My Citroen 2CVs
Exploring my fascination with Citroën 2CVs the French peoples car
The start of the story...
It all started...
...back in 1983 when I was getting very bored with my Vauxhall Chevette (!). Being in my early 20s and a little 'carefree' I had been considering a soft-top car of some description and rapidly came to the realisation that the 'traditional' vehicles (e.g. MG Midget et al) were well beyond my finances. I cannot remember who it was but one of my friends jokingly suggested a Citroen Dyane and this got me thinking...!
Most people in those days either loved the 2CV for its charm and idiosyncrasies or hated it and wanted to do everything in their power to overtake one! I hadn't really thought about them before and set about looking at the type to make my own mind up.
At my local Citroen dealership (Omega Cars in Crookes, Sheffield) they had a lovely new white Special in the showroom and sitting in it felt somehow...just right really. I think it was priced at about £2,000 and I was offered a derisory £500 part-ex on the Chevette, so it was back to the drawing board. I also had a close look at a Dyane at the Citroen garage in Chesterfield and for me it lacked the charm of the 2CV - almost as if it felt a little too modern. So the hunt for a 2CV started in earnest.
Luckily a garage close to my work place took one in part-ex and wanted to shift it quickly. Days later I was the proud owner of a bright Jaune Mimosa (yellow) 2CV6 Club BWJ352T - quickly named Busby. A small obsession had begun.
I came across the address of the Deux Chevaux Club of Great Britain (2CVGB) in a book on the marque and soon joined up. The club magazine was full of enthusiastic articles ranging from serious technical issues through to amusing tales of camping weekends full of 'in-jokes' mainly relevant to those who were there!
I discovered that there was no club local to Sheffield or South Yorkshire and put an appeal in the 2CVGB magazine in late 1983 seeking like-minded members who might like to start a little gathering in the area. I received two serious replies - one from Dave Harvey (owner of a yellow/black Charleston) and David Jane (owner of a well-used lhd 2CV van – AK350). Although both were enthusiastic, it was Dave Harvey who became my main 'partner in crime' and we set about setting up a local group. From the outset we didn't want to get too involved and merely wanted to get the group established - but it never really works out like that does it?
After a long introductory campaign which saw much publicity in the local press and radio our first meeting was held on a cold February evening in 1984. The room above the bar of the Robin Hood in Millhouses, Sheffield saw the birth of the 'Hallam Globetrotters'. We expected a fairly low turn out but were supported by members of existing clubs from West Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire (most notably the 602 Squadron from Nottingham) and a quick tour of the surrounding streets counted up some 60 A-Series vehicles! Wow! What a start!?
Over the next few months a core membership was built up and we had monthly meetings in the Robin Hood with guest speakers, quiz nights and so on. We ran an internal competition to design a club logo for a car sticker and this was won by Annette Petch who created the lovely design that you see on the right. In the summer months we had picnic convoys, treasure hunts and trips to bordering Clubs' nights. We exhibited at local motor shows and attracted a fair bit of attention. Regrettably we had to move our ‘club night’ base to the Princess Royal pub in Crookes in 1985 as the Robin Hood was under new management. We kept up with trying to gain new members (see below), constantly writing to the local press (we are well before the Internet here) and forged links with many of the other 2CVGB branch clubs close to us – 602 Squadron in Nottinghamshire and the Aire Cooled Alley Cats from Bradford to name a couple.
The highlight of this first phase of 2CV ownership for me was a visit to the '6th World Meeting of 2CV Friends' in July 1985 - the meeting held at Cheltenham Racecourse. We convoyed down from Sheffield with 10-13 cars from memory and had a fantastic time. None of us had seen so many A-Series in the same field and we marvelled at the weird and wonderful cars from all over the world. The spirit of camaraderie and being at 'one' with the car was brilliant. The high point was the convoy which saw approximately 250 cars trail around the Gloucestershire countryside - I took a part in the marshalling of that aspect of the meet and it was very enjoyable!
Regrettably, from then on interest in the Globetrotters began to wane. We had to move meeting venues again to the Red House on Solly Street, Sheffield which was closer to the city centre. Dave and I wanted to pass on the reins to others - he and his wife Chris had a poorly daughter who required a great deal of care and I was working particularly long hours. The club was wound up during 1986.
The experience of running the 'Globetrotters' was a very good one - I made many friends and learnt a great deal about the car and the people who enthuse about it. Unlike the 'beard and sandals' stereotype there is no typical owner. They are all different!
I was doing most of my own servicing in the street outside my house and larger jobs were left to the local 2CV specialist, at that time DCV Services in Broomhill, Sheffield. It was the business of Russ Outram who was a fantastic engineer and very supportive of our establishing the club. I have many happy memories of sitting chatting to Russ (sadly no longer with us) at the end of the day and he was especially willing to help me exchange my own gearbox when it 'unwound'. I remember that when I was reconnecting the clutch cable my elbow went through the floor!