As everybody knows I’m sure, the Citroen 2CV was a low-powered pod specifically designed to carry low-wealth French country folk around in comfort and relative safety, as well as keep them dry – it was apparently called “an umbrella on four wheels.”
Because of the rutted nature of roads in its native parts, around the time of its conception, the 2CV has soft suspension, no body control at all in corners, plus, and this is its party piece, lots of wheel travel. That’s one of the reasons why it actually did well in rallies – it could absorb the bumps at speed and just keep on moving (not quickly…but moving nonetheless).
It probably became apparent very early on that the puny 435cc two-pot motor they were using to power the 2CV at the time was not really up to the task of maintaining any kind of momentum and speed over the rough ground they already knew the car could cover. Thus, in an effort to make them a viable transport for the African continent, the Sahara version was launched – it was really the first supermini-based crossover…
However, while nowadays crossover buyers are easily fooled by plastic body cladding and a higher ride, back in 1961, Citroen gave you a car with two engines!
Furthermore, it was actually designed to cope with the worst of desert conditions, which include hazards like extreme temperature and sand clogging up the mechanical bits – popping to the shops in one will be a breeze, and it did snow very well too, as the second video posted below will reveal.
One of these very interesting little French cars is up for sale on eBay, in the town of Boring, Oregon. However, if you get past the steep price, the car is really anything but, and it’s bound to keep you busy for years, and especially immediately after you buy it, because there are a few things wrong with it…
By Andrei Nedelea
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