When it comes to early automotive styling, it’s pretty easy to categorize certain countries with specific qualities. German cars are renowned for engineering, American cars for ruggedness, Italian cars for looks, British cars for practicality, and French cars are, well, quirky.

Citroen screams French styling from their DS series to their 2CV or Deux Chevaux, meaning “Two Horses,” as the original economy car produced two taxable horsepower. But before French automobiles became synonymous with dowdy styling — there’s a reason TV detective Lt. Columbo drove a Peugeot — Emile Delahaye’s cars defined streamlined styling in a spectacular way.

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