Launched in 1948, the Citroën 2CV was conceived as a radical solution to post-war France’s need for simple, affordable transport. Designed to carry four people and a basket of eggs across a ploughed field without breaking a single shell, it challenged every convention of car design. Over more than 40 years of production, it became one of the most distinctive and enduring cars ever built.
The defining feature of the 2CV is its extraordinary suspension system. Citroën engineers created a long-travel, fully independent setup using leading arms at the front and trailing arms at the rear, interconnected by horizontal coil springs mounted in canisters along the chassis. This clever layout allows each wheel to rise and fall almost independently while still sharing load across the car. On rough roads, cobbles, or broken tarmac, the suspension keeps the wheels pressed firmly to the surface, delivering comfort and control far beyond what its modest appearance suggests.
This suspension is also the key to the 2CV’s legendary road holding. When cornering, the car leans dramatically, often to angles that look completely implausible to the uninitiated. Yet this pronounced body roll is carefully controlled. As the car leans, weight transfers smoothly rather than abruptly, allowing the tyres to maintain grip. The sensation is unique: the body sways, the steering remains calm, and the car simply tracks through the bend. Once you learn to trust it, the 2CV reveals a level of balance and composure that few cars of any era can match.
Correct tyres are essential to preserving this behaviour. The suspension was designed around tall, narrow tyres with flexible sidewalls, which work with the long suspension travel to absorb bumps and maintain consistent contact with the road. Modern alternatives that are too wide or too stiff can upset this balance, reducing comfort and dulling the car’s famously forgiving handling.
For 1954–1957 models, the original factory tyre was the metric 125R400, a size we still offer today. This tyre maintains the correct rolling radius and sidewall compliance for early cars and can be found here.
For 1958–1959 cars, Citroën specified a slightly wider metric 135R400. This tyre is also still available and provides the correct footprint without compromising the suspension’s intended characteristics.
From 1960 to 1990, the original standard tyre was the metric 135R380, which is no longer available. In 1965, Citroën replaced it with the 125R15, now the most common fitment for later cars. An optional 135R15 was also offered for owners seeking a marginally wider tyre. Both correct replacement options for these later models are available here.
Choosing the correct tyre ensures the 2CV continues to ride, lean, and grip exactly as its engineers intended.
For immediate dispatch to you or direct to your tyre fitter, order from vintagetyres.com or call our friendly team on 01590 612261