Car Fact #14 — June 30, 2026

The Citroën 2CV’s engine was deliberately designed with a maximum output of just 9 horsepower because French tax law at the time levied annual fees based on engine displacement and rated horsepower, so Citroën engineers created an artificially underrated engine that tested at low power on the dyno while delivering respectable real-world performance through clever carburetor tuning—essentially building a tax loophole on four wheels.