The stories of James Bond's Citroën, an exotic 2CV that shone in the movies 40 years ago

09/03/2021 12:46

• Clarín.com

• Cars

Updated 09/03/2021 12:46

The Citroën 2CV is a classic of classics.

It is the most representative model of the French brand, the one that catapulted it towards a place of vanguard and innovation within the automotive industry.

During its 42 years of production, it knew how to have many versions, but there is one that stands out and that perhaps is not so well known by the general public: the

007 series of James Bond

.

This special edition, which shone in the "For Your Eyes Only" saga starring Roger Moore, is one of the

rarest and most sought after by collectors

.

The Citroën 2CV 007 was presented to the public in France in October 1981, immediately after the premiere of the film.

Only 500 units were made, of which only a dozen have survived, making it an even more legendary piece.

The 2CV 007 Special Edition was presented in 1981, in Paris.

Stories few know

• The 2CV 007 in the film corresponded to a 2CV 6 Club Yellow Mimosa AC 333 with a reinforced chassis from the AMI Super and a larger engine than it had historically.

  It was a 1-liter, 4-cylinder engine from the Citroën GS which, thanks to a specific exhaust system, allowed the typical 2CV sound to be maintained. 

• The 2CV 007 special series was introduced first in England, with a few right-hand drive units, and then in France, where 500 units were produced.

• The 2CV 007 was a yellow 2CV 6 Special with 007 logo side stickers on which the number 7 was shaped like a stylized pistol.

  The logo was reproduced on the doors, hood and trunk lid.

  The car included a series of stickers that represented gunshot wounds.

Roger Moore and the cast of James Bond 007 "For Your Eyes Only" were at the Citroën launch in Paris.

• Citroën had these stickers placed at the factory, but without defining an exact positioning on the body, so that no two 007s were ever alike.

  It is even said that the operators had orders to place them at those points where a small imperfection in the paint or a drop of varnish was detected.

• The brand also offered customers the possibility of acquiring these stickers, which allowed any buyer of a 2CV to customize their own unit with bullet holes, regardless of its finish and body color.

• The 2CV 007 is unique in that there was no other 2CV that was painted Hélios AC 336 yellow (the Charleston used it too, but had some of its parts painted black).

  When Citroën started production, the Mimosa yellow from the 2CV in the film had been removed from the color list for a year.

One of the distinctive details of the 2CV 007 was the body rubbing that simulated bullet holes.

• Hélios yellow was slightly more intense than Mimosa yellow.

  The interior finishes were identical to that of the 2CV Especial.

  The top of the limited series was black, while the one on the car in the movie was yellow.

  The only common point between the two units was the rectangular headlights.

• The first units of the Citroën 2CV 007 special series were presented, in the presence of the actors of the film, at the Place Vendôme in Paris. 

•  Two of the cars were used for the filming of the chase that appears in the film while the third was used only for the interior shots.

Look also

Citroën 2CV and 3CV, the differences of two models that made Argentines fall in love

Citroën Méhari: 50 years after the launch of the great Argentine adventurer