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Membership of 2CVGB is by annual subscription: UK £34, Europe £80 (£34 with Emagazine), Worldwide £100 (£34 with E-magazine). You can join or renew online at www.2cvgb.co.uk where you can also download the membership application form. If you do not have access to the internet please forward membership enquiries to the membership secretary (contact details on p60).
BONJOURÀTOUS
Welcome! This month is the 50th anniversary of Citroën (re)launching the 2CV in Britain and we celebrate that in this issue.
In 1973, the ArabIsraeli war resulted in an embargo by OPEC countries on exporting oil to countries that supported Israel, including Britain. By 1974, oil had started to flow once again, but the price had more than quadrupled. As a result, car buyers started to look at fuel economy among the performance figures when choosing a new car.
The time seemed right for Citroën to introduce the 2CV back to Britain. The Dyane and Ami were already available (my family had been Dyane owners for two years by then), but the 2CV made more of a splash because of its iconic design and association with all things foreign and exotic (i.e. mainland Europe), plus its legendary fuel economy and low price. Without Citroën’s decision to re-introduce 2CVs to Britain, it’s extremely unlikely 2CVGB would exist, so a big thank you to Citroën and, in part I suppose, tensions in the Middle East.
See you in a field somewhere.
THE DEADLINE FOR THE NOVEMBER ISSUE IS THE 10TH OCTOBER
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this magazine, the reader should read and understand the following:
magazine, neither the Deux Chevaux Club of Great Britain (2CVGB) Limited (the “Club”) and its officers, nor the members and authors of such articles, accept any liability whatsoever for such advice. The Club makes no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether express or implied, that the content in this magazine is accurate, complete or up to date. The content in this magazine is provided for general information purposes only. It is not intended to be advice on which you should rely. You must either satisfy yourself as to the accuracy and completeness of the content and/or obtain specialist technical advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the
content in this magazine. You are responsible for checking any applicable manufacturers’ instructions, safety manuals or any other relevant instructions before undertaking any alterations to your vehicle.
In particular, the Club does not give any warranty, representation or undertaking:
• as to the efficacy, usefulness, safety or commercial or technical viability of the technical information (“Technical Information”) and/or any products made or processes carried out using the Technical Information;
• as to the volumes or quality of the products which may be manufactured through the use of the Technical Information;
• that any of the Technical Information is or will be valid;
• that the Technical Information can be freely exploited in all or any parts of the world; and/or
• that the Technical Information will not infringe the intellectual property or other rights of any third party. The views or opinions expressed by our contributing writers should not be interpreted as the views and opinions of the Club. Where the magazine contains links or references to websites and/or resources provided by third parties, these links or references are provided for your information only. Such links should not be interpreted as approval by the Club of those linked websites or information
OCTOBER
12TH 2CV RACING OULTON PARK (CHESHIRE). Rounds 8 and 9 of the 2024 2CVParts.com Championship. Two 15 minute sprint races. Other racing series will also be present over the weekend 25-28TH MANCHESTER DUCKS CONCRETE CAMPING at the Cairndale Hotel Dumfries over 2 or 3 nights. For full details please refer to the 2CVGB Official FB page. All bookings to be made directly with Fiona Martin at the hotel on 01387 240287 or at fionam@cairndalehotel.co.uk). Please quote Citroen Car Group for discount. For any further information contact Tony Kehoe on 07565 347048 or at tonykehoe@outlook.com
27TH HUDDERSFIELD TWIN POTS BI-MONTHLY BREAKFAST & BANTER at The Oil Can Café at The Carding Shed, Washpit Mills, Green Lane, Holmfirth HD9 2RD. See Facebook group for additional events. Contact Tim Jones on 07926 272437 (trwjones500@gmail.com)
NOVEMBER
3RD CHESHIRE DRAGONS LUNCH AT THE DRUID INN, Llanferres, North Wales
DECEMBER
7TH CHESHIRE DRAGONS BAR SKITTLES AND CHRISTMAS DINNER at the Bickerton Poacher, near Malpas, Cheshire. The skittles alley is booked for 5.30pm and the carvery dinner for 7.15pm
12TH TROY CHRISTMAS PIE AND PEA SUPPER. The Plough Inn, Shearburn Terrace, Snaith, East Yorkshire DN14 9JJ from 19:30. A hearty pie and chips style meal for fifteen quid! Vegetarian and vegan option available. Limited numbers. For full details please contact David Eden on 01405 813640 or davideden1951@gmail.com
28TH RAID IMBER 2024.Annual Mud n Puddles run across Salisbury Plain to the lost village ofImber. Meet at Warminster Services 9am for 10.30am departure. Gary. 07888 998776
JANUARY 2025
3RD AIRE COOLED ALLEY CATS CURRY NIGHT TBA
APRIL 2025
18-21ST 2CVGB NATIONAL Martha's Down Campsite, Hindon, Wiltshire. Further information to follow
MAY 2025
22-27TH NORTH SOMERSET TIN SNAILS NSTS CAMP on a site near Wells 28-1ST FRENCH NATIONAL. For more information, please refer to their websitehttps://nationale2025.fr/
JULY 2025
29T-3RD 25TH WORLD MEETING OF 2CV FRIENDS, Slovenia. For more information, please refer to their website - https://2cv2025.si/
AUGUST 2025
29-1ST REGISTERS DAY Gloucestershire. More details to follow.
SEPTEMBER 2025
4–7TH LANCASTER BOMBERS CELEBRATES THE 25TH SILLOTH CAMP. To book camping (tent/trailer tent/motorhome etc) go to: cove.co.uk/Solway or phone 01697 331236. Please book in advance, even just a couple of days if possible and mention "Citröen 2cv camp". If you don't need an electric hook up, please state "grass pitch - no electric". If you've ever been to our Silloth camp - or thought of coming - please come as it is our 25th year
BEFORE the deadline of the 5th of the month
or too
Hello all, well at the time of writing this it’s dropped under 20c and looking at the forecast I’d say Autumn is here. However, that’s no excuse not to go to some meetings so here are a few to take us up to December.
OCTOBER2024
04- 06.10.24 Germany-66571. 5th Citroën Oktoberfest of the 2cv Club Eppelborn in Allwies 33, Eppelborn, at Gabi & Franz-Josef Weihs, Tel. 06881/8807326, 015750693485, EMail:2cv-club-eppelborn1@mailbox.org http://2cvclubeppelborn.jimdofree.com. Please book in advance!
05.10.24 Austria. Autumn meeting of the Weinviertel Citroën Club with a visit to a sparkling wine factory and tractor
I can confirm that all those standing for re-election or election to committee posts were agreed without any votes against.
That means that Sean Sowley takes over the DVLA Liaison role and Nigel Herring takes over the risk and compliance role respectively from 1st October.
The events role has been removed because of the changes to the way events are now advertisedon the website and online.
We alreadyhad a volunteer to take over the clubshop role if Sean was elected to the DVLA post. Jean Sowley, Sean's wife and her co-option into the post will be considered at the
committee meeting on 29th September along with the co-option of the volunteers for the PR/communications and secretary roles that I am glad to say have recently come forward.
Mark Dunmore was elected to take over the role of registrars co-ordinator in addition to being re-elected as equipment officer so good luck to Mark with his two hats!
I guess that this was my last magazine item in my role as company secretary. There should bean update on any co-options to the committee in the November magazine.
Hi all, I am writing this from a beautiful sunny France; we are over here for a five week holiday and will only just be getting back when you are reading this.
So far we have visited some lovely places and I cannot believe how popular the new Citroën Ami has become. Also, a huge thanks to James our editor, who is lucky enough to live over here, for suggesting some great towns to visit, the first one being Chablis. For those who know me well, this is a perfect town for me as was Soave last year
Apologies for not being able to put any family members in the welcome list, but unfortunately the only way I can access a list whilst away doesn’t show them. Also, if I have missed anybody off, I will make sure you are on next month’s list, but welcome one and all.
Specialist insurance for 2CVGB club members
2CVGB CLUB INSURANCE UPDATE
by Dave Youngs, Partnerships Director, Peter James Insurance
Wow, what a weekend!! Your wonderful cars invaded the beautiful Cotswold countryside for the 2CVGB National, and we were very proud to be a part of it.
It was a festival with everything, from the superb drive-in cinema to the driveouts to local attractions like the Classic Motor Hub and the M96 cavalcade. Seeing a 2CV out on the road is always a treat, but seeing so many of them together was a real spectacle. It was a reminder of just how much passion there is within this Club and how important it is for us to ensure that these cars, which mean so much and are well and truly family members, are protected whilst out on the road.
Your Club insurance scheme aims to provide protection and reassurance while allowing you more flexibility to enjoy your 2CV as part of the club, such as memberto-member cover and family activities.
Speaking to members during the weekend, it’s clear that, in many cases, the whole family shares a passion for the 2CV. Many of you say that your cars are to be handed down through the generations. We are keen to help facilitate this, so we offer young drivers the opportunity to insure a 2CV through the Club's scheme in a way you would not normally find out there in the wider market (which often sets a limit of 25 or even 30 for classic car insurance). Suppose you don't yet own your own 2CV but instead want to drive the family car. In that case, there are other options, including what we call 'Accompanied Driver Cover', where you can drive with another family member in the car for a modest additional premium.
The key is to talk to us! We can try to work with you and your individual circumstances to ensure we get the next generation behind the wheel and on the road at 2CV GB Club events to safeguard our future for enjoying these cars. Here is another quick reminder of the key benefits that 2CV GB Club Insurance offers you:
EXCLUSIVERATESFOR 2CVGBCLUBMEMBERS
● Additional discount based on length of membership.
● Member-to-member cover – club members are insured to drive each other’s 2CVs with fully comprehensive cover at no additional charge.
