Citroen brings back the 2CV name with an electric city car concept

French carmaker Citroen has brought back the 2CV name in an effort to boost sales of electric cars in a difficult market. The company showed the new model at the Paris Motor Show.

It is a small city car with retro styling that looks back to one of Citroen's most famous designs. Citroen expects it to sell for about £13,000.

The car is a concept car, which means it is meant to show where the company is heading. It is not ready to go on sale yet. The plan is to have a version in showrooms by 2028.

Citroen is not alone in leaning on its past. European brands face growing competition from Chinese manufacturers, and several are using their heritage to sell modern cars.

Citroen chief executive Xavier Chardon described the new car as "a modern, ingenious and refreshing response to the mobility challenges of tomorrow".

The original 2CV was launched in 1948, as Europe was recovering from World War Two. It was built as a cheap, tough way for French farmers and country people to get around.

It had high wheel arches and soft suspension. That let it cross a ploughed field or a rough road, and as legend has it, without breaking a tray of duck eggs. The high roof meant drivers could wear a hat at the wheel. The car was easy to drive and simple to repair.

It stayed in production for more than 40 years. Over time it went from a working tool for the countryside to a cult classic, popular with hippies and counter-culturalists.

The look of the new 2CV may change as Citroen develops the design. For now, it shares a lot with the original. The high, flared wheel arches, the tall, curved roof and the eye-like headlights all recall the "deux chevaux", which means "two horses".

Using memories of an old car to sell a new one is a well-travelled road. Volkswagen brought back the Beetle in the late 1990s, with limited success.