Few people have heard of it, yet many consider John Blankenbaker's KENBAK-1 to be the first commercial personal computer.
Citroen 2CV: Beautiful Simplicity
By James Grahame
If you like grasshoppers, you'll love the 2CV. Despite its prehistoric styling, it was famed as the Citroen that seemed destined to live forever. The original 2CV appeared in 1948 and remained on the market in various forms until 1991.
It's main claim to fame is the hideously designed roll-back roof. Apart from that, it offered a two cylinder 602 cc engine that output a whopping 28 HP. The Deux Chevaux puttered along with so much retro charisma that people didn't seem to mind its turtle-ish ways. Over 5,100,000 of these weird and wonderful creatures were produced, and many are now in the hands of collectors.
Because automotive technology has advanced so much in recent decades, vintage cars are usually much more fun to admire than to drive. Vehicles of the 60s and 70s were often underpowered, awkwardly engineered and prone to rust and electrical failure.
With that in mind, it makes sense to choose vintage wheels that are quirky, simple and dirt cheap. The 2CV fits the bill -- nobody expects it to race off the start line, and there are precious few amenities in the cockpit that will need repair (like air conditioning power windows or ABS).
These images are from 2CVs R Us, who have been painstakingly restoring 2CVs in the USA for several decades. Their stunningly retro website features dozens of photos that document the rebuild process and final result. I want one as my daily driver.