● Optional reinstatement cover to increase the insured value to account for repair and parts costs.
● Cover for tools, spare parts, and accessories.
● Self-repair – the option to receive an equivalent cash settlement.
● Free salvage retention.
● UK & European breakdown cover included.
● Agreed value from the Club recognised.
● Multi-vehicle cover – insure all your cars on one policy.
We’d love to hear from you. To speak to a member of our friendly team and to request a quote, please call our club’s dedicated insurance lineon0121 506 6034 .
A LIFETIME OF DEUCHES
I was born in France in the late 50s and was introduced to 2CVs as my dad had a suicide door 2CV; in the early 70s (by then my mum and I had moved to England) he bought a brand new 2CV4 with square headlights which on visits back to France he would let me drive (just slightly under the legal age) on Sundays on the roads of an industrial estate.
In 1984, after much deliberation (not) in May I bought a brand new 2CV6 Charleston in two tone grey, A687 SAT. This I had for just under two years when it was written off by a friend in a low speed accident (fortunately he was insured). In May 1986 I bought another brand new 2CV6, C62 LJV in red which I kept for maybe two years before trading it in for a secondhand hand Rover 213SX. Fast forward to 2021 and again after much deliberation (not) I bought my 3rd 2CV6, G696 PRR.
BUYING PARTS FROM THE EU
Re Page 13 of the September 2024 issue of 2CVGB News, Carburettors (Charles Hill). I bought a new carb for my 1987 2CV Spécial in June. There were none available in the UK, MCC didn’t have any and neither did Burton at that point. Der Franzose (which I use quite often) did have them in stock. Here’s how the costs work out:
MCC 362€ plus postage, probably plus 20% VAT on entry to UK.
A brand new 2CV carburettor from Der Franzose costs 349.17€ to a UK customer (£294.47), which is with 0% VAT. (to a customer in Germany, the same item costs 415.51€ (£350.42) which is at 19% VAT).
On top of that, you pay delivery to the UK (I paid 16.90€).
When it arrives in the UK, you are due the VAT at 20%, which is charged on the item plus the shipping cost, so that’s on 369.49€ in my case. So I got a bill via Royal Mail for £73.82 and, once I paid that (online was easiest and quickest), it was delivered.
Total cost of the carburettor, £297.47 + £73.83 = £371.83
Depending on what a customer in Germany would pay for carriage, the difference isn’t that great and part of it is due to the 1% difference in their VAT rate and ours.
The carb I bought came with a test certificate saying it was running at 1 to 2 % CO: the MOT test said 2.1%. All I had to do to it was to turn the idle screw down half a turn. It works perfectly.
RECONDITIONED CARBS
GO GREEN - DRIVE AN OLD CAR
Reading the Sunday Times magazine recently, I came across the attached article featuring 'Collectors Classics'. It was about the Peugeot 403 convertible & included that the TV detective Columbo used one. However, what I found most interesting is that those of us that own old crocks are really helping the planet & that the benefit increases the longer we keep them going! Now that I have the article on my phone, I can't wait to chat with an electric car owner about who has the greenest wheels!
FIVE PER CENT ODIOUS?
If my memory servesme correctly, this is my 38th year as a member of 2CVGB which is quite a long time. I was somewhat shocked to read 'bun fight' and 'storm in a tea cup' in the September 2024 magazine.
I must say that, inmy view, Vanessa was very diplomatic but equally very clear in her writing. It seems that certain parts of social media have allowed undiplomatic language to raise its ugly head. Vanessa cites the 5% of odious people each of us may encounter. In my 45 years of professional life I had dealings with only four or five such
people. Maybe I was lucky in that I was able to just ignore them! In the case of our club, all committee members and local club groups organisers give of their time freely. Good manners maketh man (and woman)!
Again, maybe I have been lucky in only encountering friendship in either the excellent 2CVGB (and other classic Rover clubs).
Yes to fairness, friendship and fruitfulness but perhaps the greatest of these is friendship. Best wishes,
In the 1950s, Citroën assembled 2cvs in their factory at Slough and then followed on, briefly with the Bijou. However, the success of these models was limited and relatively few were sold. Maybe it was the traditionally conservative British public being wary, or simply it was just too strange and unusual to really catch on. The introduction of that great British success story, the Mini in 1959 was the final nail in the coffin of the British 2cv, the mini being cheaper to buy too. So Slough 2cv production ceased in 1960 and the UK would see no 2cvs officially sold here for fifteen years. Things began to change though in the
early 1970s. In the aftermath of the energy crisis the focus swung towards cheaper, more economical cars, which were cheap to fuel and run. In response to this, and buoyed by the (relative) success of the Dyane and Ami models in the UK, Citroën decided that the time was right to cautiously test the water with reintroducing the 2cv. By cautiously, there was only one model to be made available at launch, the 2cv6 with the larger 602cc engine. It was assumed that the smaller 435cc variant would be a step too far or confuse the offering.
So, in October 1974 an ‘official’ RHD 2c6 was launched in the UK. This wasn’t
an ad-hoc conversion, but utilised the existing RHD upper bulkhead pressing that the Belgians were already using, albeit in small numbers, at the Forest plant in Brussels. This was previously reserved for special order 2cvs such as Belgian and Jersey post office vans, and a more primitive version used earlier for the RHD AZAMs destined for Sweden.
The first RHD 2cvs were, therefore, also built in Belgium, which continued from launch to around October 1977. These Belgian built RHD 2cvs differed from your ‘standard’ later ‘80s RHD 2cv in a number of subtle ways. The most notable observation was the single demister arrangement, with the original left hand vent deleted and instead moved across to the right of the driver. A new dashboard cover moulding was utilised to accommodate this change. However, the bulkhead
heater nozzles remained in LHD guise, necessitating a long, meandering demister pipe to wind its way from the left hand outlet across to the right of the bulkhead. The first UK models also had a single choke carburettor fitted, operated by a rod control. This required an extension bar to be fitted to the outer toeboard to take the linkage across from the right and align it with the carburettor. Other detail differences also featured, such as the location of the flasher relay and screenwash bottle. The brake master cylinder was of course mounted on the right hand side.
For 1974, all 2cvs had received a fairly radical update inside, with the previous dash, door card and seat trim largely unchanged since the late sixties. In its place was a new brown dash binnacle, housing a redesigned speedometer (again on a brown background with
3B
revised lettering, and the UK cars of course had it calibrated in MPH), and the familiar twin spoke ‘Quillery’ wheel was replaced by an elegant padded single spoke wheel, possibly to reflect the family ties with the larger G and D models.
r;nge of mpg figures accordingto horv it isdriven. A flatillt runuptheM1 gave us 36 mpg" brim-to-brim; agentle ruir frcm theN{idlands to the south coastgave53'5mpg.In fiorir1illusewewouldnot expe.t many o'r/ners to better thir Iast figure.while most cluld takeouroverall 45'9 ,rrIr livhrch shows good ;rgreerrerl'.v.itiltrecrlculated DIN louring figure cf 45'7 rrPg) as a basrs for calculation. It .:rrrulu .rirvuys bc borne in rn;n11, though. that prolonged r:iroffullthrottleu,:illbring lh:,,i f'igLrreCown into the r:r ici-10:.. "l"iu;Crtrobr"r usedlessthan ir,,lf apilt of oil during its : .i Icri*rd. suggesting a ii;rt:1lit!!Cil consrrmPtion of ,'r,;::idtrabjy more than 1,000 r:ri1rrper piirt.
Ii:ndiiftc and brakes T,rl l{..1,'is oneof those cr.t:; lvh.:r';llte has carefully tr: distingui:;L between steering. i:andiirrg lLld rrt;rdholding. jr 1r:;s.l,t1dsteerii-ig. mediocre h.r:r;jll;1shui suPrerrrell'good r',r.,.ltii-.ld;trg. in fact. fi,: steering.hYrack and iriri:rrn ir:L> erygoodresponse .,,t..1, ..,i'l i,:.i:llti.J frO:': ii:ii:rliii. it il nrlt howevc,r .:i.:thl.r high-geare'i,'erie.ci.t ily :.ii:elriiratoapsor36ftturn:i": fllrr( !\'h Jn mllnOeU\ring tn:r;;',ti.;riight sPaces.it is
citroon2cv6
surprising howhardone has towork atthevrheel,andhow oftenone needs totake two bitesataturn instead of gettingroundin one.The other noticeable feature of the steering (though not necessarilya bad one)is thewayit gets heavier as speed increases. At maxirnum speed,it takes a hefty tugatthe wheel rim to haulthecaronto a new course. This implies, rightly, that the natural stability of the 2CV is excellent. Nor is the car diverted by sidewindsor uneven surfaces. But superstabilityis often,asin this case,accompanied byan unwillingness to change course evenwhen thedriver wishes' In any circumstance, the CitroEn understeers. The faster it is driven,theharderit is cornered, themore it understeers,until one arrives at the situationwhere fulllock has been applied and thenose still runswide.At thispoint there isnoalternative butto release the accelera',.1 'r'hereupon the car slc-.;rs veryquicklybut\"itho-.ltmisbehaving. In fact it may not be necessary to back off-the accelerator,for onfull lockthetyre dragis tremendousand thecar slows ra'pidlY inanv case. The roadhoidingis totallY beyond reproach. TheMichelin tyies arenarrow but entirelY
adequate for :l carof this weight,andtht.yhangoniike grimdeathorian)'firm. unfrozen surface" It isoniy u'itl.r sornedifficuitythat .i'heelsliding cant'eprovoked even underbraki.rg. Theresult of all this,naturally,isthat the little CitroF)n is outstandingly safeandfc.rgiving. Thebra':es aredrumsfront and rear, .andnot orer-larP;e: but the' are quite large enough t.: givegood Perfornlance anc, fade resistance. Pedai loadsarenot unduiy high despite the lackofa servothecarisnot heavY enougtr to neecj one. Our ultimate stoP wasar:' indicated l'05g (Probablye'raggeratedbythe consideratrle nosedive) for an effort of 00lb. This \\.r' achiel edrvith thefront *'heels onthepoinl of lockin-c. \i.:h excell:nt control.
