Citroën 2CV. The Belgian Ducks

De Citroën 2CV is as French as camembert, baguette and lavender. Yet there are many 2CV copies in the Belgian for the Benelux, Switzerland and Germany Citroën factory built in Vorst. As was often the case in the past, import duties were levied on (complete) cars. To avoid those charges, argued Citroën parts, which together with locally produced parts were assembled into complete cars. Because of the existence of the Benelux, it was in any case cheaper for the Netherlands to have the 2CV built in Belgium.

The parts for these cars were transported by road from Paris. Citroën Vorst then sprayed and assembled the parts. The Belgians suspected that the Duck buyer wanted to add some luxury to his car, and did not want to miss a customer. They therefore carried a more extensive range, although 2CVs were also produced in Belgium that simply met the French specifications. The technology also largely corresponded with France.

More luxurious Ducks in Vorst

Citroën built various 2CV series in Forest with a higher standard of equipment and always deviating applications. The first Belgian luxury Ducks was the A “Brussels”. Other early luxury Ducks, for example, got a large steel tailgate, differently placed and designed lamps, decorative strips, larger wheels and aluminum bumpers. The AZL 3 was also a typical Belgian adaptation. This type from the end of 1957 had specially cut rear fenders and a separate cover for the spare wheel. They are only independent examples of a series of adaptations from Motherland Ducks.

More differences with France

For example, there were more differences. The placement and design of various lighting units, the installation of different dashboards (the tap dashboard is typically Belgian), and other window cut-outs (such as a trapezoidal rear window) were exemplary applications. They characterized the {often personalized} production in Vorst, which was also type dependent.

Belgians led the way

Special: the Belgians were regularly ahead of the French. The mounting of a third side window was already done in Belgium on the AZL3, while the French only applied it in the mid-2s. {Vorst} also offered the buyer the possibility to choose from multiple colors at an early stage, while the French only offered a XNUMXCV in gray. Furthermore, the Belgians were earlier with the mounting of separate front seats, a windscreen washer and the rectangular direction indicators on the front mudguards. In the sixties came the luxurious Belgian program Citroën still useful. Renault was very successful with the R4, and the Dyane was by no means in the picture. That's why it went Citroën by making luxury Ducks, also in France.

Luxury and the Azam6

Introduced in the country of origin Citroën the 2CV Azam. It came in 1963. Based on the Azam (decorative frames, more luxury, nicer decoration, paper clip bumpers, AMI 6 furniture, dovetail steering wheel, homokinetic drive shafts), Belgium brought the AZM3, with a third side window. And in 1965, Vorst launched the first Duck that achieved a top speed of more than 100 kilometers per hour: the 2CV Azam6. That was an AZM3, which was built on the chassis of the Ami 6 and received a 602 cc engine (23 SAE-PK). He retired as Export in 1967, when the Dyane was born. This series was available in a limited number of countries (including the Netherlands and Belgium) and went through 3CV in Germany and Switzerland.

Rationalization up to and including 1978

After the arrival of the Dyane remained Citroën build ducks in Vorst, but separate versions were no longer available. A trained eye saw on a detailed level whether a late 2s 29 CV came from Belgium or France. Ducks from that time, for example, had a chassis number that started with the number 1978. Incidentally, luxury versions were also made of the buyers in Belgium. Those were the AZUL, and later the AKL, actually order ducks for personal purposes. In XNUMX the (ran at the request of the Citroën management in Paris has meanwhile finished standardized production of the 2CVs. And in 1980, Vorst Waar closed others over the years Citroën models (such as the AMI 6, the LN, the ID / DS and the Méhari) definitively the gates because the cost was no longer for the benefit.