Twin-engined tin snail heads to auction
This Citroen 2CV has crossed the Sahara desert twice – but now it's looking for an easier life...
If you've never heard of a Citroen 2CV Sahara, you could be forgiven. After all, only 694 of them were built.
You could be forgiven for overlooking one if you saw it on the street, too, with it not looking that different from a regular 2CV. Look closer, though, and you'll see a few oddities – like a seemingly spurious fuel filler cap in the driver's door and a cooling fan protruding through the boot lid.
There is a lot more to this charming 2CV than meets the eye, however. Underneath that instantly recognisable bodywork lies not one but two engines; one in the nose, driving the front wheels, and one in the rear – yes, you guessed it – driving the rear wheels.
With two flat-twin air-cooled engines propelling the lightweight 2CV, and its powertrain layout granting it four driven wheels, what resulted was a car that was practically unstoppable in the rough.
Why have one engine when two is more?
These Sahara versions of the classic 2CV were originally designed for use by the French colonies in Northern Africa, hence their rugged twin-motor, all-wheel drive nature. They also benefitted from front and rear skid plates, tougher suspension components and twin fuel tanks, granting extra range.
This particular example, without question, has certainly proven its off-road credentials. The car was delivered to Nigeria in 1965 and used for travelling to remote villages. When the Nigerian Civil War broke out in 1967, the owner used it to drive home – to the UK.
Loaded with fuel and water, the 2CV set out on its remarkable journey. It covered approximately 3000 miles, which included some 1000 miles of slogging through the Sahara desert. Two years later it travelled back, once again proving it could cope with the terrain and climate without problem.
Alas, the car was later abandoned. Its original owner tracked in down in 1980, however, and shipped it back to the UK to restore it. No progress was made, due to a lack of spares. It then changed hands again, and finally received a full restoration in 2012.
You won't set any speed records: the engines put out 12bhp each and, together, they could propel the 2CV to around 65mph.
Nigel Gough, classic car specialist at Classic Car Auctions, says: "There are believed to be less than 100 examples left of these unusual 2CVs, maybe 30 of which are in running condition, making this a truly rare vehicle."
"Not only is it a rare 2CV, but also has a unique past and fascinating story, one that will certainly appeal to collectors. With such limited numbers these models are now internationally sought after, and have achieved some seriously high prices at auction."
He's not wrong when he mentions them selling for strong money; in 2008 a Sahara sold at a Bonhams auction in the US for £75k. This example has a guide price of £60k-£65k but, as is always the way at auction, could well go for far more.
If you're interested, the 2CV will be auctioned at CCA's sale at the Practical Classics Show on the 1st and 2nd of April.
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Comments (5)
An other fantastic off road citroen is the Mehari 4x4, it even has diff locks and, if I'm not mistaken, gear reductions
Indeed! Those just had one engine, though, didn't they? I assume they'd ramped the output up by that point, so didn't feel the need for two engines...
indeed it only had 1 engine. Adding a second one really means thinking out of the box!