The Citroën 2CV’s engine was deliberately designed to produce just enough power to maintain 60 km/h on a 1-in-10 hill gradient because French tax law at the time calculated vehicle taxes based on cylinder displacement, so Citroën engineer Jacques-Émile Baudot engineered the smallest possible engine that could still meet the car’s minimum performance requirements, accidentally creating an icon by optimizing for tax avoidance rather than performance ambition.
Car Fact #63 — August 18, 2026
