It’s official, the most expensive Citroen 2CV of all time actually has almost zero original parts. This fully functional example, with a body made entirely out of wood, has sold for a record-setting €210,000 ($224,568 USD at current exchange rates), beating the previous record by around €40,000 ($42,778 USD).
The car was sold at Rouillac’s 35th Garden Party Auction at the Château d’Artigny, near Tours, France. Inspired by a 1955 Citroen 2CV, its body was crafted out of a variety of fruit trees, including cherry, pear, and apple, by cabinetmaker Michel Robillard.
The car was created as a labor of love by the craftsman, who started working on it in 2011. In all, he spent 5,000 hours constructing the car. The woodworking skill extends beyond what can simply be found outside of it, though. The dash, steering wheel, and other interior elements are all also made of wood.
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Although the convertible top and upholstery are fabric, the removable seats have even been refitted with wooden slats. It’s unclear if they will be as comfortable as the original car’s seats, but you have to appreciate the lengths to which Robillard went.
Although it is officially called a 2CV, it’s actually powered by the 602 cc twin-cylinder air-cooled engine that came out of a 3CV. Meanwhile, the car is based on the chassis from a 1969 Citroen Dyane (which was almost identical to the 2CV).
That engine and chassis mean that the car can actually be driven, and can allegedly achieve a top speed of 50 mph (80 km/h). Despite that, it is not currently registered for the road, so it mostly putts around car show lawns.
Even that small amount of driving may soon slow, because the record-setting buyer of this “2CV,” Jean-Paul Favand, is the founder of the Musée des Arts Forains (which translates to the museum of fairground arts), where it is expected to be displayed.
Although Robillard has decided to part ways with his 2CV, he hasn’t given up on the concept of wooden cars. Now, he plans to work on a Citroen DS21 Decapotable Chapron, which he hopes to finish in time for the DS’s 70th anniversary.
