Bijou the English 2 CV

Above original concept art for the Bijou brochure

The conservative British public found the 2 CV far too outrageous and agricultural and thus the Slough factory launched the plastic bodied Bijou at the London Motor Show in October 1959.

The picture above is of a prototype; production models featured a wider grill as shown in the picture on the right.

Citroën Bijou

The pretty 2 door body weighed more than the standard 2 CV thereby rendering its acceleration even more glacial than that of the normal 2 CV although thanks to superior aerodynamics, its top speed was higher.

The body was made of polyester reinforced resin glass fibre designed by Peter Kirwan-Taylor who also designed the Lotus Elite. and the car used the two cylinder 425 cc 12 bhp engine from the 2CV.
A total of 207 were produced between 1959 and 1964, plus 2 prototypes.
The Motor magazine tested a Bijou in 1961 and measured a top speed of 44.7 mph (71.9 km/h) with 0-40 mph (64 km/h) in 41.7 seconds. Fuel consumption of 59.5 miles per imperial gallon (4.75 l/100 km; 49.5 mpg-US) was recorded.
The test car cost £695 including taxes which was considered expensive by contemporary testers.

The steering wheel and interior door handles were borrowed from the D series.

It has long been rumoured that the windscreen was the tailgate window from the Safari but this is incorrect.

Contemporary comparisons*	BIJOU	2CV
Top speed	50.3 mph	47.2 mph
Acceleration 0-40 mph	31.3 secs	27 secs
Standing quarter mile	31.6 secs	31.1 secs
Fuel consumption at constant 40 mph	62.3 mpg	54 mpg
Kerb weight	11.9 cwt	10.5 cwt
Wheelbase	7ft 7ins	7ft 7ins
Track	4ft 1in	4ft 1in
Width	5ft 1in	4ft 10ins
Length	12ft 11ins	12ft 4ins
Height	4ft 10ins	5ft 3ins
* Source not known but probably Autocar magazine since the performance figures are different from the Motor magazine figures quoted above