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Citroen 2CV
Charleston Kid's
Ride Ons - Pedal
At present,
Citroen have only licensed one kids
ride-on model - the Citroen 2CV
Charleston. The original 2CV was
born out of the economic crisis,
Citroen designers were asked to
create a basic, cheap and practical
car for France's farmers.
The 2CV was
scheduled for launch in 1939, but
the Second World War intervened.
Citroen was said to have buried the
prototype cars and designs to make
sure the invading Nazis couldn't use
their vehicle in the war efforts.
The car was
finally launched 3 years after the
end of the war - in October 1948.
Citroen sold 5.1 million versions of
the car until production stopped in
1990 and the range swelled to
include two-door versions, vans,
pickup trucks, an all-wheel drive
front and rear powered derivative,
and a convertible (or at least a
version with a canvas roof which
could be rolled back). Its lack of
performance wasn't a problem in many
rural areas of France, because bad
roads meant high speeds were
impossible anyway.
Over the
years, the 2CV moved out of the
countryside and into the city, where
its quirky looks made it a favourite
among young people seeking cheap,
cheerful, reliable and eventually
fashionable transport.
Please
click
here if you would like to read
the full history of the Citroen 2CV.
All our Citroen riding toys for
children are fully licensed by
Citroen and
include all the authentic logos and
badges.
Click
here to see all the licensed Citroen riding toys for children
Please scroll down to see
information on the individual kids
cars, alternatively you can jump to
the following:
Kids Cars
Driver's packs
Why should I buy a licensed
Citroen ride
on?
Age
Suitability
After-sales service for your riding
toy
Safety
Citroen
2CV Charleston
Children's Ride On
This child's Citroen 2cv is based on
the classic Charleston made in
1979-1981. The charming design with
it's retro wheel arches and grill is
sure to be loved by your child for
years.
Citroen 2CV Charleston Riding Toy - Pedal
Drivers Packs
All our Citroen kids cars come with a
free, personalised driver's pack for
your child. This includes a
personalised MOT certificate,
personalised registration documents,
driver's licensed and numberplate
sticker pack. Please
click here to see more information
on your free ride-on driver's pack.
Why Should I Buy a Licensed
Citroen Ride On?
Licensed Citroen ride-ons are
designed and produced alongside
Citroen
themselves, meaning the quality and
durability has been well tested.
All our
Citroen riding toys have the same basic
features:
-
Steel
Chassis - can easily withstand a
child jumping in and out.
-
Tough
polyethylene bodywork - flexible
and strong, avoids damage to the
ride-on or furniture if there is a
crash.
-
Deep
injected paintwork - allows
scratches to be buffed away
easily.
-
Realistic alloy-like wheels.
-
UK
based service centre and 1 year
guarantee.
-
Authentic logos, badges and
stickers.
-
Top
quality European construction and
design.
Age
Suitability
The 3+ rating on
Citroen
kids cars is
based on safety reasons rather than
ability or size. Our
Citroen
ride ons
are well designed, so will allow
many 18 month olds to reach the
pedals and steer. They will probably
also amaze you with their ability
after a short time. However a young
child may lack the judgement to
avoid a tree or might start chewing
small parts and for this reason the
manufacturers recommend various age
guidelines. The parent ultimately
controls the environment the
Citroen
riding toy is used in and
understands the child better than
anyone else. The manufacturers can
only offer guidelines and their
recommendation is based on the
average child.
Please
click here for a complete guide to
buying a kids car
After-Sales Service
Purchasing one of our licensed
Citroen
ride-ons gives you exclusive access
to TotParts and a 1 year guarantee.
Toys Toys build their Citroen riding
toys to the highest standards, so we
know they will last for years.
Therefore we offer a 1 year
guarantee, if anything goes wrong
with your Citroen kids car we will sort
it out free of charge. Please
click here to see more about
TotParts.
Safety
An
Citroen
riding toy will offer your child
years of fun and happy memories, as
long as you ensure you follow safety
guidance:
-
Choose an area that is wide and
clear of obstacles.
-
Do
not use your Citroen riding toy close
to parked cars.
-
Avoid
using your Citroen kids car on icy
surfaces and avoid using in
excessive wet or snowy conditions.
-
Look
for a smooth surface for your
Citroen
ride on and avoid large holes,
ruts, tree roots etc.
-
Only
use your Citroen kids car in day
light, or in well lit areas.
-
Make
sure you avoid an routes with are
near roads, streams or ponds.
-
Stay
seated at all times and do not
attempt stunts or tricks in your
Citroen.
-
Keep
arms and legs well tucked in.
Ensure clothing such as scarves,
drawstrings etc are kept away from
the Citroen's wheels and other
moving parts.
-
Dress
properly with appropriate clothing
and footwear.
-
Ensure children are supervised at
all times.
Citroen 2CV History
Article courtesy of Laboheme,
please
click here for the original.
The
2CV must be the most famous Citroën
of all times. You either love them
or you don't understand them. The
one thing that everybody agrees upon
is that it certainly made an impact
on the world. The objective was a
car that would be useful on the back
roads of France, with as little
maintenance as possible. It would be
available first to the people who
needed it the most. One criterium
during development was that the car
should hold a basket of eggs while
driving on a ploughed field without
breaking an egg. Today you can still
amaze people by the ease with which
the 2cv goes over speed bumps at
relative high speeds. The early 2CVs
had a roof which rolled back from
the windscreen like a cabriolet and
rolled up from the bumper as a boot
lid.
