Three rare Citroëns. An abandoned attic. A secret that had remained hidden for almost sixty years. It sounds like a thrilling war story, but what if the truth was completely different?
There are stories that every 2PK enthusiast has heard at least once. Like that of the three pre-war Citroën 2CVs that were hidden from the Germans during the Second World War. For almost sixty years, they were said to have stood in an attic in France, until they saw the light of day again in 1997.
A wonderful story. Except it turns out not to be entirely true.
New historical research, published in the French magazine Planète 2CV in 2026, sheds a surprisingly different light on this legendary discovery.
And believe us: the real history is at least as fascinating.
Back to 1939: the 2CV no one was allowed to know about
"Citroën 2CV TPV 1939 prototype grey single headlight historic car"
Long before the Citroën 2CV was officially introduced to the general public in 1948, Citroën was already working on a revolutionary small car.
The project was given the internal name TPV, which stood for Toute Petite Voiture, literally a very small car.
The idea was as simple as it was brilliant: build an affordable, economical, and practical car that would allow the French rural population to travel in comfort.
In 1939, Citroën was ready to bring the new model to market. On August 28 of that year, the type was officially homologated as the 2CV A.
But just a few days later, the Second World War broke out.
The planned introduction was canceled, and the production plans faded into the background.
What happened to the units that had already been built?
A large number were eventually destroyed. A small number managed to survive.
And that is exactly where one of the best-known mysteries in the history of the Citroën 2CV begins.
The story everyone believed
For years, it was told that some Citroën employees had secretly brought the last prototypes to an attic at the La Ferté-Vidame test center during the war.
There, the cars were said to have remained safely hidden from the German occupiers, who were interested in the innovative French cars.
The story gained extra fame when the three historic 2CVs were removed from an attic in 1997.
Images of that spectacular operation went around the world within the international 2CV community.
Three forgotten cars, untouched for almost sixty years under a thick layer of dust.
It looked like a scene from an adventure movie.
But there was one big problem with that story.
The cars had not stood in that attic for 59 years at all.
The surprising truth: no war hideout, but renovation work
The French magazine Planète 2CV published an extensive historical study by Jean-Michel Matras in its April-June 2026 issue.
In it, old documents, testimonies from former employees, and memories from the construction workers involved are compared side by side.
What turns out?
The three 2CVs were still simply on the La Ferté-Vidame grounds in the 1970s, more specifically in the vicinity of the La Richardière farmhouse.
An internal inventory from February 1976 lists the presence of the three historic cars.
And then came the renovation work.
Around 1981, the ground floor of the farmhouse had to be cleared. The old Citroëns were in the way and were therefore moved to the attic.
Not to hide them from German soldiers.
Not as part of a secret rescue operation.
But simply because work had to be done downstairs.
Sometimes reality is surprisingly ordinary.
Less than 18 years instead of 59 years
"Citroën 2CV 1939 TPV prototype La Ferté Vidame historic barn restoration"
The new timeline changes the whole story.
According to the collected testimonies, the three cars were brought upstairs around 1981 and brought back down again in 1997.
That means they spent about sixteen years in the attic, and in any case, less than eighteen years.
A considerable difference from the nearly six decades that had been cited for years.
The key to this discovery lies with the people who actually worked on the grounds.
Among them was Claude Dumont, a mason and contractor who carried out renovation work for Citroën for years.
He was involved in moving the cars and later also played an important role in their spectacular return downstairs.
His testimony makes it clear that the cars were moved several times during their stay at the test center.
So the attic was not their secret hideout since 1939, but merely their last storage place.
1997: three historic Citroëns fly through the roof
When Citroën decided in 1997 to bring the three special 2CVs out again, it turned out that was easier said than done.
The cars were in a difficult-to-reach attic. Through the existing access, it was impossible to drive them out.
There was only one thing for it: make an opening in the roof.
A construction crew removed roof tiles and parts of the roof structure. Inside, a wooden ramp was built, and outside, a sturdy platform with scaffolding was erected.
The cars were individually secured on pallets and lowered with a lifting machine.
Because the available machine was not suitable for such a delicate task, even a heavier model had to be rented.
And as if that were not enough, the weather also did not exactly cooperate.
The entire operation was filmed and grew into one of the best-known historic images from the 2CV world.
