Citroen 2 CV – 1948 – Umbrella on wheels – 5.1 Million sold

In 1936, Pierre-Jules Boulanger of France the Vice President of Citroen set a brief of his team, to design a car that can carry four people and 50kg of potatoes at 60km/hr, while consuming just 3 liters of fuel for 100km and travel with comfort over rough rural roads, so as to carry a basket of eggs without breakage, across a ploughed field and the Citroen 2 CV was born.

Highlights

• The first car, to be known as the cheapest car on the planet
• Known as the best engineered car-masterpiece of design
• Only car which remained relevant and productive for many decades almost 42 years since World War II
• Air cooled, flat twin four stroke engine, a motor less powerful than a mundane lawn mower
• Front wheel drive with the engine in the front for better traction
• Citroen 2 CV had a waiting period of 6 years in 1950