Citroen A-Series - 2cv, Dyane, Ami

'Four wheels under an Umbrella'

Conceived in 1936 as an ultra simple, ultra lightweight, ultra comfortable car for farmers and the masses, the 2CV concept also called for low running costs, low repair costs and the ability to carry four passengers. Pierre Boulanger's design brief envisioned '4 wheels under an umbrella' and the ability to '... cross a ploughed field without breaking any eggs carried in a basket.' Production of the car started on 2nd September 1939, only to be halted the following day due to the outbreak of World War II.

Perhaps fortunately for Citroën, development of the car continued during the war, and radical changes were made before the car hit the public at the Paris Show, 1949. The 2CV went on to become one of the most enduring vehicles ever, continuing unabated until 1990 - when production finished in Portugal.

The 2CV spawned a number of derivatives - the Ami 6 and Ami 8 offered a less agricultural but still outré body style, the Dyane was conceived as a 'modernised' 2 CV while the Méhari was a plastic-bodied lightweight 'Jeep' type vehicle. The Ami acquired the 1015cc flat four from the GS and was sold as the Ami Super - a real wolf in sheep's clothing. In addition, the Ami was used as the basis for the M35 coupé -a semi-production test vehicle for the rotary Wankel engine.

Whilst being perhaps the most archetypically French vehicle in history, the 2CV was very international. As well as being produced in at least a dozen countries around the world, localised versions were built for some markets - for example:- Conservative British motorists in the late 50's, resistant to the Slough-built, mildly anglicised 2CV available here, were offered the Bijou - a fibreglass bodied 2CV unique to England, and styled in an attractive coupé body by Peter Kirwan-Taylor, the designer of the original Lotus Elite.

A-Series Commercials

The original brief for the 2CV was to build a car which could mobilise rural France, in much the same way as the Model T Ford had done in the US.  As rural France at the time was largely composed of farmers with smallholdings, selling in local markets, there was a need for a small commercial vehicle, with the low running costs, ease of driving and other benefits of the 2CV car. 
And thus was born the Fourgonette.
 
Initially launched as the type AU with the 375cc, 9hp engine of the type A saloon and a 250kg payload, the van ushered in the upgraded 425cc, 12hp motor. Initially, Pierre-Jules Boulanger was reluctant to offer this in fear of customers fitting it to their saloons and 'ruining' the fuel economy! The resulting AZU, launched in 1955, stayed in production until the mid 1970s.

A desire for a greater payload resulted in the AK350, with longer body and 350kg payload being released in 1963. Powered by the Ami 6's 602cc engine, this was replaced in 1970 by the AKS400, with a higher rear body matched to the AK350's length. With uprated suspension, the van was now rated for a payload of 400kg.

For 1978, the AKS400 was replaced by the Acadiane, using a lengthened chassis and Dyane nose/cab - freeing slightly more space inside (and increasing payload to 450kg). The improved aerodynamics of the Dyane front, along with the newly introduced front disk brakes, helped to re-establish these vans, until the discontinuation of the Acadiane in the mid 1980s.

Alongside the fourgonette, Citroen had available a more basic commercial - the Méhari.  Launched in 1968 on the basis of the Dyane, this was an open jeep-style vehicle, bodied in ABS plastic over a steel spaceframe bolted to the usual platform chassis. With a choice of two or four-seater versions for much of its life, and the option of four-wheel-drive from 1980 to 1983, the Méhari enjoyed some success with the French army, both as a staff car and (usually with 24v electrics) as a radio vehicle. Built in Portugal, the Méhari was discontinued in 1987 to make way for the relocation of the 2CV production line from the Levallois plant in Paris.

The final A series commercial was a panel van based on the Ami 6, Ami 8 and Ami Super estates. Basically a two-door version of the estate, with or without side windows, the Ami Service van never gained the success of the other commercials.