Stories of Comfort : Rendezvous of French icons

In the first of this two-part series, we bring together iconic Citroën cars, built decades and segments apart but connected with the same ethos
By Siddhraj Singh
When you speak of motoring countries, many names come to mind. But, more often than not, France features down the list, and undeservedly so because France has a deep connection with motoring and its history. One of the first self-propelled vehicles was created in France, the fardier à vapeur, a steam-powered three-wheeled vehicle made by inventor Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot, in 1770. Through the 150-odd years of motoring, it has also been consistently at the forefront of automotive development, and one French manufacturer that really stands out is Citroën.

Although it came to the automobile market a bit late, Citroën was the first mass producer of cars in Europe. Since then it has produced a number of highly successful, and path-breaking models that have since gone on to have a cult following. The most notable being 2CV – a simple, fuel-efficient, roomy, cheap and highly capable utilitarian car.
The 2CV, or deux chevaux in French, meant 2 taxable horsepower (under the then prevailing French law). It was designed before the Second World War as the TPV (Toute Petite Voiture or the “Very Small Car”) and was meant to get the large French rural population motorised. War intervened, but development did continue in peacetime. The design evolved a bit, and when it was finally launched in 1948, it was a commercial success. Post-War France had a new champion; the diminutive, utilitarian vehicle gave not only a recovering country hope but also proved itself around the world.
The 2CV would have fit India’s needs well for the time, but we were not one of the export markets. The few cars that did come in were either through diplomats or via Goa and Pondicherry, who were not part of the Indian Union at the time. In the case of the car featured here, it had a more unique journey. A traveller drove it down all the way from Europe, a testimony to its ruggedness and utility. He, however, abandoned it in India, and the car was subsequently auctioned off by the Government, and bought by prolific car collector and media magnate Viveck Goenka.

“As a classic car collector there are a few cars one must-have, and the 2CV is one of them”, says Goenka. The 2CV is one of five Citroëns in his collection, all coveted in their own right.
Having built up a sizeable collection, he also created a world-class facility to maintain and restore them. “When we bought the car it was in terrible shape, having had a hard life and subsequently lying open to the elements. We had to do a full restoration on it, but left the rear fenders as they were modified by the previous owner for his trip,” says Goenka. Today it still runs as if new, its quirky dashboard-mounted gear shift takes getting used to. Its big windows make it feel larger than its petit size, and its innovative suspension setup, one that links both front and the rear together, soaks up even the roughest surface imperfections.

Interestingly, these are the same principles that Citroën continues to adopt today, and that is so evident in the flagship C5 Aircross, its first automobile in India. The SUV is, like all things French, designed with flair. It disguises its size well and stands out in this overcrowded SUV space just like a 2CV did. The subtle use of chrome and unique design elements ensure that it’s not mistaken for anything else. Inside, the designers have laid out the cabin in a thoughtful manner, with plenty of style to boot. The seats are some of the best on offer and their unique upholstery combination is eye-catching to say the least. A large glasshouse and sunroof give it an airy cabin, again, much like a 2CV.

The suspension is supple, and actually a stand-out element of this SUV not a statement even many premium SUVs can boast of. “It’s (ride) genuinely better than some of my other cars,” says Mr Goenka. If you had to describe it in one word, comfortable would be it. Powered by a 2-litre diesel mated to an 8-speed automatic, the SUV is also one of the smoothest drives you will get. Either in start-stop traffic or on the highway, the Aircross is designed to carry on like its ancestor – the 2Cv – was.
The 2CV was meant to put a nation on wheels by offering a car unlike anything that existed then. It more than met its brief. Likewise, more than 70 years later, the C5 Aircross does the same albeit in a slightly different way – it puts our aspirations on wheels, assuring us of the kind of comfort unlike anything else on our roads.
PHOTOS: ASHUTOSH VERMA