Please post pictures of the A-series Citroens that have inspired you or have helped shape who you are or what you drive, today. Try & limit it to 1 car & give reasons as to why it's been so influential...

I'll start with this:








Back in 1997 although i was a 2cv owner, i was into Volkswagens as well, although i hadn't owned an air cooled VW i was into the scene, most of my mates were running around in Beetles or vans & we were regulars at 'Run To The Sun', the Volkswagen & Custom Car festival held each year in Newquay, Cornwall (now sadly ruined by the hot hatch crew). The Resto Cal thing was in big time around this time & i longed for a 2cv that would cut the mustard among my mates. All the top Beetles at the time were immaculately finished, had choice accessories & were lowered to the max. There was very little in the 2cv scene, in this country at least that could compare & i wasn't sure if i'd ever see anything in the same league - at the time 2cvs were still cheap, disposable transport.

Then it all changed for me over the bank holiday weekend in August 1997... So 1st up for me is Geoff Archer's ex Belgian post office AZU 250 weekend. I first laid eyes on it at the 1997 2cvGB International held at Uttoxeter racecourse. I remember being blown away by it, i couldn't help but stop & admire each & every time i walked past. It might not be classed as groundbreaking or even that unusual now, what with the guys over on the snail forum pushing the boundries, but 12 years ago this van was the bollocks!

I had read about & seen Pete Sparrows Ami super & Alex Pearces/Richard Reynolds/Dunk Grays/Tarquin Sobey/Matt Concannons (anyone elses?) Peppermint green Ami super service, i'd seen the sidewinders at Marlow, but this to me was something bang up to date, whereas the sparrow cars were nicely finished, the paint jobs were 'of their time'. I'm sure this was the first time i'd witnessed a truly low 2cv that wasn't a race car. At the time there were very few lowered A series of any description around & to see one as clean and well sorted was this was inspirational, to me. It's a car that i wished all my mates from back home & from the VW scene could see too. I knew that it would appeal to them & maybe change their views on the car i choose to drive.

March 1998 saw me drive to Pete Sparrows workshop to have my 1981 2cv club lowered. I watched him do it, then a couple of weeks later i decided it wasn't low enough, when in reality it was the perfect compromise between lowness & usability! a few months later and a couple of more tie rod adjustments i'd ripped the spring can mount clean off the chassis! 4 years in the garage then it was rechassised & i had vowed never to lower it again. Got it back from Graham Wilson a couple of days before the 2003 International at Isleworth, London. The Friday morning of the meeting i stepped outside the front door & knew i that there was no way that i was going to drive to London with the car at the 'correct' ride height... 20 minutes later and i was on the road, heading for London with a ride height that could be measured in mm's & not feet!

Old habits die hard!

Do you have the pictures of that van as it is now? Do I recall it appearing on eBay slightly worse for wear?

Mid 1960's azam. In the late 1960's I went to France for the first time on a school trip. At that time the place was full of 2cv's of every type and condition. I particularly remember my introduction to French rural living while looking in amazement at what appeared to me to be a van made of rusty corrugated sheeting, the owner casually stepped out and took a pee by the roadside before driving on, in full view of a bunch of us kids!

French quirkiness had fascinated me, and although I didn't know the names or model designations at the time, I later found out that the car that looked the best to me was the one with those funny paperclip bumpers. When I see an AZAM today I'm still reminded of that summer in France 40 years ago.

It hard to say what inspired me to get Belinda as I'd never actually seen a Bedouin before I got her. However after seeing this at this years National it's given me so many ideas about what to do now I've got a working car on the road.



Although it's obviously not a Bedouin I think it has many of the same attributes - unique, fun and if you need a part, you can adapt one or make it yourself. Above all, there'll be nobody to come along and tell you that you've got a detail wrong!!

My most inspirational A-series must have been scrapped years ago.

I was about 5 years old when my parents were looking at replacing their crusty old Beetle with their first new car.

On the list of cars they were considering was a 2cv or Dyane. I remember visiting the local Citroen dealer (Lumleys Garage in Cleethorpes) and sitting in the showroom was a yellow 2cv and a blue Dyane. Much like these two:



It was love at first sight for me and twelve years later my first car was a Juane Mimosa 2cv.
Unfortunately my mothers first ever new car was a red Ford Fiesta.



I'm not totally sure how much my fascination with 2cvs was influenced by the funky brochure I added to my collection in about 1977.
It was this one...



...and I really liked the look of this bird....



...and I was only about five or so, and this page was pretty exciting at about five or so...



...so the question is: Is my long standing obsession with A-series Citroens responsible my long standing obsession with birds arses, or vice versa?

Lenny,
just as well you weren't brought up in Portugal.
Things might not have worked out quite as well for you?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30132857@N06/4200631375/sizes/o/

ken.

I cant choose just one car...............sorry, so here are two, unfortunatly i do not have pics of the actual cars, so these are representations.

Firstly, the earliest a-series memory i have is of a blue 1978 dyane which my parents bought the month before i was born so they had a new reliable car to transport their first born around in. (previous to this before i came along they had a LHD 2CV4 of early 70's vintage and a 1971 Dyane 4 and then a 1973 dyane6) This being their first new car ever. When i was about 8 months old we went on a camping holiday in the south of france and whilst packing my dad apparantly slammed the boot shut leaving a potty shaped 'outwards' dent where he had packed it badly. not a happy dadfy that day. This was part exchanged when i was about 3 and a bit for a used CX20 Athena.



The next one that shaped my A - series love was a brand new 1983 acadiane that my dad had as a private import from belgium, for the next 4 years it served as the works van for his business and was sign written up to advertise 'Motorsound Services' which was northamptons premier car audio and security centre for several years (1978-2001, He retired)
It had no rear side windows and was a proper panel van, but the van below does have cos' its the best white acad pic i could find quickly. I remember me and about 6 friends being transported to a local burger place for one of my birthdays all wedged into the back of this, being told to hold still and not be silly as we shoulnt be in the back of a van.



Basically these two vehicles proved to me that A series were practical, fun and just bloody good all round. That fact still isnt lost on me today and i have these 2 cars to thank.