This
last feature was replaced by a
conventional boot lid but the
cabriolet roof remained until the
end. I always like to see peoples
faces when on a hot day you stop on
one of the highway rest stops, roll
back the roof in seconds and drive
on. To me the biggest disadvantage
of the 2CV is that it's fairly
underpowered. It can come along
nicely with modern day traffic if
you aren't in a hurry but uphill or
with strong headwind the speed drops
alarmingly. Still one of the most
special cars to drive. People who've
owned one always keep a soft spot
for them.
Here are the changes year by year:
1948:Release
at the Paris Auto Salon. This car,
designed by Pierre Boulanger is the
most extraordinary design of the
show. The Citroën stand has never
been this crowded. It looks
revolutionary and it's mechanics are
as well. It is designed to take a
basket full of eggs over the country
roads without breaking an egg. It is
light, very economical and cheap. A
car for the masses. The engine is an
375cc 9hp, air-cooled, 2 cylinder
boxer. Top speed is 40 mph. and the
cars are happy to rev flat out all
day long. The early cars can be
recognized by the oval ornament on
the grill of the one-piece bonnet.
1949:
This was model year 1950. No
changes.
1951-1953:
No changes.
1954:
The oval on the bonnet disappear and
only the chevrons are left. The
speedometer gets a light for the
dark.
1955:
A new 2CV appears. It's the AZ with
bigger 425cc engine developing 12hp
and a top speed of 49 mph.
1956:
No changes.
1957:
The steering wheel turns from black
into gray. A bigger back screen and
a new model, the AZL. Aluminium
strips on the bonnet and below the
doors are the most obvious
differences.
1958:
2 New models. The AZLM is a AZL with
the metal boot lid ( earlier cars
have a roof that rolls down to the
bumper!). The 2CV Sahara 4x4 is the
famous two engined 2CV. Four wheel
drive is achieved by putting an
extra engine in the boot and letting
it drive the rear wheels. Either or
both engines can be selected.
1959:
Some heating is provided, most
needed is the very effective front
windscreen demister.
1960:
Different tires for all 2CVs.
135x380 instead of 125x400. Changes
to the Sahara include position of
number plate, rear lights and
position of the fuel tanks.
1961:
New bonnet with small grill (like
the one on my car) and separate
pieces between bonnet and wings.
1962:
Mixte is the name for the boot lid
that opens complete with back
screen. New engine gives 14 hp and
puts top speed at 52 mph.
1963:
New type of bumpers for all cars
except Sahara.
There are now 5 models:
- AZL, Ordinary.
- AZA, Ordinary with metal boot
lid.
- AZAM, More luxurious with paper
clip like ornaments on the bumpers.
- Mixte, With bootlid that opens
together with back screen and a part
of the roof.
- Sahara, 2 Engines, four wheel
drive.
1964:
New tyres Michelin X 125x400 instead
of Normal 135x380. Electrical
windscreen wipers instead of
mechanical ones driven by
speedometer cable. Speedometer moves
from the windscreen to the dashboard
and gets different shape.
1965:
Finally all four doors open at the
rear. Mixte is replaced by
commerciale which can have a flat
boot floor installed so you can take
bigger objects and load the car more
easily.
1966:
New grille with horizontal bars.
Chevrons move from grille to bonnet.
Third sidescreen for all cars except
AZL and Sahara.
1967:
A special version named Export
appears. It is derived from the AZAM
but is only produced for 4 months.
1968:
Because of the introduction of the
Dyane, only 2 models of 2CV are
left, the Berline and Commerciale.
19681/2:
Two models 2CV with 18 SAE hp.
1969:
Two models of 2CV (Berline,
Commerciale) with 425cc and 18 SAE
hp.
1970:
All 2CVs get a 12V electrical
installation, round front indicators
and new taillights. A list of all
models:
- Berline 2CV4 with 435cc 26 SAE
hp engine. Top speed: 63 mph.
- Berline 2CV6 with 602cc 33 SAE
hp engine. Top speed: 68 mph.
1971-1973:
No changes.
1974:
New tyres: 125X15 instead of
125X380.
1975:
New square headlights, a new plastic
grill and new painted steel bumpers.
1976:
2CV Special is the new cheaper
version of the 2CV and there is a
special edition called Spot as well.
The supremacy of the 2CV over the
Dyane becomes clear: 4 models of the
2CV and 1 Dyane. Because of the oil
crisis, the 2cvs and Dyanes are very
popular. The hp figure is reduced
from 28.5 DIN hp to 26 DIN hp. To
celebrate the 5 millionth 2CV, a
special limited edition model the
Spot is introduced.
1977:
Here is a list of all models:
- Berline 2CV4 Special.
- Berline 2CV4.
- Berline 2CV6.
1978:
No changes:
1979:
The 2cv6 gets square headlights.The
2cv4 is discontinued and the 2cv
Special gets the third side screen
and keeps the round headlights. The
2CV6 gets increased power through a
double choke carburetor to 29 hp.
1980:
The 2CV Special gets the 602cc
engine. All 2CVs get a 6.5 gallon
fuel tank instead of 5.25.
1981:
New carburation adjustment and rear
view mirror. 29 hp, top speed 71
mph. The new 2CV called Charleston
is introduced and for now only 5000
are made.
1982:
The Charleston is a big success and
is continued, but now with chrome
headlights and different upholstery.
All 2CVs get front disc brakes at
last.
1983:
New seat belts for all cars.
1984:
A special edition. The white 2CV
with blue stripes called France 3,
Transat or Beachcomber.
1985-1990:
No changes. The last car was
produced the month of July in a
plant in Portugal. THE END.
Special
thanks to J. Cats who has provided
the above information and has
perhaps the best web site about
Citroen cars.
To
learn more about the 2CV and other
Citroën autos, visit Citroëns ,
CitCity or Citroën World
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