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The Germans may have had the Beetle, but the French car the 2CV was the ultimate people and equally iconic.
He may not have won quite the same overall love the Beetle, but the tin snail has played an extremely important role in getting France post-war movement and continued to enjoy a production cycle of 42 years more than 3 8 million vehicles.
We take a look at the fascinating history of the strange legend of Citroen.
In the 1930s in France, many farmers still used horses and carts to transport their goods to market.
Then Peter Citroën Vice President Baker designed a small car affordable to help rural French motorized and put them in the 20th century.
His brief for the car provided the ability to carry four people and 50 kg of potatoes, reaching a maximum speed of 37 mph to consume 3 liters of fuel per 100 km while maintaining a comfortable ride.
Famously, the vehicle must be able to cross a plowed field while carrying eggs on the market, without breaking one of them.
Two years after its inception, a number of 2CV prototypes were made, first called Any Small Car very small vehicle with sloping caps corrugated and a single light as required by French law at the time the seats were hammocks hanging from the roof by son.
After three years of development and over 250 prototypes TPVs, the car was finally ready for production as the 2CV in 1939 brochures were printed and the launch was set for the Paris Motor Show in October.
But with any notice of one month, the show was canceled as a sense of impending doom enveloped France with the outbreak of the war and the growing threat of an imminent German invasion.
Boulanger refused to cooperate with the Germans during the occupation, and even organized sabotage efforts against the production hamper the German war effort.
Fearing for military use TPVs prototypes, some were buried or hidden Three remained hidden until as late as 1994, when they were discovered in a barn, and only five exist today.
After the war, production of the revised 2CV now with panels of steel instead of aluminum, and two lighthouses was also hampered by the Socialist government attempted husband scarce resources by allocating the French carmakers different market sectors .
Citroen has been allocated only the upper middle range of the market with the Traction Avant, everything was given newly nationalized Renault automobile market economy.
Nearly 12 years after its conception, the car still has not been launched and was nicknamed View No Still not seen by the French media.
The 2CV was finally revealed to the public at the Paris Show in October 1948 and was immediately roundly mocked by the automotive press.
An American journalist joked Does it come with a can opener and reported that the coach is the 2CV work of a designer who embraced austerity whip with an almost masochistic fervor.
But they had completely missed the point the end of the war only 100,000 of the 2 million pre-war cars on the road were still moving, and horse and cart had once again become the main rural transport mode .
A small affordable car desperately needs, and only available in gray 2CV was an instant commercial success a few months on sale there was a three-year waiting list more quickly to five, and price of a used car overtook that of another because of its immediate availability.
The roof rolltop canvas that would become an option for life on cars was present from the beginning, and in 1951 with the production of cars more than 100 per week, van Minivan that would come to dominate the small market delivery has was introduced about 1 2 million trucks would be made over the coming decades.
The van had windows and folding rear outboard seats, making it a pioneer example of the dual-use commercial vehicles and family saw today in the Citroën Berlingo and Renault Kangoo.
Vehicle sales were strictly rationed each purchaser verified as having need their car for work rather than purely as a recreational vehicle.
Top of the list were countries veterinarians, doctors, midwives, priests and small farmers it was designed.
Other variations followed, including the Sahara four-wheel drive, used primarily by the military, the French oil companies and the police.
In the 1950s, competition in the small car market has increased with the Fiat 500, Mini and Renault 4, which looked a bit like a modern 2CV, round and eventually outsold its Citroën inspiration.
As the war became more distant and sixties happened to lift the spirits and usher in a new era of consumption, Citroen has stepped up a drive marketing efforts that has remained virtually unchanged in design for over 20 years.
Playing on his idiosyncratic and anachronistic style, the 2CV was sold as more than just a car lifestyle and other colors than gray was finally available.
The 2CV was a lot of catching up to do to stand out from that of a post-war austerity vehicle, and it wasn t until 1964 that a fuel gauge has been added.
The Citroën Dyane sedan variant was launched in 1967, and some vehicles of the 70 featured rectangular headlamps.
The oil crisis in 1974 prompted much interest in economic 2CV and cheap to buy, and production peaked this year.
Throughout the 70s and early 80s, the 2CV, like the Beetle has become a lifestyle choice for young people who liked the low cost, cheap insurance, and the original style, fun.
Harking back to his austere origins, a basic model was launched in 1975 special, only available in yellow, and containing substantially no filling whatsoever, not even an ashtray.
2CV driven by Roger Moore as James Bond for your eyes.
The most famous of all 2CV was the bright yellow model driven by Roger Moore as James Bond for your eyes using only legendary handling capacity of the 2CV outside run his pursuers in Peugeot 504s by a Spanish olive farm it prompted Citroën produce a series of specials with famous 007 numbers and fake bullet holes in the panels.
Other variants introduced as marketing ploys as the 2CV was nearing the end of the road were the Charleston Art Deco style, both Dolly and bamboo shades.
For the last two years of production from 1988 to 1990, the 2CV was built in Portugal, but cars are still in demand today with a Bradford company buying wrecks for a few hundred pounds and selling them entirely refurbished for up to 11 000, with new panels and chassis.
With contemporary 2CV, Fiat 500, Mini and Beetle all have undergone revivals retro style in recent years, there is certainly a market for something similar to one of the most popular classics of history models.
A new 2CV was discussed long and DS2 that takes its predecessor style elements was scheduled to appear in 2012. Alas, the Citroen bosses still have to make the car available.
Citroën 2CV Classics of the cult car of the French people after the war, French people, Bond Your Eyes.