by MG
Ironically the 2CV actually rode smoother over rough pavement than the Cadillac.
Cohort Pic(k) of the Day #2: Two Sedans From 1963
– Posted on August 28, 2020
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Curbside Classics Archives
by MG
Ironically the 2CV actually rode smoother over rough pavement than the Cadillac.
I no sooner mention the ’63 Cadillac and one appears. Great job Paul are you now linked to Amazon?
That photo pretty much covers the spectrum of opulence in mass-market cars available. I guess the equivalent French car to the Cadillac would have been the Facel Vega Excellence, the difference being that they sold 156 Excellences over several years while Cadillac sold more luxury cars than that every day. The 2CV’s 1963 US equivalent would have been a Rambler American or Ford Falcon, I suppose.
Somewhere in the Dutch country, the 2CV is a Belgian made example, slightly different taillights and trunk handle.
There was quite a big assembly line in Brussels for Citroën.
One of each sounds like a plan to me
Beautiful shot. The 2CV looks more substantive, and quite attractive, in this dark shade. While the handling of the white and body-coloured painted wheels, with the chromed hub covers, looks very elegant. Both cars are very tastefully presented. And the subdued colour saturation is near perfect.
The houses add a lot to the overall effect as well.
I’d rather have the Cadillac!
While the Cadillac would be better in every objective measure except possibly fuel economy. I still find the 2CV a more interesting car.
Cadillac was at its peak in the Sixties, and the ‘63 in the picture is as fine an example of a Cadillac as there is. It’s a Cadillac. No further explanation needed. Oddly enough, you can say the same for the 2CV. With its Gallic charm and quirkiness, it represents the Citroen name quite well, and there’s no way you would mistake it for anything else. Both cars were built to fill a particular niche, and both do it quite well. This reader (also dating from 1963) sees both cars as fine examples of their type and would happily drive either one.
Ford famously advertised the 1965 LTD as ‘Quieter than a Rolls Royce’.
It would have been great to see VW-style ‘ugly-is-beautiful’ 2CV ads in the US with the tag ‘Rides smoother than a Cadillac’.
Imagine the outrage. 🙂
Always been fascinated by the 2CV, and how it manages to survive extreme changes to the castor angle of the steering. Watching Ed China rebuild one on Wheeler Dealers taught me a lot, and watching Dan Shaw rebuild one on Fantomworks taught me that Dan isn’t as smart as Ed….( Dan didn’t know there are two complimentary damper systems on the suspension).