one wishes to be T-boned. But yes, given that in my 2CV, if I’m at the front of the line at a light, I watch the opposing light to go yellow to know when to put it in gear, I COULD be off the line faster than most of the people staring at their phones. I’d grumble at the fact that US lights don’t do the “yellow before green” thing, but I know it’d just be a disaster. But when the person who has to replace your clutch throw-out bearing is YOU, you try to limit how long you stand on the clutch.
And pedal to the metal in the 2CV is just so un-dangerous! Therefore addictive 😉
“IF/YOU/SEE/KAY”
If you seek Amy? Ha ha
https://youtu.be/0aEnnH6t8Ts?is=w9fuNgcRwoPLaYdM
Not gonna lie, I’m not fluent in Britney; I thought this was a Futurama reference of some sort. (Yeah, I know, “Dork alert!”)
Woo! It’s a dream of mine to get a COTD through hassling of Autopian staff. Mission accomplished!
Every towed car with a U-haul is a VW Beetle. It was the lightest thing in thier database. They had no concept of what a Saab Sonett or a Triumph Herald were.
They were also VERY confused about the Marathon C360. Given it’s one of like, two left in existence and ours never actually got registered beyond Transport Canada testing.
I had to google that one! Nifty! Did you get it running?
Is yours this one?
https://ontime.mecum.com/auction/299/item/1980-marathon-c360-hybrid-delivery-van-43820/
Negative, Ghost rider.
Ours “works”, but someone wired the motor wrong, so it’s full throttle.
I’m supposed to go sort the wiring on it, but I’ve been so swamped with other projects that I haven’t got to it (I don’t own it, I’m just volunteering time).
And here I thought that the Cybertruck was the original.