Major car brand ‘plotting return' of discontinued model that starred in iconic James Bond scene 46 years ago
Citroen is biding its time over whether to bring back the iconic retro 2CV.
It earned its stripes as a French economy car and is recognised for revitalising post-war France.
4
4
The 2CV was nicknamed Deux Chevaux, translating to "two horses" referring to its tax horsepower rating.
The 2CV featured in the James Bond movie For Your Eyes Only in a scene where Bond jumps into the passenger seat of co-star Melina Havelock's yellow car, heading off the twisty mountain roads, while Hector Gonzalez's men give chase in a pair of Peugeot 504 sedans.
Bond eventually takes the wheel and the car enjoys a bone-rattling climax that sees it hurtling through olive trees.
He then crisscrosses the road, before jumping over a pursuing Peugeot and bumping its offside-rear wheel on the sedan's roof.
The scene was filmed in Corfu over 12 days and the car was one of several 2CVs used in the filming.
While four are known to have survived filming, at least two were scrapped when production ended.
'We have a very, very strong heritage, one of the richest in the car industry,' then-Citroen boss Thierry Koskas told Auto Express.
'We have the 2CV, the Traction Avant, the DS: amazing cars known all over the world.
"I absolutely agree that one of the big strengths of European brands is their heritage.
The first-ever all-electric MINI JCW Aceman
'On the product side, we are not taking it as a general direction to do retro design.
"But I do not exclude that maybe we study and [have] some exploration, we are open to look at that.
"But at Citroen you will not see all the future cars reminding you of previous models.
'You will have people that value a design that is close to a car they used to love in the past. This is the debate.
'But there have been successes and failures in [automotive] revivals.
"Some fail because [companies] don't position the car properly, they seem retro but aren't really, or customers don't really like the car or recognise their love story.
"So if we were to do it, we would have to be very, very careful and cautious about how we did it.'
4
4
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
13 minutes ago
- Reuters
Morning Bid: Bitcoin joins the risk-on party
A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Ankur Banerjee You know markets are fully risk-on when cryptocurrencies are on a tear, with bitcoin joining global stocks to scale a record peak as the near certainty of U.S. interest rate cuts bolsters risk sentiment and weighs on the dollar. The world's best-known cryptocurrency, bitcoin , has a lot going for it: prospects of lower interest rates, a more favourable regulatory environment, and bullish inflows from institutional investors. Ether too has been on the charge, hovering near its highest since November 2021, becoming the token of choice for those looking for more active returns. In fact, ether is up 42% this year, outstripping the 32% gain for bitcoin. Stocks in Asia were taking a bit of a breather after a blistering rally this week. Japanese shares fell after hitting a record high, while tech-heavy Taiwan and South Korean shares eased after recent highs. Investors are wagering that the Federal Reserve will resume cutting interest rates from next month, with traders starting to even price in odds of a 50 basis points cut after comments from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. "If we'd seen those numbers in May, in June, I suspect we could have had rate cuts in June and July. So that tells me that there's a very good chance of a 50 basis-point rate cut," in September, Bessent said in an interview on Bloomberg Television. Fed Chair Jerome Powell, who has been regularly lambasted by U.S. President Donald Trump, is expected to speak at a central bank research conference in Wyoming next week and the focus will be on his tone on policy path. Bessent also said the Bank of Japan will likely be raising interest rates as it is behind the curve in dealing with the risk of inflation, leading to strong gains in the yen , which stayed around its strongest level in three weeks. Investor focus during European hours will be on a swathe of economic data that will offer a glimpse of the tariff uncertainties and the impact of the duties on the economy. Key developments that could influence markets on Thursday: Economic events: Euro zone flash GDP for Q2, UK prelim GDP for Q2
Reuters
13 minutes ago
- Reuters
Investors adopt "higher for longer" view on ECB rates
Aug 14 (Reuters) - Investors are increasingly pricing in a "higher for longer" interest rate environment in the euro zone, with a potential cut in March seen as a temporary blip before borrowing rates climb back above 2%. A number of market-based measures of rate expectations indicate that investors are growing less concerned about the deflationary impact of tariffs following the recent trade deal between the United States and the European Union. They're also confident that a sharp increase in fiscal spending in Germany will boost the economy, thereby reducing the need for more rate cuts in the longer term. Several investment banks, including Goldman Sachs, have revised their forecasts, now anticipating that the European Central Bank has ended its current easing cycle. While trade risks could still weigh on growth and inflation, these banks believe the ECB, which offered an upbeat assessment of the euro zone economy after its latest meeting, is likely to hold rates at 2% for the foreseeable future. Erring on the side of caution, markets are pricing in the risk of a pick up in deflationary pressure early next year if tariff negotiations falter, which is showing up as an implied ECB rate cut in March. In the meantime, the euro has risen by nearly 3% this month as investors increasingly expect the U.S. Federal Reserve to resume rate cuts in September, while the ECB stays put. "Higher for longer" was a narrative that dominated markets in 2022 and 2023 as central banks grappled with stubborn inflation stemming from the COVID pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Here are some of the market indicators that reflect its return. Forward contracts on the ECB's official overnight benchmark interest rate, the euro short-term rate (ESTR), imply around a 60% chance of a 25 basis point rate cut by March, and a deposit rate of 1.92% in December 2026. This reflects traders' assumptions about the likely path for monetary policy. 'In the short term... there is the potential of inflation undershooting. It's a bit of Trump. It's a bit of economic weakness,' said Carsten Brzeski, global head of macro research at ING. 'Our view is that inflation will remain structurally above 2% in the coming years, driven by fiscal spending and the restructuring of supply chains, which will increase costs for companies,' he said. He added that policy rates could reach the upper bound of the ECB's official 1.75% to 2.25% range for the neutral rate - that which is neither accommodative nor restrictive - and shift into tightening territory if required. The euro short-term rate (ESTR) 5-year overnight index swap (OIS) is seen as a barometer of the medium-term monetary policy outlook and can be loosely used as a market-implied gauge of the neutral rate. The swap rate hit a high of 2.406% in early March, when Germany agreed on the biggest overhaul to its fiscal spending in decades, and has since fallen to around 2.12%, having traded above the 2% mark consistently for the last six weeks. 'We're a bit more negative on growth than everyone else and a bit more worried about inflation than everyone else,' said Lyn Graham-Taylor, senior rates strategist at Rabobank. 'But we've literally no change for the deposit rate out till the end of 2027,' he added. The Euro Interbank Offered Rate reflects the average rate at which major European banks lend unsecured funds to one another. The Euribor rate also captures some credit risk because of the involvement of banks. The curve mirrors that of ESTR forwards, so it also suggests rates could dip modestly by March before rising above 2% again into 2027. Paul Hollingsworth, head of developed markets economics at BNP Paribas, believes the ECB's next move will be to hike rates in the fourth quarter of next year. 'I see the rate hike as a recalibration within the neutral the balance of data and risks shifts from the drag of tariffs toward a more positive impulse driven by fiscal policy,' he said.
Top Gear
42 minutes ago
- Top Gear
How good does this Callum Vanquish Shooting Brake look?
Ian Callum has been playing with the Vanquish again. Won't somebody let him make this thing? Remember Ian Callum's updated take on the original Aston Martin Vanquish? Well, he wants to make it more… practical. We approve, because what better way to improve a supercar than by making it possible to bring dogs along for the ride? We first saw a single angle of this VC25 Shooting Brake concept back in May 2023, but now it has been rendered in a lovely new colour and looks pretty much ready for production. Unfortunately, Callum says that it is still 'purely conceptual' for now, but that interested parties should get in touch.