Becluse of th: lo.'. ::..,\imum speed. oLri i.:ce ielts were;arrred ou:i;Jn 5l mph andpreserrie;ithec;.1 'rl:h nrl probli:m, Ped-.; ;r:..ure: h;rd1-v Chanf:ied ih.rug1.l\]1ire 10)"-:r,t:il. Jll,llt ii onl) 'f to s3-v ih"t l\\o slops fl. a rather higherspeedproduce. nountoivardresult.The handbrakeworkson the front -wtreels ii:.'i{i:, outsttrndingly effective. girinqan enieigency stopof 0 -<5g nhen used alcne on the 1er.el,It heidthe car securely facing either \i'ay on
theI in3testhill. anda restartwas possible on this gradient with theaidof the "high-speed flywheel'' technique already referred tc. Cornfort and convenience
TheCitrodn's ride is legendary, and rightly so. The combiniitir:n of iong-stroke travel anilcunningdamping enables thecar to soak uptrulY aPpalling suifaces without disturbingits occupants, Yetat the same time thereisvery little of the uncornfartablefloating sensation l';hichisthecnrse of other softly-sprung vehicles. Onamainroad" the CitroEn ride fr:elsgood* alot better rhrn averaget but onehasto drive thecaracioss aploughed fieldto appreciate theultimate virtuesofthe suspension. It is caughtout only by singleiargc potholes,which causeareverberating crashthlough the ',r,hole structure, orby single br-rmps fiike hr:mp-backed bridges) overwhichthe car seems to hesitate before realizing thegroundhiis droPPed liW:i -\/. The us'r:,i dra..vback with so softa su-ipensir:n isthat tiie car rclls iL qocddell" It isstill possibie tc provoke the 2CV into rr.i1 angle.x'hich either amuse or:lartnone'sfellow roadusets,butrve have the distinct impressionthatthecar isstiffer inroll than it used to h*.Driver:gerrtly.it doesnol roli:rjithr:tm';ch. and onlY u,hen pressed intoatightening -oend rvili it disturb its passengers.
Tiny eneine lives welt forward butlow4own,beneathdl its accessoies. Ducted-cootingfanartd headlamp height-adiustittg system can be liJ'irr"i,'i..")';i;;;;;L,';;:,i iiii"ti6iiiiZtiii-iii;;'ii i;i:4.iiii ',ot (bottom"cbntre)isroomv put to.eupight for reatcomfort' sntolt^ flar wittdscreen siiii')r:iiiiitiali,ri,i:ra'uui-*a riiSuqe y_ery s*alt. slot atbase'of steen- gtvesdireci fiowofventilating ar' Boot isqutre large ond casililoaded; wheelbrrce doubles as astarting handle
New, full width door cappings were introduced, as well as a new brown targa seat covering option, to go with the existing anthracite offering. Door cards were available in either, to suit, depending on body colour. For example, orange 2cvs got an all brown interior, while blue ones got a mixture of brown dash and anthracite seats/door
cards. The roof was of the newly-introduced internal closing type.
Outside, the new ’74 2cvs adopted the slightly controversial rectangular headlights, plastic grille with integral chevrons and simplified bumpers
without separate trim, plus a neat aluminium bootlid badge that simply says ‘2cv6’.
The 435cc engine was never offered in the UK, and even the 2cv4 SPOT of 1976 came to the UK with a 602cc fitted.
AUTOCAR wleI March 1975
The2CVhasfour small doors ratherthan two large ones. Thisis greatly to the benefitofthebackseatpassengers,butentryinto the front israther restricted, and oneof our larger testersmanaged to tearhisclothingontheprojectingstriker plateofthedoor lock.The seatslook far more civilized thanwas once the casenowthatthey are upholstered in paddedvinyl, but they arestill built on the same principle astheoriginal hammock-typeseatsso wideiy praisedby thosewho tried them, Thecurrentseats are stillvery comfortable for short trips,but are fartoo upright for long-journey comfort. Thereistoomuch support behindthe shoulders and toolittlein thesmallof the back,and eventually backacheclaimed any testerwho drove thezCYany real distance.
Thedrivingpositionis well planned. Because the driver sitshigh andupright, CitroEn are able to get away with a minimum of fore-and-aft seat movement. Some ofourlarger drivers felt atfirstthat they lacked rearward movement, then came to terms with the lorry-like position with the big steering wheelsetfairlyflatin one'slap.The pedalsarewell spaced and easily operated.It takes some timeto getused to the gearchange, which is one ofthosepush-pullaffairs found only in small French cars,but not so much becauseof its action.Thepattern is unusual, with reverse opposite first, second oppositethird, and top gearaway onitsownto the right.Thereisabeautiful logic in the layout, inthat one can shuttle between flrstand reversewhile manoeuvring, and between second and third in towntraffic,butmost of our drivers confessto having just stopped themselves from moving smartly backwards when traffic lightsturnedgreen. The quality ofthechange is good, with short, precise movements, butthesynchromesh on thelower gears isweak andthe clutchinour testcar took up ratherlate inits travel.
Theminor controlsare something ofa mess. The lights switchisa typicallyFrench column-mounted stalk and workswell onceone is accustomed toits sense of operation,but the wiper switch and washerpushbutton arehidden awayonthefaciabehindthe steering wheel rim.The heater controlsarescatteredand unmarked.
Forward visibility is sornethingofaproblem,especially fortall drivers. Theflatwindscreen is shallow and lowbrowed andthe single-speed wipers have mi-serably small arcs;noristhewashervery effective, Ontheother hand
Interiorlooks, andis,something of ashunbles eventhough the actualdriving position iswell planned. One soonbecomes used totheodd-looking ingle-spoke steeringwheel but thegearchange takes alittle more sorting. Handbrake lslow down and toofar away thelightsare excellent and their elevation can beadjusted bythedriverwhileon the move - arefinernent thatwould not come amiss in many more refined and expensive cars. To the sidesandrearthereismuch lessofavisibility problem, since thepillarsarethin and thereareno-teal blind spots. The heater, withits simple heat-exchanger built round the exhaustsystem, works surprisinglywell.Itsoutput is easily controlled and soisits distribution (once onehasfound the controls concerned). Demisting performance is good, and ventilation, viaadirect freshair duct atthe baseof the screen, isall one could wish. One of thereal drawbacks of the2CVis noise. It isnot, asyou might imagine, simply a question of engine noise. Certainly the enginegives forth aharshclatterwhen working hardatlow speed, but higher up the scale it fades into a background of other noises of whichwind noise isthe worst. At 70 mph,windnoisethrough andaround thevarious gaps and edgesofthebody completely drowns the engine and transmission, andis loud enough nottobetolerated for longwithouttheriskof a headache. To this extentit is thenoise level which setsthe comlortable cruising speedof thecar,atabout 50 mph. Thankstotheheightof the car andthelimited rearward movement ofthefront seat, thereisquite alotofroom in the back. The2CViscramped for fourlarge adults,but far lrom impossible. Head and kneeroom are good, but again the seat backistoo uprightfor long-term comfortwhile the back passengers equally notice thelackofforward vision.
Livingwith the Citro6n 2CY6 Thereislittle onecanaddto the 2CV speciflcation, at least where Citro€n options areconcerned. The individual front seatsand canvas sunroof are standard, andthetestcar was fittedwitha radio which workedwell,but was a long stretch forthedriver to reach initspositionunderthefront parcels shelfonthe passenger side.
Luggagecapacity isgood, and loading easy; theflat andflimsy boot lidmay bepropped,or lifted aboutits hinges to restonthesloping rearof the car.There aretwo keys, one for the ignition/steering lock anda smallerone for everything else.Thedoorand boot handles rotate freeiy about their spindles whenthey are locked-a goodwayof defeatingthe pipe-wielding thief Butthebonnetlatch is beneath thefront bumper rather thaninside thecar,and must beheld outof theway when closing the bonnet (rusty marks onthefront bumperof the testcarshowedwhat happened if thiswas not done).Beneath thebonnetthelayoutis confused and sorneitems,notably the sparking plugsandfluid reservoirs, arenot easy to reach. The fueltankis easytofill, butits limitedcapacity is something of a drawback. Even with theoutstanding fuel economy of the 2CV6,atank which holds only 4'4 gallons (20litres) givesa safe range of scarcely 200miles. To make matters worsethefuel gauge
39 in thetestcarshowedflveeighths full when thetankwas actually fulltothebrim, and fellto emptywhenthere was still overagallon remaining in the tank. Wehadno real trouble starting the car, though acold startalwaysneededa second ortwoofchurning away with the starter. Warming'up was quick, withtheaidofa bonnet mullwhich ispartof the standard equipment- and which Citrodn say ,r?a,r/ bein piacebelow l0 degC, but must beremoved above 15deg C. Suchwasthe weather during our testthat it stayed in placeall thetime.Servicing places nomorethan average demands upon theowner,with themajor interval occurring every 6,000 miles.The simple (mostly unstressed) body desrgn means repalrs are easyasanytourist knows, many Frenchmen simplydo not bother -whiie the engine should belong-lived and the big wheelspromise aboveaverage tyrelife.
