Citroën 2CV
Electric Ami meets ancestors including Citroën’s own Q-car – the Ami Super
The recent neglect my fleet has suffered has been down to a focus on getting my CX ready or its first proper road trip (see PC next month) and the required maintenance of my 2CV daily driver. There have been other distractions, not least thanks to all the words I’m required to write in this ‘ere magazine and the occasional outing to report on. One such excursion ended up with a few hours at the office car park with colleagues from our sister publication, CAR magazine.
You might have seen the little wheeled Portaloo above doing the rounds of late in the press and on Youtube channels or noticed it lurking in the background of Instagram pictures, view obstructed by selfie-taking influencers (‘it’s all about meeee!’). This tiny electric cube has certainly caused a stir, not least among those misguided self-styled journalists for whom the purpose of the car has been completely misunderstood. Worse still, members of my own clan – people within the Citroën community – have also missed the point of the electric Ami.
To cries of ‘it’s not a real Ami!’ or ‘it’s too slow!’, I say this. The new Ami has everything to do with Citroën’s heritage. Since André began production of Europe’s first mass-produced car in 1919, the company has been at the forefront of design, with innovation after innovation. This particular vehicle is all about addressing the challenges of daily life. It’s a tool for a job. A workhorse. Sound familiar? The new car shares less with the original Citroën Ami but it captures the spirit of the 2CV. Sure, it only has two seats, no boot and a top speed that keeps it strictly in the city and rural lanes, but that’s the point. It is a weatherproof, entry-level quadracycle and is priced as such.
You wouldn’t buy a Lotus Esprit and then complain you can’t fit a cement mixer in the boot.
No such misunderstandings from the CAR journalists who were filming one of their typically thorough road test videos. They agreed to let me have a go in exchange for a drive in my 2CV. No
stranger to a Mclaren or two, writer Tim Pollard emerged with a big grin and, although somewhat perturbed by the roll angles, was impressed by the old car’s composure on Cambridgeshire’s poor road surfaces. This was the only thing I disliked about the new Ami. As with many other modern cars, the ride is unnecessarily choppy and makes a meal of even the smoothest of tarmac. Not so our beige Ami Super, which my pal Ragnar turned up in. With a tweaked 2Cv-derived chassis and an Ami 8 shell, its smooth 1015cc air-cooled GS flat-four propels you to unexpectedly obscene speeds in no time at all. It’s a proper little Q-car.
While the new Ami is not, I do genuinely think it has the potential to change the way we travel. It makes a Tesla look embarrassingly decadent, as it’s refreshingly basic in a way that bodes well for DIY car restorers and enthusiasts of the future.
Speaking of basic, all the excitement had just about seen off my 2CV’S exhaust silencer. Sitting under the engine bulkhead, it simply hangs from the bottom of the gearbox so having unbolted the two mounts and removed all three clamps, the old one revealed a large split. The new item was fitted in ten minutes. With the front wings unbolted for access, I then dropped out the pads from the inboard discs and about ten minutes later, the car was ready to be driven away. Gazing across at the new Ami, I wonder if maintaining that car will be as easy. I look forward to the discussion in 30 years time. ■ james.walshe@practicalclassics.co.uk