A what? Well, we Dutch call it "eend", the Germans call it "Ente", both meaning "duck". Officially, it is known as a Citroën 2CV. It is one of the most iconic cars ever built. I found this one parked in my home town:
Olympus Stylus 1s, 75mm, ISO800, f4, 1/25s
The Citroën 2CV was produced from 1948 to 1990 (yes, for 42 years!) and about 4 million were built, well over 6.5 million if you count the closely related models. It is a cheap and simple car, but surprisingly comfortable because of the ingenious and very soft suspension. It does make the car lean precariously in corners, but it will not tip over (I tried).
When first introduced, it came with a flat, 2-cylinder, air cooled, 375cc engine putting out 9 bhp, which over the years evolved into a 602cc engine putting out 33 bhp, increasing the top speed from 64 km/h (40mph) to 115 km/h (71mph). These little engines are remarkably robust and can be run flat out all the time (I tried), which you will have to do to keep up with traffic. A slightly enlarged version (652cc) was later used in the Citroën Visa, my first car. This larger engine is sometimes retrofitted into the 2CV for some extra power.
The car in the picture has been galvanised by a specialist company just over the German border here. You can tell by the grey bits that haven't been painted; you're looking at the zinc layer. Many owners have done this, to prevent rust problems once and for all. They do like to rust, especially in wet climates.
It's a fun and idiosyncratic little car, it oozes character and the top opens for extra fun. It has a huge cult following and there are many 2CV clubs. Maintenance is simple and parts, new and used, are readily available. Hopefully, this will keep these little ducklings on the road indefinitely.
The car in the picture is owned by the husband of the owner of this Renault 4; two French icons in one household.
Previous car in the wild: an Opel.