West Yorkshire business successfully reviving iconic Citroen

By Classic Yorkshire correspondent Tony Lofthouse

They might not be everyone’s cup of tea but for restorer Tony Shields the affection many have for Citroen 2CVs has transformed his business.

After starting out buying and selling salvage cars, Tony from Brighouse, saw a gap in the market turning these ‘ugly ducklings’ into attractive runarounds.

The 2CV – or deux chevaux – ran for 42 years and over its life developed from a 375cc powered workhorse to a 602cc four-speed classic.

Over the last 30 years, Tony’s business, 2CV City, has grown from supplying parts and chassis for the French market to carrying out full restorations for customers across the UK and beyond.

Today, Tony and his team have built a strong reputation for their work restoring 2CVs and their early variants such as the Dyane, Ami and H-Type vans. A look through their order books show customers from as far afield as Australia, New Zealand and the US.

A few years ago they even sold one to one of the Hairy Bikers! The business has also featured on Car SOS.

The company’s success comes as 2CV prices have rocketed in recent years.  The last one to roll off the production line in 1990 cost just £4550 on the road. Today, a restored model comes in at between £12,000 and £15,000, whilst a H van could sell for £20,000.

Tony, who spends a good deal of his spare time racing his Mk1 and 2 Escorts in top car rallies, smiles at how this little French classic has changed his life. 

“When I started people in the car business thought I was crackers, but now I look back on how I have certainly backed a winner,” says Tony.

“We started out paying less than £100 for scrap 2CVs but now people are asking twenty times that for a wreck.

“The appeal is their simplicity, the mechanics are basic and the electronics are easy to work on.

“There are challenges – the original chassis are terrible for rust – but as part of our restorations we fit new galvanised heavy duty chassis and body panels. Our aim is to build cars that are as near to new as possible. We also sell custom-made chassis to other restorers.

“Customers are able to choose the type of upholstery and colour scheme they want and we’ll do the rest.”

When the jobs complete, Tony enjoys making many of the deliveries himself, fitting the restored car inside his Fiat Ducato van. 

He said: “It’s always special to see customers reactions when I turn up with their new-look 2CV. Recently, we refurbished an AK250 for an Australian couple living in Paris which included converting the vehicle to right hand drive!”

Visiting 2CV City really gave me a taste of the uniqueness of these French classics and the level of workmanship Tony and his team put into every project. Some of the customers have eccentric tastes but the team are passionate about meeting the needs of every owner.

A lot of business comes in from ‘word of mouth’ interest and the reputation the company have built up over the years, but Tony also wants to boost their online presence including Facebook.

To find out more or discuss a restoration project contact Tony on 01274 670742 or 07908 187589 or visit http://www.2CVcity.co.uk

Declaration – I can confirm that Classic Yorkshire received no payment or benefit for this article.

Five facts about the 2CV

• The car was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in 1948 but prototypes date back to the 1930s

• It was originally developed to help farmers in France carry their produce across fields 

• Over 42 years, Citroen produced over five million 2CVs and variant models including vans

• In 1981 a yellow 2CV was driven by James Bond in ‘For your Eyes Only’

• Some of the cars were produced in Slough in the late 1950s and in the last two years of production 2CVs were made in Portugal.