In conclusion Itiseasyenoughtoputthe 2CV into perspective: there is simply nothing elsequitelike it. We choseourcompetitors for the comparison tableson the basis that theywereminimum-cost motoring, but none ofthem have thesame kindof personality - though all have personalities of theirown.If youwantthesamekind of car, theonly alternative is to staywith Citro€n and spend another f,90on theDyane 6to gain better stylingand seat comfort, but sacrifice sotne minimai running costs. It is runningcostswhich remain the basic raison d'Atre of the2CV's existence. Onthe evidence of thistest, direct operating costs areabout as lowasyou willfindonfour wheels.Purchasepriceislow, butit remains to be seenif the carcanestablisha sumcient marketforitselfto hold a reasonable second-hand value. Apartfromthat,how doesit rateasa car?Remarkably wellinmost respects. If there weretwo areaswherewewould lookforimprovement,itwould be inwindnoise and seat design.But as it stands, the2CV isthearchetypalcar of the age -the answerto the ener crisis. 'gv !
Mechanically, the UK market 2cv reflected that of its contemporaries, with its M28 602cc 8.5:1 compression engine, heavy flywheel with coil spring clutch, single choke carburettor, inboard front drum brakes, rear shock absorbers and front batteur/friction damper suspension set-up.
The 1974 2cv was launched with a handful of colour options: Orange
Ténéré, Bleu Petrel, Vert Tuileries and Rouge de Rio. For 1975-6, this varied and was enlarged to include Rouge Soleil, Bleu Myosotis, Vert Bambou and Jaune Cedrat. Belgian UK 2cv production continued until October 1977, when it then moved to the Levallois plant in Paris, with one of the first modifications being the addition of a passenger side demister, and associated dashboard/ bulkhead modifications. But we’ll go into that another day… There’s a handful of very early UK market 2cvs on the register, by early I mean N reg (Aug ’74 –Jul ’75) and P reg (Aug ’75 to Jul ’76) We have 17 N reg cars listed and 18 P reg. What proportion is currently on the road is unknown, but there is at least a handful of both that have been seen at recent events.
VIV
It’s true to say that my almost lifelong enthusiasm for all things A-series began with the 1974 Belgian built 2cv6 bought by my aunt in the summer of 1976. Gleaming in Petrel Blue, I first encountered it parked at the bottom of our steeply sloped driveway and was so overcome with excitement I almost forgot to apply my bicycle brakes in time, narrowly missing an unscheduled
dip in our garden pond. My Aunty Viv was equally smitten and despite its quirks (mostly the organ accelerator pedal which regularly came detached) this was to be the first of two 2cvs she had before sadly she passed away prematurely in 1984.
At the age of 15 I made a little pact with myself that I’d make a 2cv my first car and later that year I’d already bought a rusty
Ami, followed by a Dyane 4 which I’d planned to have ready for my 17th birthday… I didn’t actually own a 2cv until the age of 18. By the age of 19 I had the Beachcomber I’m still driving today but had always longed for a Petrel Blue Belgian built car. Wind back the clock to 2008 and I received a call from my friend Rob Sansome telling me that my “perfect” car was on eBay. A 1976 Belgian car with low mileage in Petrel Blue. I didn’t need another car but couldn’t resist and quickly made an arrangement to visit the car, which was totally original with just 40,000 miles on the clock. The visit was an emotional experience for all, finding out its then owner also shared my Aunt’s Christian name certainly added to the tears.
Negotiations followed and disappointingly but understandably the sellers decided to keep it listed on Ebay only to withdraw it from sale a few hours before the auction end. Disappointed, I rang them and was told they’d decided to keep it for the time being. So I was at least consoled by knowing it was still in safe hands. Imagine my surprise when, seven years later I received a surprise text message asking me if I’d still like the 2cv. Less than a week later it was on my drive and being re-instated for the road. It was road legal within weeks and took me to the German National later that summer. It’s used sparingly but isn’t a show queen and I have always intended to keep it as “original” as possible with the minimum of intervention. It’s by far the nicest 2cv I have to drive, the single choke carb seems to make power delivery so smooth and the suspension is lovely and compliant
compared with later cars.
Being a Belgian built car it has several differences from the later French and Portuguese built cars… I’d swear the doors are heavier (but that’s probably just me), there’s just one demister vent on the driver’s side, clearly it was felt passengers didn’t require any visibility! The glass is all Belgian sourced. The wheels are Belgian made too and riveted rather than spot welded. The horn is positioned on the other side of the headlamp bar, and the indicator relay on the bulkhead. I’m trying to think of more, but I know I’m already sounding quite geeky enough.
Needless to say I have a special bond with “Viv” and could never imagine parting with her. I have all her history including the original bill of sale, manuals and service history. If you see her out and about at a 2cv event then please feel free to come and take a look. She loves the attention.
A SERIES OF ADVENTURES
My first experience of A Series Citroëns was well before I even considered buying one. A work colleague had a 1971 Ami 8 from new, which I had always considered an ‘unusual’ vehicle. My opinion changed when, after an office gathering in a local hillside village pub, I was offered a lift back to Matlock, which I readily accepted. Unbeknown to us during our time in the pub, it had snowed quite heavily. The pub car park had an appreciable slope up to the road. ‘Normal’ cars struggled, to say the least, to get out, but the Ami seemed oblivious to the conditions and sailed out of the car park as if on a dry surface. To say I was impressed, even shocked, was an understatement!
Citroën had just started to import the 2cv to the UK following the oil crisis of the mid 70s and despite not really knowing anything about them, other than that there was a similarity between the Ami and 2cv, I thought I’d give one a test drive. Not really expecting much, I went to a dealer in Croydon and took out a Dyane. Despite the tales of how slow they were and the weird gear change, I was quite impressed with its ability, having such a small engine, to keep up with South London traffic and not feel that you were causing a mobile traffic jam.
However, I had no thoughts of buying one. The hills of Derbyshire, despite the obvious competence of the Ami, didn’t seem the ideal terrain for a 602cc vehicle. (I’ve learnt differently over the years!) Soon after, I bought my first new car, a Hillman Imp, from a local dealer in Matlock. A work promotion and transfer to Central London in 1974 took me and the Imp to South London. After a year or so and the Imp having developed some niggling faults, I decided it was time for a change. As
After a bit of thought in which I also considered a Renault 4 (rejected on the grounds of water cooled versus 2cv air cooled), I ended up going to a dealer in Bromley and purchased a Rio Red 2cv6 (JGW 344N) on 8 July 1975. One of my first trips with it was back up to Derbyshire to show the car off to my Dad; a lorry mechanic and long-time Vauxhall fan, who thought I’d taken leave of my senses!
2cv ownership was my first experience of other like-minded owners waving to you as they came towards you, although at the time it was a fairly infrequent occurrence to actually meet another 2cv on the
road. The car took me and my then girlfriend (now wife of 46 years), Carolyne to events all over London and the South East, including the spectacular 2cv Cross at Black Bushe aerodrome, near Camberley in Surrey. It was an unbelievable experience to see stripped down 2cvs racing round a dirt track, often being involved in collisions, turning over and carrying on in the race as though nothing had happened!
Although I was beginning to enjoy driving the car more and more, and coming to terms with the ‘pied au plancher’ style which they definitely benefit from, it was not without its faults, some of my own making. The worst of these was during the hot summer of 1976. I was driving back to Beckenham from Stanmore, where I was then working. My route took me over Blackfriars Bridge. The first thunder shower heralding the breakdown of the weather happened just as I was on the north side of the bridge. I started from the traffic lights, got halfway across and the Hillman Avenger in front braked suddenly, which I also did. Sadly, this caused my car to go faster on the mix of tyre rubber and oil which had
“A more problematic issue occurred on a trip back home to attend my cousin’s wedding. On the M1 the car suddenly seemed to acquire a life of its own and the engine speed was uncontrollable. Luckily, I was able to pull off and stop on the access road to a service area”
been deposited and not cleared during the heat wave. I connected with the rear of the Avenger, pushing it into the car in front. Both my victims sustained minor damage and drove away after exchange of details. My car had severe damage at the front, breaking the fan and damaging the engine. It was recovered to a main dealer who eventually acquired a new engine from France after being told there wasn’t another in the country. It took several weeks but eventually I was back on the road. Ironically on the day of my crash I had booked an advanced driving lesson, which I sheepishly had to cancel!
The majority of the faults were ignition related. A common problem which with the knowledge of years of ownership (and access to Peak 2cv) could have been easily rectified. In fact, my then house mate spent about as much time pushing the car up the road in a vain attempt at starting the car, as I did driving it. Vigorous cranking with the starting handle provided never actually had the desired effect.
A more problematic issue occurred on a trip back home to attend my
cousin’s wedding. On the M1 the car suddenly seemed to acquire a life of its own and the engine speed was uncontrollable. Luckily, I was able to pull off and stop on the access road to a service area. An under-bonnet inspection revealed the sad sight of the accelerator rod having detached itself from the carburettor (this car having the organ pedal and rodoperated single choke carburettor which was still current at that time). I phoned recovery who told me that as I was within the franchise of the service area they couldn’t attend (I’m not sure if they were just trying to fob me off, perhaps because of the unfamiliarity with the workings of this strange vehicle!). It turned out to be quite a happy refusal! I walked up to the service area and managed to speak to a mechanic with his van, who said he’d come and have a look. By a miracle and after some time scratching about in the undertray, he managed to retrieve the small spring and ball bearing from the linkage, which had dropped off when the rod detached itself. He reattached everything, making sure it was secure, and after appropriate payment was made, I was on my way and still got to the wedding on time.
Obviously, I hadn’t, as yet, been infected with full blown 2cv-itis as, after a couple of years I sold it privately to the archetypal public idea of a 2cv driver - a local authority social worker. I then bought (and I can hardly write the words), a Ford Fiesta!
