Citroën 2CV 1958 Les Classiques

Brand - Reference

SAI Les Classiques 6002

Type

Citroën 2CV AZLP 1958

Comments

Probably the most successful of the 1:87 2CV models. The front end, with its very thin grille and headlights mounted on a crossbar as in reality (with a reservation about the “glasses” attached), is remarkable. The lights are painted; there are even indicator lights on the headlights. A photoetched mirror is supplied, but there is no place to mount it.

The car can be disassembled with two small screws. Photo. The dashboard and steering wheel remain attached to the body. Photo. We discover a detailed interior, with nice seats with a visible but too thick frame. There are also door linings where you can see the clip for closing the opening window, characteristic of the 2CV! There is even a spare wheel in the boot, invisible from the outside. The soft top, with its successful colouring, is a spare part.

Now for the not so good. The most important defect is the windscreen, under which the part that actually contains the air vents is too high. Then, the window pillars are too thick, a defect accentuated by the fact that the side windows are not recessed at all. The Wiking 2CV is better on this point (but the latter has its windscreen too low, on the contrary!) Here is a comparative photo. In this respect, the two models are caricatures, in the opposite direction!

An improvement already made on the Renault 4 Wiking would have been to make the rear wheels independent…

Modifications

• Headlights modified: removal of the nail-shaped glass; hollowing out the parabola with a spherical cutter; application of Molotow Liquid Chrome. See the result.
• Mounted mirror (manual drilling of the windscreen pillar with a carbide drill ⌀ 0.3 mm; gluing with CA). See the result.

History

The Citroën 2CV was manufactured from 1948 to 1990, with approximately 5.1 million units of all types produced. The 1957 AZLP type was the first to receive a Citroën-made rigid rear boot door, other doors having been supplied by independent manufacturers before.

Specifications (1957 AZLP model): two-cylinder air-cooled flat engine, 424 cm³, 9.2 kW (12 hp) SAE. Tyres 125-400. Max. speed 78 km/h. Weight 490 kg.

Documents:

• Article Wikipedia.
• Technical specifications of AZLM model on Autotitre.com.
• Technical specifications of 1957 AZLM model on automobile-catalog.com.
• Photos sur Wikimedia.
• Article and photos on stubs-auto.fr.
• Article on the evolution of the 2CV suspension from 1950-60 on mehariclub.