The History of the 2CV continued (3)
Yet the 2CV was still to spawn yet more variants. In 1958 the Sahara was launched to the press at the Mer de Sable, a military testing ground about 50km from Paris. This was a 2CV intended for the most extreme of terrain. It had two 425cc. engines, one conventionally placed, the other in the boot. There were two gearboxex, and either engine could be used alone. There were extra fuel tanks, cut away rear wings, cooling slats on the bootlid for the rear engine, raised ride height, and the spare wheel set on top of the bonnet. Citroen immediately sold 80 to the Spanish police, and it was very popular in Switzerland and the deserts of North Africa. However, less than 700 were made and few survive today.
The Mehari
In 1968 a different utility vehicle was introduced. The Mehari (a type of camel) was based on a standard Dyane chassis and a 602cc engine. Very similar to a jeep, it had an ABS body, initially starting with two seats, but later given four. In 1979 a four-wheel drive version was introduced. The Mehari was highly versatile in difficult conditions, and the car proved very popular in the country and wilder areas. Many variations appeared: the Baby Brouse from Iran and the Ivory Coast , the Dalat from Vietnam, the FAF from Senegal and Guinea. The vehicle was also available in kit form - the Emmit being the most popular. A special edition, the Mehari Azur, appeared in 1968, with wide striped seats and a white body.
The 2CV and Dyane also produced further variants in plenty. The first 2CV van appeared in 1951, the 375cc AU. The 425cc AZU appeared in 1954, and in 1963 the AK with a 602cc Ami engine was introduced. In 1970 the AKS was introduced. From the AU to the AKS, payloads had increased from 250kg. to 400kg. Vans were only ever produced in LHD form and were never officially imported into the UK. The "Weekend" version of the van featured extra side windows and a second row of seats. Third party modifiers, mainly in France, produced yet more variants: a fifth wheel articulated version with trailer for light bulky goods such as flowers, a small fire engine for country houses, small fitted-out motorhomes. Citroen presented a pickup 2CV which proved popular with the Foreign Legion and the British Royal Navy. These were the AP (375cc.) and the AZP (425cc). They were extremely light, and could be transported by helicopter. An estate car was built in both Spain and Iran, and the box-shaped Citronetta came from Chile. During its production run similar variants of the Dyane appeared, the Acadiane in both van and a "mixte" version similar to the 2CV Weekend. The Acadiane replaced the AZU and AKS 2CVs. Unlike with the saloons, the Dyane had won supremacy here.
As the Dyane production ceased the 2CV continued in production, producing along with the Special, more special editions. The charismatic Charleston, replacing the Club, with dramatic two tone paintwork in a variety of colour combinations and chrome headlights, the Bamboo in vivid green, and later the Dolly in all its own two colour combinations. Various kitcars appeared to make use of the 2CV chassis, the Falcon, the Lomax and others. Some were three wheelers, needing modification to the chassis to achieve the three wheels. The 2CV came officially to the UK in 1974, as an import, although it had been here prior to this in the form of the Slough 2CVs and LHD imports.
Towards the end only the Dolly and Special remained on sale in the UK, and this continued until 1988, when production was switched to Portugal. The 2CV was to survive only two years more to 1990, when production ceased. The 2CV family had always been hand built and hand painted, and in an age of robot production and high labour costs, even in developing countries, the continued production was no longer feasible.
2CV Dolly
So a story which started in the early thirties comes to an end. A production run of 42 years of continous development of a sucessful small car, always the epitomy of the spirit of France and with a unique character. That spirit continues in the continued use and restoration of the 2CV, and all of its variants, worldwide, today.
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