It wasn’t until 1981 that I finally came back to my senses and bought a Jaune Mimosa 2cv6 Club, which is my
favourite of all time. I joined 2CVGB shortly after buying this car, and it was with this one that we started attending local, national, and international 2cv meetings. Since then, there has been an unbroken chain of 2cvs inside and outside my garage, culminating in my present car, which I’ve had for the last 10 years - a 1972 LHD Bleu Camargue 2cv6.
Fortunately, my immediate family were more positive than some misguided folk! My son Jonathan was immediately smitten with the 1981 Club, not having been around for my first car. He began driving it in and out of the garage (unbeknown to me) well before he was old enough to drive on the road and had been ‘mending’ it with his Fisher Price tool kit from the age of two. Now he does it for real, of course at Peak 2CV! Carolyne is not really a car person and as long as it has four wheels and gets from A to B, she is happy. Although she freely admits to a possessive soft spot for 2cvs. As far as some of my long time friends are concerned the only suitable soft spot for my cars is the nearest bog. I just feel sorry for their ignorance and realise they will never understand!
Overall, I am extremely lucky to have owned a vehicle (now for almost 50 years) with such a loyal following and with owners who are willing to give assistance to a fellow 2cver at a moment’s notice. The A Series family is one which I’m very glad I’ve been a part of, and which continues with expertise, enthusiasm and humour, as the car moves towards its eighth decade.
On the 19th of April 1975 Irene, my wife, drove our 2cv out of the forecourt of our local Citroën dealer, Kinghorn Garage. Allowing for inflation, it cost the equivalent of £8,300.
We had been to the dealer in early March to buy one and were told that their first one was on order. They didn’t know when it would arrive or what colour it would be. The first cars to come to the UK were orange or green. We were delighted to discover ours was blue. I wish now I had taken some pictures. The only change I made to the car was fitting inertia reel seat belts (Britax I think).
With the car being higher than most, Irene remembers how easy it was to
find in a car park. In 1976 we went on a trip to Switzerland and the South of France coming home via Versailles. In June 1979 we took the 2cv (and our 20 month old daughter) to Brittany. With the family expanding we sold the 2cv in May 1980 and bought an Austin Maxi.
GOM
As the fiftieth anniversary of the relaunch of the 2CV in Britain approaches, I thought I’d write a little history of my Vert Tuileries 2CV as she will celebrate her half century on the road this coming 1st November.
My late Mum was in the market for a car during the hot summer of 1976 and I managed to persuade her that a 2CV was what she really wanted. After test driving a new yellow one we decided to look for a second hand car as the £1100 list price seemed a bit steep!
Eventually she bought GOM, from a dentist’s wife in Edgebaston, for £800 with 6000 miles on the clock. I remember the drive home with Dad following in his GS. We all fell in love with the car. My sister and I both learned to drive in her. My parents
became involved in the club and Mum was one of the organisers of the Cheltenham world meeting in 2005. In 1983 Mum was tempted by a new Beachcomber and GOM was sold to friends. Fortunately I was able to buy her back a few years later, only to sell and buy her back again after a couple of years! She’s been back with me for 26 years now and is the only car I’d never sell. She’s had most jobs done over the years but has never had a full restoration. I’ve tried to keep her weathered look. There are plenty of battle scars, each of which tells a story. I’ve owned well over 100 A series cars in the 46 years I’ve been driving but she remains my favourite.
ratios are chosen with a wide ianse of conditions in mind' ro ihat second and third have io bridge the gaP between the hieh to-p and ihe "wall-climbinE;t n.it. Marks on the sPeedorieter advise the driver not
Dimensions
FUEL
I the flvwheel is very heavy. Its I basic -ourpose is to smooth out I ttre two-cYlinder engine, but it I can be usid to advantage when I getting awaY from a standing I ltutt. 5o much energy is stored I in the flYwheel with the engine
turning over at 4.000 rPm or so that the rapid relerse of the olutch sends the 2CV away to a wheel-spinning start which can take other drivers bY surorise. The surprise runs out at ibout 20 mph when the first searchange is needed. but the f"act remains that the 2CV can be made to cover the first few vards from a standing start very fast indeed, and without
NOTICEBOARD
WANTED: doors for maroon and black Charleston (or any colour) front and back - good condition please. Angela 07544616918
1987 2CV Dolly Green & White, 90708 miles, only done 126miles since work & MOT, complete engine rebuild, bodywork solid, recent respray, MOT Feb 2025, selling as I am not using it. Based on Colchester CO58TR, £9500, contact Anne 07803 273599 or anne. leggettauld@gmail.com
Hi Guys! Again, another month with virtually no ripple notifications. I’m not the only one either it would seem, as all my other registrar colleagues are reporting a dearth of activity to write about too. You must be doing something out there with your corrugated friends! No? Well, as a sort of punishment, I’m going to have to write about one of my ripples. It is a van and really, I should be letting Mike Good our van registrar write about it instead. Sorry about that Mike, but
Above: Ground zero, Albert in 1998, Below: Page 111, the eureka moment!
needs must and at least it is a ripple and it’s mine. So here goes, the story of Albert the Post Office van.
I bought the van which I subsequently christened ‘Albert’, in 1998. I’d just finished restoring an AK400, and rather fancied the idea of owning and restoring a much older, ripple van as well. I’d seen this early van at various meetings and only halfjokingly asked the owner if he would sell it to me. To my surprise he said
yes, and to cut a long story short, a deal was struck. I knew nothing then about early 2CVs, and this van was a nonrunner and in very poor condition. It was reputed to be a 1953 model, and never having been UK registered, was still wearing French number plates. Despite promises, the only documentation which I was given was a letter from Citroën UK, which confirmed the build year as 1953. Nevertheless, I was happy with my purchase, and relished the challenge of restoring the van.
Over the course of its lifetime, the van had been given multiple coats of grey
Above, top right & right: 2024, Albert with roof rack, ladder and P.T.T. logos
paint, and after dismantling all the components, I started the removal of rusted panels ready for the lengthy task of rebuilding. By this time, I’d become aware of a man called Michel Dedieu, a highly respected expert in the French 2CV community, who specialised in the early vehicles. As part of his research, Michel was conducting a survey of the first models of 2CV, the 375cc cars and vans, so I duly wrote to him to tell him about Albert. Michel wrote back, and one of the details he asked for was the paint date code. As a ‘newbie’, I’d never
heard of this code. Michel explained what it was, and where to find it. Armed with his instructions, I carefully scraped off the layers of paint from the bulkhead where he’d indicated the code would be. Slowly but surely, I got down through the layers until I found the date code which had been stencilled on and was still just legible. A 29 I 3, which meant the van was built on 29th September 1953. Wow! This was serious industrial archaeology! Boosted by this discovery, I was gradually becoming aware that Albert was a rather rare albeit battered, survivor and thoroughly merited a full and accurate restoration to its original factory specification. In the spring of 1999, an article appeared in the Planète 2CV magazine about the vans which were owned by the French Post Office, the P.T.T. The article stated that by the end of 1953 the P.T.T. had thirty 2CV vans, and that some were equipped with a roof-rack, specially designed to carry one or even two bicycles. I’d noticed that Albert had had roof-rack brackets fitted on the front and back, of exactly the same design as on the vans in the magazine article. Could Albert have been one of them? The vans in the article, all had the logo ‘Poste’ on the rippled sides, and the bodyshells were sprayed dark green. As with the paint date code, I scraped off the layers of paint on the van’s sides until I came down to the original, factory applied AC118 dark grey paint. Hmm, no sign of dark green, nor any trace of the Poste logo. Perhaps Albert wasn’t a Post Office van after all. Rather perplexed and not a little disappointed, I continued with the restoration work.
About a year further on, I came across
an advert for a new French book called ‘La Poste Automobile’, which gave an in depth history of all types of French postal vehicles. The book wasn’t cheap, but I felt it was worth the cost in order to try to get to the bottom of the mystery. A fortnight later, the book arrived and there on page 111 was a picture of a P.T.T. ripple bonnet 2CV van with a roof-rack. Not for a bicycle this time, but to carry a ladder. Subsequent research revealed that this version of van was for the telecommunications branch, and that the ladder rack used the same mounting brackets as the roof rack on the postal vans. Crucially, the telecoms vans were kept in the original Citroën dark grey paint, and had the P.T.T. logo painted on the two front doors, across the rear doors and also on the cab roof. Back up to the workshop again with my sandpaper and trusty knife to scrape off the old paint on the cab roof and there it was, the original P.T.T. logo, partially obliterated, but still recognisable. The last piece of the jigsaw puzzle! I had one of the original vans supplied to the French Post Office back in 1953.
At about this time, I joined the French club Les Filles de Levallois, which had recently been created for owners and enthusiasts of the 375cc type A cars and AU vans. ‘Les Filles’ were and still are a great source of knowledge and encouragement to owners of the early 2CVs. In 2005, by an amazing coincidence, another member of the Filles de Levallois discovered a second French Post Office van from the same 1953 batch, and only two chassis numbers after Albert! I have yet to see this van, but it’s believed to be one of the postal ones which were
painted in green and had the bicycle version of roof-rack.
Going back to the restoration itself. During its previous life, Albert had lost most of the parts appropriate to a 1953 van. Apart from the main bodyshell and chassis, the only original bits left were the rear cross tube, swinging arm and hub assemblies, the battery carrier, petrol tank and windscreen. All other components had been changed for those of a later specification. So apart from the actual restoration work, much time and effort was expended on hunting down the correct parts. Even the number plate dated back only as far as the 1960s, although whether that was the number allocated after the van was sold off by the P.T.T. or perhaps ‘borrowed’ from
another vehicle I will probably never know. When the van was finally finished in the spring of 2003, I celebrated the occasion by driving it from London to the French 2cv National meeting at Lit-etMixe and back again. A total distance of 1100 miles at a top speed of 40mph! Twenty years later in 2023, I decided to mark the 70th anniversary of Albert’s manufacture by returning it to its Post Office specification complete with roof-rack and ladder, and with the P.T.T. logos proudly displayed on the van’s bodywork.
