1987 Citroën 2CV6 Special

This 2CV 6 Spécial - nicknamed “Dolly” - has the 602cc engine and was first registered in February 1988. Dolly was supplied by Jack Andrews Citroen of Whetley Hill, Bradford and spent 5 years in the Leeds-Bradford area with two different keepers, before moving over the Pennines to just outside Rochdale.

Dolly was then owned for over 22 years by the Ratcliffe’s Garage proprietor’s wife, who added minimal mileage to the car. Having mechanics in the family no doubt explains the lack of invoiced service history during this period. Once she was no longer able to drive the car at all, Dolly was passed to a former apprentice at the garage.

In December 2015, it was acquired from him by the current Citroen-enthusiast owners who planned to ramble it around the countryside in both the UK and France. However, in over 8 years of ownership, these plans have yet to materialise so Dolly is looking for a new owner.

The exterior is painted in what looks like Bleu Uzès - named for a southern French town north of Nîmes. It’s had a few areas addressed in the paint shop recently, so it is looking in pretty good order.

There are still a few small marks and dints here and there - as you’d expect - and a small scratch on the nearside rear wing, but generally the outside presentation doesn’t disappoint.

The folding/rolling roof seems in good order too, with just a few touches of surface rust on the frame.

The 2CV sits on skinny (135mm) 15-inch steel wheels, painted in a light grey and showing only a few marks. All were refitted with Nankang tyres in March 2015, since when the car has only travelled around 750 miles.

Inside the car, the grey tartan cloth upholstery appears a little loose and saggy around the seat frames but this is probably how it always was. They are not desperately comfortable, there is no spring in the seats at all to cushion bumps in the road - but shock absorption is all done by the car’s famously springy suspension.

The interior is spartan but clean, with rubber matting across the floors, and painted bodywork around the cabin. There are door cards though, and the pillars are lined, but comforts are few.

The instrument cluster - if you can call a single instrument a cluster - incorporates the speedo, odometer, fuel gauge and shift pattern into one unit. A modern stereo has been fitted under the dash on the passenger side.

One of the quirks of the 2CV is the hockey-stick gear shift coming out of the centre dash. Its use ceases to be quite so alien when you learn that the rod is connected to the top of a fairly standard gear stick in the engine bay.

With the handbrake also coming out from under the dash, the floors are clear of any controls, giving driver and passengers plenty of space.

Under the curved bonnet, the engine bay is a simple affair with the small air-cooled motor sitting ahead of the gearbox. Its simplicity facilitates easy maintenance and this one appears to have been looked after well as it ticks over beautifully.

Underneath the car the floor pans have a good coating of underseal and the frame appears to have been treated. There is some surface rust on other components like the swinging arms and suspension cylinders but nothing that appears of concern. The car was recently fitted with a brand new full exhaust system.

The rear boot has a carpet covering on the floor but is otherwise painted bodywork. There are a few spares included. Under the floor is the spare wheel and an additional plastic front grille. Aside from a few tiny spots of rust around the boot lid hinges, the load space looks tidy and intact.

The 2CV has a current MOT valid until March 2024, which it passed with an advisory on a slight play on the front nearside king pin. The MOT history - online and paper - validates the odometer reading as just under 16,900 miles.

The car is also fresh from an oil-change service, where it was also fitted with a new exhaust and ignition coil, and given a paint touch up in a number of places around the car.

In the owner’s book pack, the service record shows the following entries from its ownership in West Yorkshire:

• Feb 1988 - PDI - Jack Andrews Bradford
• May 1988 - not recorded - a/a
• Jun 1990 - 4,870 - Trust Citroen Bradford
• Jul 1992 - 11,500 - Trust Citroen Leeds

Other documentation on file includes:

- V5 Registration Document

- Invoice from EK Motors for MOT, New Full Exhaust System, Coil Packs and Paint Improvements (2023)

- Invoice from EK Motors for MOT and Welding to Exhaust Front Pipe (2019)

- Invoice from Dave Ashworth Citroen for New Bushes in Gear Lever (2017)

- Invoice from EK Motors for MOT, New Fog Lamp Bulb and Ignition Coil (2016)

- Invoice from EK Motors for new Walker Exhaust Box and Exhaust Clamps (2015)

- Invoice from EK Motors for MOT, Oil and Filter Change, 4 New Tyres, Repeater Lamp, Radio and Battery (2015)

- Invoice from EK Motors for Paintwork to 5 Wheels, Front and Rear Bumpers, Front Wings, Bonnet, Scuttle Panel, Doors, Lamps and Full Vehicle Polish (2015)

- Old MOT Certificates back to 1992 to verify mileage

- Owners Manual & Books

- Service Book

The Citroën 2CV is a perennial favourite. As classless as the original Range Rover (although considerably cheaper to run…) it can be taken anywhere without worry and parked with merry abandon as no thief would steal it - especially if they wanted a quick getaway!

As the world has woken up to how good these humble cars are, values are stronger than they used to be. We think this well documented, low mileage, late production example will sell for somewhere between £8,000 and £12,000.

It’s easy to live with and look after too - with just about everything being rebuildable. Any environmental concerns can be disregarded as this car has an infinitesimally small carbon footprint but a boot-full of fun.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.