Hold Your Horses: The History of the Deux Chevaux (France’s Most Popular Car)

Nashville TN, -- If you believe that the most popular item ever to come out of France is the fries'then hang on to your chapeaux, because the Lane Motor Museum is prepared to set the record straight by showcase France's most popular car during the featured "Hold Your Horses: The History of the Deux Chevaux (Two Horsepower - Citroen 2CV Exhibit)."

The exhibit will run from May 24 through October 29, 2007 and will showcase ten 2CV vehicles with various body styles. These distinctive vehicles are similar in that underneath them all is a production Citroen 2CV chassis.

Citroen has been a major European car manufacturer since the early 1900s. In 1949, the company started producing the 2CV. The 2CV was a small-engine, medium sized car designed to provide realistically priced transportation to rural Frenchmen who had little interest or knowledge of automobiles.

The unique engines in these cars were air-cooled and designed to be robust and operate under the most adverse conditions with a minimum of maintenance.

The suspension was fully independent, interconnected front to rear, and known across the French countryside for being supremely comfortable. Even the body panels were designed to be easily detachable for low cost repairs.

While the 2CV was designed to offer minimal-cost rural transportation, critics claimed it would be a commercial failure. However, owners were overwhelmed at the car's qualities – it offered a comfortable ride, it was spacious, and it was economical.

Proof that drivers are generally better judges of success than industry critics; the 2CV continued in production until 1990 with almost 7 million cars produced.

Regular admission rates will apply to view the featured exhibit.

To learn more about this exhibit visit the museum's Web site at, www.lanemotormuseum.org.