The 2CV: Your stories

France's iconic car the Citroen 2CV is turning 60.

Conceived with French farmers in mind, the economical car was designed to be able to carry boxes of eggs across muddy fields without breaking any.

Citroen stopped making the cars in 1990, but the famous shape of the 2CV has become a classic.

BBC News website readers have been telling us about their adventures in 2CVs and what their treasured cars mean to them.

LLOYD THOMPSON, BRISTOL, UK

I have just driven a Citroen 2CV from London to Ulan Bator in Mongolia, going through Europe, Russia and Kazakhstan on the way. My friend Simon and I did it as part of the Mongol rally - the challenge is to drive to Mongolia in a car with less than a one litre engine to raise money for charity.

The 2CV was absolutely brilliant, it almost made it but the chassis broke just 40km from the finish line. We chose the 2CV because they are mechanically simple, we both work in IT and are not the most mechanically minded people. The car made it over some very tough terrain and didn't break down - apart from one small electrical fire which Simon put out with his T-shirt!

Our 2CV was called Donita and was a bit of an unpredictable character. When people saw us their reaction was usually confusion, followed by surprise and then laughter. A young guy in Kazakhstan offered to swap our 2CV for his Porsche. We would have said yes but we didn't think we would get it over the Russian border. He sprayed the 2CV with champagne instead!

JONATHAN HOLMES, UK

My Dad had 2CVs before I was born and he still has two now - one for everyday and one for 'best'. When I was growing up our family car was a yellow 2CV. We took it on my first foreign holiday when I was seven, we drove from Derbyshire to Portugal. Kids love 2CVs, they're such fun cars and you can roll the roof down.

After being brought up with 2CVs I have three of my own. I took my 30-year-old 2CV up Mount Olympus when I was 19. I've owned it for years and it's never let me down. It's hard to say why 2CVs are so great, I'm very attached to mine. Maybe because I've driven it all over Europe and fixed it myself with a hammer!

I'm involved with the 2CV club, which is great fun. The meetings aren't like normal car meetings where people stare seriously at cars, they're more like a party or a festival. People who grew up with 2CVs are getting into them now, so there's a really good, young vibe to the club.

MARGRETE JOHANSEN, FARUM, DENMARK

I fell in love with the 2CV when I was a child. I got my first one in 1971 when my husband and I decided to buy our first car - of course it had to be a 2CV. I have always had 2CVs and have 1,000 stories to tell about this amazing car.

When my children were younger, we took a trip to Spain in the 2CV. We took three adults, two children and a lot of luggage - tents, a coffee-pot, even two Spanish guitars. We had some problems in the Pyrenees when the heating pipes started to burn, but we just took them out to cool down and replaced them. We drove back on the same day.

A young couple used my 2CV as their wedding car. I didn't know them but when they saw the 2CV they loved it so much that they asked if they could use it as their carriage - of course I said yes. It was great fun driving them around with the open top - the sun always shines in Denmark!

GLEN BARRINGER, COLORADO, USA

In my experience, 2CV owners tend to be the type of people that appreciate the unusual things in life. I include myself in this category. I have never been what we call in the US a 'white-bread' type.

I bought my 2CV in Belgium in 1987. I was spending the summer travelling around Europe. I had it shipped back to California and used it until 1994 when I sold it to a fellow 2CV lover. Before I bought it, it had been used as a home nurse's car and I hear that now it is owned by a French bakery.

I have always regretted selling my 2CV and plan to get another when I can afford to. 2CVs can be tricky to own as it can be difficult to get spare parts or get them serviced, but I would much rather have a 2CV than a cheap American car.

JANET JOHN, SWANSEA, UK

I am the Secretary of the 2CV club of Great Britain and have owned 2CVs for over 10 years. We decided to get one because we needed a reliable car and we wanted something a little bit quirky. We fell in love with them and now have a blue and white 2CV called Arthur and a red and white one called Fred.

I use a 2CV for the daily commute and find that it's a very reliable car. They aren't infallible and they do break down sometimes, but there are specialist 2CV parts dealers so you can get them fixed, even though they haven't made them since 1990.

We have taken them to France for 2CV club meetings. People in rural France often have a 2CV that they keep in the back of the barn! The last time we went there were 2,500 2CVs at the meeting, all lined up on Dunkirk beach. We are celebrating the 60th birthday with a club meeting in Dumcombe Park in Yorkshire.