Claude Dumont, the man who had once been partly responsible for bringing the cars upstairs, was now back in the spotlight.
This time to bring them back down.
A special chapter in the history of Citroën.
Did the Germans actually know about the 2CV?
Another interesting detail from the research makes the original legend even less plausible.
The pre-war 2CV was not completely unknown to the German occupiers.
A historical note from December 1944 shows that German engineers showed interest in the small Citroën in July 1940.
They wanted to obtain three examples to examine the cars.
Pierre Boulanger, then a senior official at Citroën and the driving force behind the 2CV project, refused to cooperate.
Even after repeated requests, he stuck to his position.
That in itself is a remarkable piece of automotive history.
But it also shows that the story of three completely unknown cars that had to remain hidden for decades is difficult to reconcile with the historical documents.
Why did the legend persist for so long then?
"Citroën 2CV TPV 1939 prototype preserved historic Citroen collection"
Because it was simply a wonderful story.
A secret project. A world war. Brave employees saving valuable prototypes. And finally, a spectacular discovery in a dusty attic.
All the ingredients for a legend were present.
When the images of the recovery operation appeared in 1997, the story seemed confirmed.
Several publications also adopted the well-known version, which caused it to become increasingly entrenched in the collective memory of 2CV enthusiasts.
It was only by re-examining historical documents and speaking directly with those involved that it became clear that several events had been confused.
The existence of the prototypes, their preservation during and after the war, and their later stay in the attic are all real parts of history.
Only the way they were connected to each other turned out to be incorrect.
Does the truth make these three 2CVs less special?
Absolutely not.
On the contrary.
These three cars are among the most important surviving witnesses to the development of one of the most iconic French cars ever.
They remind us of a time when Citroën dared to think completely differently about mobility.
A car did not have to be luxurious, fast, or impressive.
It mainly had to be clever, reliable, simple, and affordable.
That way of thinking would eventually lead to the Citroën 2CV as millions of people came to know it.
And although the legend of the 59 years in the attic now takes on a different meaning, it remains exceptional that these pre-war prototypes were preserved.
Without those survivors, we would miss an important piece of the origin story of our beloved 2PK today.
At De2pktjes, we love the cars and their stories
For us, a Citroën 2CV is much more than an old car.
Behind every 2PK, Dyane, Méhari, or other Citroën A-type hides a piece of history. Sometimes funny, sometimes surprising, and occasionally even mysterious.
That is what makes these cars just as special.
At De2pktjes, we love to share that passion with other enthusiasts. Not only through our love for the cars themselves, but also by keeping their history alive.
Are you also bitten by the 2CV bug?
Then take a look at de2pktjes.shop, our webshop for enthusiasts of the Citroën 2CV and other A-types.
Because some stories deserve to be told further.
And now we are curious about your opinion.
Had you already heard the story of the three 2CVs that were hidden in an attic for 59 years? And did you know that the truth was so different?
Feel free to tell us. We would love to hear which other 2CV legends you think should be examined more closely.
Historical source: Jean-Michel Matras, article about the three Citroën 2CV A's from 1939, published in Planète 2CV, no. 153, April-June 2026. This blog is an independent Dutch-language retelling and interpretation based on the provided historical information.
Photo: Andrew Bone / Wikimedia Commons – CC BY 2.0. Citroën 2CV prototypes from 1938–1939. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Citroen_2CV_Prototypes_c.1938-9_(16279059059).jpg · License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
FAQ
How many Citroën 2CV prototypes from 1939 were found in the attic?
In 1997 were three Citroën 2CV A's from 1939 removed from the attic of a farmhouse at the test center of La Ferté-Vidame.
Did the three Citroën 2CVs really stand in the attic for 59 years?
No. According to the research that appeared in Planète 2CV in 2026, the cars were brought to the attic around 1981 due to renovation work. In 1997, they were brought back down.
What is the difference between a Citroën TPV and a 2CV A?
TPV was the internal project name Toute Petite Voiture. The pre-war model received the official type designation 2CV A in 1939.
Where were the historic 2CVs kept?
The three cars were located at the Citroën test center in La Ferté-Vidame in France, including the La Richardière farmhouse.
Who removed the three 2CVs from the attic in 1997?
Claude Dumont and his construction crew carried out the complex recovery operation, which required a roof opening and a lifting machine.