Moving on. One rather interesting notification which I did receive this month came from Jonjon Shelley of the South Downs Escargots, and who spotted this Slough wheel for sale on eBay. Judging by the 400 x 135 tyre size and the lack of a hub cap fixing hole, it could be from a Slough van. Priced at an eyewatering £275, I consider myself very lucky to already have the full set of five, but if any of you Slough owners out there are one wheel short on your wagon. That’s it for now Gang. See you next month, and do send me some news please. I can’t keep writing about my stuff!
Left: Slough wheel for sale
DRUM BRAKE NEWS
Hi there drumbrakers! Well it has been a busy summer, despite the weather mostly being completely un-summery! Both Registers day and the National meeting have now flown by, both being successes in their own spheres. I wasn’t able to attend the National but hopefully my curtailment of purchases at Costa coffee will allow me to go next year instead. The shoddy summer weather hasn’t stopped us using our drummers though and it was great to see so many turn up at Registers day back in May. We had a total of thirteen in attendance at its height, which was an excellent show by anyone’s reckoning! The theme was very much yellow this year too, with no fewer than five Jaune Mimosa 2cvs on display, which
must be a record. These spanned the full timeline of Mimosa production too –from 1978 T reg right up to 1981 X reg.
Notable arrivals included Dunk Gray’s newly returned to the road Club SRT 438W, which up until last year, had been stored off the road in a dilapidated garage in Essex since 1994. Dunk has done a fair amount of work to the car to get it back on the road (as you’d imagine), but it was fundamentally a viable car under the dirt and coat of
Halfords green paint that it was wearing when discovered. Dunk has painstakingly removed this paint, revealing as much original yellow as possible underneath. The car is otherwise really original, still retaining its original panels, mechanicals and seat trim.
Registers day was also the first big trip for ‘Woodstock’ – WCG 616V after an extensive rebuild. This car has enjoyed great provenance within the club, belonging to Martin Jones of the Cheltenham Dustbins since the very early eighties. He sadly sold the car
around ten years ago and it disappeared, to then resurface on eBay in 2016. Myself and the other “Dormant Drummer gang” purchased it, unseen and for too much money, simply to save such an important car from an uncertain fate. It was in very poor condition it transpired, needing a
full restoration. Seven years passed and finally it reached the front of the queue at Cambridge 2cv and work commenced at the end of 2022. The car retains its original Adventure kit spats, bumpers, boot rack and headlight grilles, which were fitted by Steve Hill when the car was only a few months old back in 1980. I personally remember this car from a 2cvgb meeting back in 1983 so it is with great respect and pleasure that I am now able to drive it myself and to give it the new life it deserves.
It was also great to see two original RHD 1974 drummers in attendance, with this year being the 50th anniversary of
the 2cv being re-introduced into the UK. GOM 922N and HVD 312N are both well-known cars in the club, GOM being finished in Vert Tuileries and HVN in Rouge de Rio. These cars also retain all of their original features that make these
early RHD Belgian built cars so special. Both enjoyed pride of place outside the marquee for the day.
This year’s Drum Brake award went to VJO 278T, a lovely June 1979 2cv6 in Jaune Mimosa owned by Brigitte Barrett. This car was recently restored by her husband, John and is most excellent condition.
So, October marks 50 years since you could first purchase a new right hand drive UK market 2cv. A small but significant milestone in the model’s history. This actually pre-dates my existence but nonetheless it was a small but significant milestone. Happy anniversary!
DISC-USSIONS
Autumn has made a sudden appearance in early September. Having just about got used to being far too hot, it came as nasty shock when somebody switched the sun off. Completed registration forms were somewhat scarce this month, I’ve shamelessly used some of the stories the owners (who did fill one in properly) sent me. I hope you enjoy them. Our van registrar, Mike Good, published a picture last month of an Acadiane Bivouac, which looked kinda familiar and after some searching, I found this picture of a 2cv Club Adventurer on Citroёnёt (right) which has got to be its ugly cousin and is in the same colour scheme. Has anybody still got one? I found just two on the register: RCH 137X, added in 1992 and YEK 341X in 2004. I realise that all the extra parts came in kit form too, but did Citroën actually make a few of these?
NEW REGISTRATIONS
Firstly, we have BKV 804Y, a pretty 1982 yellow/black Charleston, rebuilt in
2012 by 2CV City and still looking extremely tidy. (below) I think she has had a very easy life over the last twelve years and only covered around 4,000 miles. John Brewer bought “Bumble” at the end of July and said he used to have a 2cv when he was a post-graduate and after it fell to pieces, he had another and had a lot of fun with it, but then children came along and it had to go. Thirty years later he is having what his wife calls a ‘late life crisis’ although most of us would know better (crisis, what crisis?) and now he is semi-retired he saw an article about classic cars, their value and the fun they bring and decided to roll back the years.
On advice from Pete Sparrow, he bought this Charleston. So far,
he has resprung the rather saggy front seats and fitted a new grille and sun visors. His intention is to keep it low mileage, and John thinks he may even try a little wedding work, something I have used mine for before. No John, get out there and use it a lot, they get better with regular exercise. The last thing you need is to have an unexpected mechanical problem during somebody’s big day. I can’t think of any other old car where high mileage isn’t an issue, there are cars in this club with over 400,000 on their original engines and gearboxes. Just saying.
Next, we have another very strikinglooking car, named “Yvon” for short, which featured in Emily’s excellent writeup of Registers Day last month and was the 2024 winner of the Disc Brake cup. B437 RLC is a 1985 Spécial and originally red. David Farmer bought her in May 2022 and she was dispatched to The 2CV Shop to be rebuilt and painted to his spec (above right) and he took delivery of her in July 2023. He wrote: “Why a 2cv? I consider the car's design to be the best ever and have enjoyed convincing many a bar room sceptic to believe so too! “Most importantly they are FUN...
You can get into one in the foulest of moods and within seconds you are grinning from ear to ear. I have owned one before, but sadly it had to be sold to help fund divorce proceedings. I always said “One day, I will have another!”.
“Mechanically Yvon is, stock, not much to write about other than her 124,000 mileage. However, I do get asked about the colour scheme and the chequered wing. I consider that to own and run a 2cv, it is pointless being a 'shrinking violet', so, if needed, maybe both car and owner needs a touch of an alter ego? I remember seeing Yvon in the flesh for the very first time and thinking, “bloody hell, what have I done this time?” The result of a drunken midnight hour Inktense pencil session up the shed. Young kids like it though and that's got to be good, hasn't
it? The green is easy to explain, it's out of respect of my first 2cv, a Bamboo. The yellow simply complements the green. The chequered wing (fantastic job by The 2CV Shop by the way) is plagiarised from the B17 Flying Fortress “Memphis Belle.” I am at an age where for various reasons a fair few of my buddies have had their 'game over' plus not forgetting Dad, other relatives and certainly Uncle Morris, who I never met but can relate to the stories I heard about him, so, the wing is for them. I'm not sure that all of the above buggers appreciate bombing about in spirit on a 2cv, but tough, they have no choice! The car's name: “Yvon Superfrog #17” came about from the very entertaining French Canadian motorcycle racer Yvon Duhamel.”
would let you know about my experience. I am a long-standing classic car person having owned Bristol, Jaguar, MG and Sunbeam cars over the years. I now find myself in a tiny bungalow with an equally small garage full of other projects. My requirements were a narrow car because of clearance. A car with no transmission tunnel as I had to park next to the neighbours and wriggle across (try that in an MGB). I could put up a carport, but it would have to sit outside, so no restoration projects. I have found over the years that buying someone else's completed project, provided it is done well and bedded in, is far more
economical than doing one’s own.
“It also means getting to drive it straight away. So, looking at the list the 2cv was chosen. A car was found in Derbyshire and a train journey embarked upon. Reasonably pleased and it became a rolling project. I live close enough to Rick Pembro to enlist his services and the car has got better and better. I use it every day for running around town and it is a delight. I am very lucky to have another car to use for motorway journeys but it tends to be summer Citroën, winter Mazda.”
Thanks David. I was intrigued and Googled Yvon Duhamel. Born and died on the 17th of the month, aged 81, he used the number 17 for his entire actionpacked racing career. It always cheers me enormously when the public vote is for a 2cv that is not in standard colours, I think this was a very worthy winner and didn’t David look happy about it?
(above)
The third entry is making a second appearance, after first being registered by John Clark of Loughborough in 2006. B942 HAW is now a 1985 yellow/black Charleston although would have been grey/grey originally. (right) Owned since 2022 by Keith Jackson who said: “Your plea in September’s magazine struck a chord with me so I thought I
See John, you can use them as much as you want! Thanks Keith, David and John for writing in such depth and heartfelt eloquence about your new cars, on a quiet month such as this is it was just what I was hoping for. I am still awaiting completed registrations from Liz and Gemma Morse, got the pictures ladies, but no answer to my reply requesting a bit more info at time of writing.
UPDATES
As yellow/black Charlestons feature so heavily this month we might as well have another. Miles Wybourn sent this glorious picture of “Monsieur Bourdon” (top right) his lovely Charleston, PGC 503Y which he sadly has had to let go, along with his equally beautiful Dyane Caban, (right) having had to downsize from his farm and lost the covered storage for his cars. He said these are two of the thirty-three he has owned, the first when he was just eleven. Blimey. Both cars were put onto Bonhams Auction and Monsieur Bourdon had sold at the time of writing. So sorry Miles, it must be a real wrench. Here’s to hoping the new owner joins 2cvGB and we see this gorgeous, low mileage unrestored example of the rarest Charleston again.
