2CV Charleston: when 6 months turned into 10 years
Citroën never meant to produce the 2CV Charleston for long, but people just couldn’t stop buying it.
The vast majority of the around five million 2CVs Citroën produced between 1949 and 1990 are long gone, with rust and hard use taking their heavy toll. Unsurprisingly, most current survivors are 1980s models, with the Charleston being the most popular by far.
the original run of 8000 cars sold out so quickly the Charleston became a regular production model
The Charleston was a limited-edition model introduced in France in September of 1980, characterized by an eye-catching yet tasteful burgundy (Rouge Delage in Citroën-speak) on black paint job inspired by the style of the late 1920s and early 1930s.
Apart from the exterior colors and better interior upholstery, nothing justified the Charleston’s price premium over the standard model, but the original run of 8000 cars sold out so quickly the Charleston became a regular production model in July ’81.
