In this video hear the wonderful noise of a two cylinder, 602cc air-cooled, Citroen 2cv6 engine starting up.
The ‘6’ in 2cv6 refers to the 602cc, air-cooled, boxer engine, which was introduced as an option in 1970 before becoming the only choice from March 1978.
This humble but ingenious engine was designed by Italian engineer Walter Becchia (1903 – 1976), who prior to Citroen designed Grand Prix winning engines for Talbot-Lago and, rumour has it, designed the 2cv engine and gearbox in only 6 days.
The 602cc engine mounted in the front of the Citroen 2cv6 was the fourth engine Citroen offered in the 2cv. From launch the car was fitted with a 375cc engine, from 1948 to 1970 the capacity grew to 425cc, 435cc and finally 602cc.
The 602cc unit produced 29bhp and 29 Ib ft, giving the light 2cv6 a top speed of 71mph.
The hole in the cowl at the front of the engine was so that that the engine could be started by hand. The wheel jack doubled as a starting handle which fitted into lugs in the centre of the fan housing. This was a feature of the car right up until the point that the Citroen 2cv6 production finally ended in 1990.
