Looks like the 2CV wins this hands down. That was my first car and, (so long ago), I got it because it was cheap rather than iconic. I remember the plastic grille that you clipped on when it was cold. And the air vents that were just a hole in the front. Mine even had a crank to start it when it was cold - still didn't start. The seats came out so you could camp in it. Everyone has one car they wish they'd never sold and that's mine.
My grandma had a GS in the 70's / early 1980's - they had similar grille / crank kit for winter too. Very comfy car but I doubt I'd say the best Citroen ever I'm sticking with DS for iconic style.. As a kid I used to like the Renault 12 and the Renault 4 & 5. I knew someone with a Renault 4 - I remember finding the dash mounted gear stick odd and the bench front seat
I had 2 back in the early nineties, they were fantastic, they used to fly and drove like they were on rails.
My dad had a Citroen GSA. Aircooled flat 4 engine, although I didn't realise at the time (I was probably about 10 when he had it). I remember the suspension, which raised when the car was started, was pretty cool. It would sink down when parked, and one particularly bad winter with deep snow, it sank down gracefully when parked and rested on the snow. It had a 3 position setting for the suspension, with position 1 being normal, position 2 being the off road setting, and position 3 for changing the rear wheels because otherwise they were hidden behind the bodywork. We had a blow out in France once, and you had to keep the engine running while you changed the wheel otherwise it sank back down again, preventing you from getting the wheel off. It was OK until it stalled!! Never seen my dad move so quick to try and get it restarted again.
My number 1 is the Dyane. I owned 2 and loved them both. Renault 4 number 2. Learned to drive in my dad's, complete with a view of the road through the floor if you moved the rubber mat. Number 3 would be the DS, but I say that having neither owned nor driven one. They just look so good.
Citroen SM - stunning car - swapped a mint Merc 380SL for one about 6 years ago and loved it! Gorgeous looking car, great Maserati noise, incredible ride, bonkers diravi steering and not very fast really......but I regret selling it. I've owned about 30 - 40 DS Citroens (used to be a specialist in the late nineties) including two convertible Chaprons..... If only I had the Chaprons now I've owned more 2CV's/Dyane than I care to remember including at least 1 Mehari, a good number of AK Vans and even a Bijou (bet nobody knows what that is!). Citroen have lost the plot these days, they just churn out cheap rubbish with no character.... Although the Ds3 and 4 look good.
I had a Citroen Dyane as my first car and I can definitely confirm that air cooled engine cab heaters work extremely well. Or at least mine did as i found my foot hot and saw flames coming out of the vent!!! I stopped at the side of the road and in 20 minutes there was nothing left. All I had to show for it was the back shelf with my new speakers and the carpet I had in the boot that I tried to block the air intake grille with. It got so hot it melted the engine into a blob on the floor!! It was fun to watch and believe it or not it was Bonfire night! they didnt believe us in the pub when we ran in to call a fire engine. LOL
A friend has an SM in bits at BL Autos. Mechanical mentally. I'm sure the designer was having a bad day when he designed the engine bay
That 504 is a beauty...is it your's? Some uncomplimentary comments here about French cars, but I love em and all their quirks!
It was. I sold it in October 2011 to a chap in Ireland. Miss it but I wasn't using it much. In 18000 miles in 8 years ( 24 miles covered in the last 3 years I owned it) it only let me down once when the fuel injection pump diaphragms gave up. Not an easy job to do or find a company to do it.
Whats wrong with you people , this is the greatest car ever to come out of france Preferably with Juha kankkunen at the helm . end of !
My first car.....so much fun. The body roll round corners scared the hell out of any unsuspecting passengers. My sister took the car on after me and my Dad & I helped weld, respray it and redo the interior. It just kept going for years. She still regrets selling it!
