Two Early USA Spec 2CV Survivors

Bo Malefors in Phoenix, Arizona has not one, but two 1956 2CVs that were built in Belgium and imported by Citroën Cars Corp. in Beverly Hills when new.

One of the 2CVs has been off the road since 1961, in Tucson, Arizona. It has spent it’s whole life in Tucson until Bo bought it and brought it to Phoenix some 15 to 20 years ago. He has never taken the time to restore the car as it is on a rather long list of cars that he has with plans to work on.

He also found and bought a second 1956 2CV identical sister car, Belgium-built and imported new through Citroën Cars Corp. that has been off the road for 62 years.

Both are treasures showing the unique characteristics of such early USA models such as; larger sealed beam headlights, tear-drop front turn signals and tail lights, and the horizontal chevrons where the upper turn signals are typically located on the non-USA models.

Bo has been running his restoration shop, Copperstate Classic Cars in Phoenix for 37 years, specializing in 1957-59 Dodge, DeSoto and Chrysler cars plus he has restored a fair amount of old Cadillacs, a few Traction Avants, Renault 4CVs, old Volvos and a smattering of other classics.

In mid-June a French friend will take over Copperstate and he will be able “retire”, hopefully getting to work on some work on some of his own cars; a 1954 Traction Avant Familiale, a 1959 DeSoto convertible, a bunch of Renault 4CVs and 7 Renault R16s he bought a few months ago that had been sitting in the Arizona desert for 35 – 45 years.

Bo realizes how precious the 2CVs are and is taking the initiative have both professionally restored. He decided he needed help getting the 2CV’s done and contacted a 2CV specialist in Sweden. Many Belgium built 2CV’s were sold in Sweden when new so many of the specific Belgium made parts are available.

One 2CV is currently in a shipping container destined for Gothenburg, Sweden. The other will be loaded in a container sometime in April or May this year to go to the same restorer who, like all quality restorers is booked for at least 6 — 9 months! So, it will be later this year before he can start on either car but Bo is satisfied that within a year — 15 months both cars will be restored and looking as good as they did 67 years ago.

When shipping the 2CVs back across the ocean, Bo will also be bringing back another Traction Avant Familiale that he bought in Sweden along with a Renault 4CV Decapotable he found in Copenhagen, Denmark.

And good news for Citroën owners in Phoenix — Bo expects the new owner of Copperstate, Roland Bertaud, will be open to working on older French cars and, of course, he has access to any and all parts needed from Bo’s many French sources.