Special ‘007’ Series 2CV Celebrates its 40th Anniversary

In 1981, the James Bond movie “For Your Eyes Only” had one of the most famous chase scenes (at least for Citroën lovers) featuring a yellow Citroën 2CV.

In the movie, James Bond is assigned to find a missing British vessel, equipped with a weapons encryption device and prevent it from falling into enemy hands. Near the beginning James (played by Roger Moore) and his soon to be female conquest Melina Havelock (played by Carole Bouquet) hop into her 2CV after James’ Lotus gets blown to smitherines. The 2CV doesn’t let them down — it comes out a bit bruised but still earns itself a place on the movie poster.

Actually, three 2CVs were used in filming; two were used to film the chase, the third for the interior scenes only. The chase 2CVs were modified by switching out the frame and using one from the Ami Super. A GS 1015 cc engine was implanted in place of the 602 cc standard unit. In doing so, the front end of the 2 chase 2CVs were subtly elongated to accommodate the 4 cylinder power plant.

Here they are in action:

Riding the wave of the movie, Citroën launched a limited edition 2CV 007 in celebration of the twelfth film in the Bond franchise embellished with black stickers that included the word 007 in which the 7 forms part of a stylized gun, on the doors, bonnet and boot lid, completing the look with bullet holes – in sticker form.

The series consisted of 1000 cars, 500 of which were reserved for the French market. Each of the limited edition 2CV 007 is somewhat unique in that at the factory the bullet hole stickers were applied at the factory without any predefined positioning on the body, so that no two cars were exactly the same.

The limited-edition Citroën 2CV 007 was presented in Place Vendôme in Paris in October 1981 along with the actors starring in the movie.

Today, the limited edition 2CV 007s are one of the rarest limited series Citroëns. Original ones are sought-after by collectors, though many copies have appeared on the market with similar stickers applied over standard yellow 2CVs.