Mr. Sea Horse

My mission is very simple: the person that picks me up should find a real Citroen 2CV (a french classic car, very common in Europe) and take a picture of me and that car.

As mentioned above the goal of this travel bug, which by the way is a Citroen 2CV red miniature called Mr. Sea Horse, is to be photographed with a real 2CV. After that it should be placed in another cache.

Please allow this bug to travel freely in Europe but only in Europe, as these cars are not very common in other places of the world, with a few exceptions.

The date of activation of this bug, July 27th, 2004, is the 14th aniversary of the last Citroen 2CV ever produced in the world: it was at the Mangualde factory in Portugal in 1990 (July 27th). Long live the 2CV! If you're wondering, I do have a real 2CV myself...

Thank you and have a nice hunt!

SOME HISTORY ON THE 2CV:

Designed before the war in the second half of the 30s, only in 1948 was it presented to the world in its official version, at the Paris Auto Show. It had a 2 cylinder and 375cc engine, derived from motorcycles. The recipe was simple: the car had to run on very little fuel, be easy to fix with a minimum set of tools, take 2 adults with hats, 50kg of potatoes and a basket full of eggs through an agricultural field without breaking one single egg. It passed the test and a myth was born…

The original name derives from its first version: it had only 2 fiscal horses (in France cars were measured by their taxation levels and this was the only one with ‘only’ 2 fiscal horses).

It was subject to some evolution, namely a 425cc engine, a 435cc engine and finally, in the 70s, a 602cc engine with 29 BHP (British horse power), (3 fiscal horses), which lasted until the end of its days. Even so, its looks and original spirit were maintained during its 42 years of production! About 6 or 7 million of these cars were produced all over the world, although it wasn’t sold in some countries. Derivatives were also produced, with the same chassis and mechanics: the Ami 6, the Dyane, the Mehari and the FAF.

Throughout the years several expeditions to the desert (the Raid Afrique) and also to the highest mountains of the world were organized. Wherever it passed, the 2CV caught people’s eyes and curiosity, particularly those of children, who came running to touch it (this happens even today!). It was known by the slogan “Ceci n’est pas une voiture, c’est un art de vivre.”, which translates more or less to “This is not a car, it’s a way of life!”

In the 70s and 80s there were a few special series, like the Spot, the Dolly, the France 3, the Bamboo, the Cocorico or the more known Charleston. Even a 4x4 version (4 wheel drive) was built, with two similar engines, two fuel tanks and two ignition keys (one at the front and one at the rear), the Sahara 4x4. The 2CV was also present in movies, like the James Bond movie where a yellow 2CV with a spanish plate from Madrid is shot at, jumps and rolls over in a car chase, which made place for another special series, the 2CV 007.

Through times, the 2CV took with you a legion of fans, which even today organizes meetings, activities and events. For many it’s a myth, just like some (few) others like the Beetle or the Mini. It’s considered a master in design and it’s present on a few museums.

Even today you can see 2CVs in the streets, driven by people of all social levels. Some call it an old car, some call it Deuche, some call it Duck, some call it Ugly Duckling, some even called it an umbrella on wheels. But nobody becomes indiferent to it. Some are beaten and old, some are well painted and taken care of, but all have their own personality and style. Like it was said in the BBC auto program called Top Gear a few years ago when they tested a 2CV, “This car has more personality than Robin Williams!”.