FLEETNEWS
thousands on her and still having a scruffy 2cv and little chance of seeing the money back, we have decided she can be SEP –
After giving Delilah a good clean and seeing how rusty her offside is getting, I booked an appointment with Will at Cambridge 2cv for a second opinion. It was much as I feared, although his gimletlike eye spotted more things that needed doing. Having a two-post lift makes it so much easier. She won’t get another MoT without some work; therefore she is going to have to go, and instead of spending
Someone Else’s Problem. The MoT expires in early November so we did a deal and the upshot is, I will take her to his workshop, he’ll run me back home and take “The Goatmobile” back with him and get it patched up and MoT’d. It’s been on SORN for far too long. Covid got in the way of getting it fixed, then my health took a nosedive, and years passed. In the meantime, Delilah had to live on the street, was barely used and it did her no favours. Hopefully under Will’s tender care she will find a good home, she is a fantastic basis for a project car. Despite an appalling restoration in 2002, four years and 4,000 miles before we bought her. she is now a 2cv you can drive anywhere and for any distance without breaking down. After eighteen years of ownership and 80,000 mostly trouble-free miles, you get attached to a 2cv, especially one that broadened our social lives, made us so
many friends and took us to places we would never have visited otherwise. The advantage of buying a complete ‘dog’ was she taught me everything I know about maintaining one myself, with much expert advice from the real heroes of this club via our technical forum. She has the first engine I had a go at rebuilding, after she started losing oil less than 10,000 miles after being ‘fully reconditioned’ and is quite quick by 2cv standards. She was Mrs Goat’s daily driver, so couldn’t keep on dying in traffic or when she got hot and leaving my wife stranded, as she was wont to do when we first found this ‘bargain’ in 2006. Pictured here in 2010 after we had her working properly. (above right) However, I prefer my old high-mileage Charleston in all its brushpainted glory. I find it slightly comfier and more relaxing to drive and having
resurrected it from near death when it was a sub-£500 wreck with an MoT and a knackered engine and gearbox, I am far more attached to it as well. Delilah is now on an SLC chassis for good reason. After seeing how little of her floor was supporting my porky goodness, I drove home from Elsworth a little more gently than usual and discretion being the better part of valour, used the Panda to take Mrs Goat to the airport for her holiday. I couldn’t unsee how little was left of the floor the outboard driver’s seat runner is attached to.
That is me done for this month. Got lots to do to get Delilah ready and ensure I can roll my Charleston out of the garage and off to Cambridge 2cv, and of course it is now raining.
FOURGONNE CONCLUSIONS
Hello and welcome to the world’s worst month. Fortunately I’m writing this at the beginning of September which would be a great month if it wasn’t followed by October which is not even
properly named. It’s not the eighth month. Ruddy Romans messing the sequence up, another thing to blame them for. Oh well, at least the dark means the pubs will be cosier and we won’t get forced to sit in pub gardens. What’s the point of pub gardens? I’ve got a garden at home, I don’t need someone else’s garden. When I go to a pub I want to be in a pub, smelling of ale, surrounded by old timbers, anticipating the first taste of ‘Old something ridiculously named’ or other, watching the dust gently drifting through the shafts of sunlight piercing the restful gloom, there’s definitely no requirement for hanging baskets and wasps. Sorry, this is supposed to be about vans. Let’s get started.
NEWREGISTRATIONS
Adam Hewins has got himself an Acadiane. B57 YUA was made in 1985 and last had an MOT in 2012. Having been unused for so long it needs some tidying. (both on facing page) Yes that is the chassis hanging underneath. Luckily Adam is an engineer with the necessary skills and enthusiasm to finish the job. Details arrived at the last minute so there will be much more on this next time.
NOTESFROMTHENATIONAL
The National has taken place. If you were there and wished you could see the venue again then watch out for a future Guy Martin documentary because he was there checking the place out. For those who couldn’t be there here’s some of what you missed …
The venue was a very different one this time. Blandness encapsulated in what appeared to be a life draining conference centre designed to meet the requirements of those who wish to view
and discuss pie charts detailing declining sales in low value household appliances amongst middle income households in the West Midlands, a vibe reenforced by being obliged to wear conference style ID badges on lanyards at all times.
Then turn a corner and drama, mystery even, you’re suddenly faced with a strange building surrounded by security fences. No entry to anyone under any circumstances and no clues to its purpose. Nearby is an obviously abandoned house and a dilapidated wooden shack. Walk, and walk, to the showers and you pass through deserted yards full of scores of hibernating fire engines, continue through decontamination areas and stores of breathing apparatus. There are guard huts, strangely empty roads and signs warning of marching troops. At times it feels like we’re on the set of an old episode of ‘The Avengers’. What’s going on and where is Mrs Peel when you need her?
Undeniably a site of two halves; one a scene of pure bucolic bliss, a sun drenched colour filled pasture where 2CVs potter freely about a pastoral paradise of pure pleasure. Then we are drawn to the dark side, a post-apocalyptic dystopian diorama of wrecks and ruin, grey and black, rubble and ash. Ugly buildings ravaged by immense flames, aircraft smashed into the earth, cars hacked to pieces by terrible unknown forces. We’re not on the road to nowhere, we’re on the highway to hell! Finally our huge convoy is stopped, trapped on a motorway jammed with immobile 2CVs. Thank goodness at this point there is a welcome respite in the form of Jim Rogers lifting the spirits of the huddled masses with airs on his accordion. Phew, and it’s not even lunchtime yet.
And the mysterious fenced off building? Apparently it’s a place where trainees under the age of 18 are isolated to protect them from adults. Seems slightly OTT when these are people who are so above averagely robust that they will soon be running into blazing buildings and witnessing horrific sights as an everyday part of their work.
Equally strange in its own way was the Friday night drive-in cinema. From my standpoint at the bar the screen was edge on and almost out of sight behind trees and there was no sound, what I could see was a silent car park in which people arrived and parked but then stayed in their cars. Even creepier, they all wore large glowing headphones. It resembled a car park for cybermen. Sadly for the purpose of enlivening this write up, the cybernauts in The Avengers didn’t have headphones as they had no ears so I’ve been forced to substitute a bit of Dr Who. Lack of ears didn’t stop them wearing sunglasses though. (below) The eerie scene soon turned to one of fun when the 2CVs were joined by Nick and/or his brother in the high top VW campervan. This was the automotive equivalent of turning up at Cineworld wearing a top hat. They kindly reversed to the back row.
I somehow missed the silent disco and the drive out and had to leave on Saturday
afternoon so can’t comment on the rest but the usual people had obviously, as usual, put a lot of their time and effort into this event. Thanks to all of them, now we wait for comments and thoughts on how it worked. I must just say that the showers were the best ever.
Numerous, spacious and clean, they even had a hook on which to hang your ID lanyard. They weren’t exactly ensuite but well worth the walk, or drive as some people did. It obviously helped that the place was designed to clean up large numbers of smoke soiled fire fighters. I camped so can’t comment on the rooms. It was a shame that the campers and room dwellers were rather separated but it couldn’t be helped and was a small trade off to enable people to attend the event who can’t camp so that must be good. I actually chose rather a poor spot for the tent, by a leafy spot in what initially seemed like a peaceful pitch but which turned out to be yards from an A road on the other side of the hedge. It’s not very relaxing when cosying down in your sleeping bag to suddenly have a lorry thundering past just yards from your head, it was like sleeping in a layby. One more thing to remember next time in addition to all the other things I forgot to bring this time. At least I didn’t have to remember names thanks to those ID lanyards. Now the
important bit, what vans were there? Well pretty much the same vans that are usually at events. You’ve seen them all in this column before and now you can see them again. First up as it was a Fire Service College, a trio of redness, emergency response vehicles and equipment. (above) The van upgraded from its original post office role and now equipped for water rescues
with its emergency surfboard joined by Martin Rose’s 2CV, not a van but it is red and it’s equipped with an emergency bicycle bell, probably too small to see but it’s there and it’s fully functional. On the run, an action shot of the beautiful BNT 821K. (below) No wonder they have so many fires here, look at all the wood laying
around. Another picture of it, (left) this time at rest with Gary Dick’s Acad. lurking in the background. Meanwhile, standing ready to spring into action, a cream model. (left)
Another classic colour for vans, this blue one has the luxury of power steering. (below left)
My AZU looking in relatively showroom condition compared to its neighbour, (above right) a 2CV so patinated that even the glass fibre boot extension is rust coloured. Amongst the traders, an Acadiane doing what it was built to do, shift stuff around. (right) It looks almost
disturbingly sleek with that paint scheme. As I’ve said before, an event is a good place to find a van to buy and the Howe brothers each had a van for sale.
Chris was offering Gertie a 1972 AKS400 (above) while Craig is parting with his 250. (above right) They also had a couple of ripple 2CVs and some engines. Some or all may still be available, see Gertie’s add for contact details. The 250 is very sound and has the benefits of a 602cc engine, extra windows and a removable rear seat. It
also comes with its original EDF advertising panels which can be attached over the windows. Both vans realistically priced at around £7K each.
Also present, a very appropriately coloured Ville Van. (below) Shame we couldn’t get the red vehicles lined up with
the fire engines. Other vans were present but they kept moving about or they appeared when my phone was out of power. Luckily Van Register HQ’s secret files already has a picture of this one (below) from Registers Day. Finally, the splendid AKS of Berkshire Royals member
Ray Webb (above) who rebuilt it from a box of bits, converted it to RHD and painted it to replicate a van formerly used by The Forge garage in Cookham. A suitable point for a reminder that this is the month for our Berkshire Royals annual gathering at Ray’s - Wheels Vintage Vehicles event. Details in last month’s magazine. It’s on the 6th so hopefully you’ll be reading this before then. So October has something good to offer after all.
