The mythical French car is 60 this year…

photo (c) cite.sciences


My maths teacher used to have a 2 CV. It was as battered and smelly as he was. We used to think it looked like an upturned pram. I never liked the 2 CV.

However, as the years pass I can understand that there’s a certain nostalgia that sets in. Couple that with some gold old French pride and you have the 60th birthday of the 2 CV at the Cité des Sciences in Paris. They call it the 2 CV Expo Show. Ta-dah!

photo (c) cite.sciences

5 million 2 CV were made over 42 years (the last one rolled off the production line in 1990), with the first dating from before the Second World War. The exhibition show the evolution of the models (including the ‘luxury’ version of 1966) with multimedia presentations, photos and films.

photo (c) gluecksmarie

There are also a number of special workshops (times vary depending on the dates) where you can paint part of a 2 CV (and have your photo taken with it so you can take it home with you!) and a two-hour event (can’t find the times for it though) with four mechanics taking the whole car apart and putting it back together again. As event change weekly, check the site for more info.

photo (c) afterthegoldrush

Here’s all the essential information for the 2 CV Expo Show at the Cité des Sciences in Paris

When: 27th March – 30th November 2008
Where: Cité des Sciences at La Villette, 30 avenue Corentin-Cariou, Paris 19th arrondissement, métro Porte de la Villette (line 7), bus n°s 75, 139, 150, 152, 249
Opening hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 10am – 6pm, Sunday 10am – 7pm. Closed Mondays
Entrance fee: adults 8 euros, concessions 6 euros. 3 euros for students from 3-6pm, except on public holidays (who makes these rules up for goodness sake?). Lots of other complicated rates for the various parts of the building here
Official site: here

Bigger map here