MODCON
Hello all, unfortunately due to a family bereavement I was not able to attend the NSTS. However, I did go to the MicroCar camp at Hampton Loade where many interesting cars participated with 2 or 4 stroke, 49cc300cc, GRP or aluminium or steel bodies, one driven wheel on the side or engine on top of a single front wheel!
Normally my Lomax is the smallest car, but up against a Peel and others it looked huge.
My Lomax was the only 2CV powered vehicle to attend, but its 4stroke engine produced less smoke, its suspension meant comfort and was driven to and from the event a round trip of 300+ miles.
Well hopefully by next month I’ll get access to Modcon emails to find out about club members’ Modcons and adventures.
Happy motoring.
HY THERE!
Lots of events this last month, but sadly, as usual, not lots of contributions from you all - I remain optimistic.....for now!
The first event that I took my long H van to was the Cranleigh Classic Car Show, where there were precious few Citroëns of any type and no other H vans. The weather was incredibly hot and a large number of classics overheated in the long queues to get in, but I am pleased to report that I had no such problem. The following weekend was the Capel Classic Car Show where we had a good turnout (as usual at this show) of Citroëns - 2cv AZU, Traction, DS, ID, SM, H and LN. Only two H vans, my own and one selling coffee - first two pictures. This is a really superb show with over 700 vehicles together with automobilia and a huge flower/vegetable and dog show. Again we were very lucky to have good weather.
The next event that I went to was the Silverstone Classic at the end of August. For anyone who has not been to this event, again, I can recommend that you try it. There are literally dozens of car clubs represented and displayed, though weirdly none of the
Citroën clubs, although the SM owners used to have a section. You could easily spend all day looking at all the massive number of classic cars on display even if you had no interest in all the fabulous classic machinery that is racing for all
three days. As well as plenty of food and drink outlets, there is a whole range of traders selling all sorts of related items including clothing and pictures. There were seven H vans (that I managed to find) selling food and drink, and the next seven pictures show these vans. As I have previously said, I hate the massive roof top signs but I understand why they are there - they just don't look pretty! Costs may be prohibitive, though presumably not if all the other clubs can be there, but I would love to see a joint Citroën Car Club and 2cvGB presence at this event. In the evenings there are bands on stage, and as there is plenty of camping available (and hotels for those not inclined to camp!) perhaps it would be something worth thinking about?
This weekend the family and I are all off to the Goodwood Revival in the big H; as a Goodwood member I can park on the Lavant Bank, from where we have a great base for the day, and no matter what the weather, we can comfortably sit eight around the table whilst having a fridge alongside us filled with cool drinks and food.....only trouble is that just two days away, the forecast isn't looking too clever.
My long H van that we take was built whilst I still had my company, and not surprisingly, we put all that we had learned into its build. So, it is a 1960 (so that we could have split windscreen and ripples above the bonnet) long wheel base van of around five metres, but we removed the early
engine and gearbox and fitted the later version of both. The later gearbox is better because it has better synchromesh and the later engine has the aluminium cylinder head. New cylinder liners were fitted together with new dome top pistons and all new bearings. Then the engine had 123 ignition fitted and an alternator in place of the dynamo, and of course the whole thing was converted to 12 volt. Finally, power steering was fitted, which, whilst not necessary once on the move, this really is lovely for tight spot manoeuvres - so much so that it is also now fitted to my short wheel base H van, and I am rather tempted to fit it to my Light 15 as well! After we had done all our work, the van went to Tudor Trailers at Weston super Mare to be fully insulated and fitted out inside. The van was probably finished about six years ago and, even though it is always garaged, slight surface rust had begun to appear on the wheels, so earlier this year I had all the wheels and front bumper shot blasted and powder coatedand very smart they look! The tyres were then refitted with their inner tubes, since when, weirdly, on two of the wheels the tube has turned slightly so that the valve is at a nasty angle in the wheel. I have had to have the tyres and tubes removed and refitted, but why has it happened? Is the powder coating too slippery for the tubes? The tyre company
say that I may have let the pressures drop but we will see what happens. I do apologise for talking about my own vehicles, but if I do not get any contributions, I cannot do otherwise.
The events role has been removed because of the changes to the way events are now advertisedon the website and online.
We already had a volunteer to take over the clubshop role if Sean was elected to the DVLA post. Jean Sowley, Sean's wife and her co-option into the post will be considered at the committee meeting on 29th September along with the co-option of the volunteers for the PR/ communications and secretary roles that we are glad to say have recently come forward.
This is the time of year when spiders come to decorate my house in droves, as if they are volunteering for the task, knowing that Hallowe’en is only a few weeks away and they might save me some time and effort by adorning my home willingly. Not that I have ever particularly decorated for this festival, apart from the occasional pumpkin (IAATF), which is why I was impressed by the roadside carving spotted on the way back from Glastonbury recently. Not only was the design something else, but this gourd was even posing in its own swanky armchair. It raised a smile and was a welcome photo opportunity to ring in the change of season. Not only do we have a change in season, but we
What’s Cooking?
also have a change in committee, since October is when we say a fond farewell to those who have served us and we welcome new members. Standing down are Julian Kettleborough (outgoing public relations officer), Calvin Bradley (company secretary) and Matt Concannon (dating and valuations, DVLA and FBHVC liaison). At the time of writing, there are some existing committee members changing roles, but these and any co-opting of positions will become completely clear for the next issue of 2CVGB News, following our committee meeting. Julian has been on the committee for many years, and I know you extended your thanks to him when he stood down
as chairman in 2022. We are grateful to him for giving up so much time to help with social media and facilitate meetings through his work venues. Calvin has served faithfully for over a decade in an increasingly challenging role, for which I cannot thank him enough. Calvin’s ability to be unfazed by any task is second to none and his ability to get the job done has always been exemplary. I have always appreciated Calvin’s ability to hold the committee to account, keep us on track, work with integrity and voice his opinion without being swayed, which has stopped ‘group think’ on a number of occasions. The latter is something I have always been grateful for, and Calvin will be hugely missed for his contribution, tenacity and attention to detail. Matt has also served the committee for more years than I can remember and has worked both ‘front of house’ by organising numerous Registers Days, and ‘behind the scenes’ preparing dating certificates for members on an ongoing basis. Matt has always brought a wealth of knowledge and insight to the table and has been a valued member of the team, helping us to understand DVLA’s complex requirements. Thank you all very much and we wish you well!
CULTUREEATSSTRATEGY FORBREAKFAST
Also at the time of writing, we are still only a week away from finishing our experimental National event, held at the Fire Service College in the Cotswolds. Dave and I were grateful for the support of those who helped us to set up the event and tidy everything away at the end of it. It became obvious that, in spite of the event running smoothly and without incident or accident, there were still a lot of questions raised about this
new format of event, some of which were discussed at length in the members’ meeting.
The National was clearly a success with many commenting on how much they had enjoyed themselves, however, there are many take-aways that we will need to reflect on collectively. One thing that was very stark through this whole process is that change is difficult (life is difficult, as M Scott Peck likes to remind us in his book The Road Less Travelled), and members do not seem entirely able to accept that the club is made up of individuals whose needs are very different from those from decades gone by, and that the culture of how things used to be done is still the default position, even though this is not sustainable. Those who saw my diagram in the meeting which has been informing our strategy on how we can make the club viable for the future, were made very aware of the changes that have been made in the last two years, but that more needs to be done ensure the club continues to serve its community. We are hoping to send out a survey to all our members in the coming months so that we can gain more insight in how best to steer the club in the coming years. One culture trait that shouldn’t be changed is our ability to uphold our good reputation with venues and sites. The Fire Service College were enthusiastic to express that 2CVGB is welcome back anytime and, whilst it remains to be seen whether we take them up on the offer, I would like to thank everyone to contributing to an event with good behaviour overall and the ability to leave a site better than we find it. Thank you all for keeping 2CVGB’s good reputation intact.
ATRIFLEMORE
You may or may not remember I have a penchant for trifles. My erstwhile overseas students used to articulate their prejudice by saying we had no food culture in the UK, until they were educated in all things about this classic dessert on an international food night by yours truly. When my Italian students raved about tiramisu, they were always slightly embarrassed to have to admit that we had invented the trifle, that tiramisu was a trifle, and equally not something the Italians had had in their culinary repertoire for centuries (just a few decades at most). The first recorded recipe for trifle in British history is 1596 by Tudor author Thomas Dawson, who was the
first to bring this ‘thing of little consequence’ into print. The trifle offers both an intellectual and sensual combination of pleasure, since it tickles the linguistic side of my brain as well as my taste buds. Many people erroneously think that the etymology of the word trifle comes from the dessert, when it is in fact the other way around. A trifle is, after all, made up of layers of things of little consequence, which makes the overall flavour and texture combination paradoxically worth more than the sum of its parts. When new concoctions catch my eye, I am always willing to have a go and this latest, rhubarb and cucumber combo, helped clear a few more stems from our infamous rhubarb patch and introduce a new flavour profile to my list of tried and tested recipes. It was ‘interesting’, rather like the avocado and coffee ice cream I once made, but I decided it was not something I would serve to guests, since I didn’t envisage it having any broad appeal. The classic sherry trifle is called classic for a reason. The rhubarb rap about Barbara’s bar continues to delight (or possibly haunt) us in this latest iteration of a Rhabarberkuchen tshirt, as modelled by Richard. Maybe we should ask Barbara to run the bar at our next event. I know for one I would be first in line. IAATF!
