When Andre Citroen’s first car rolled off the line in 1919 another French Revolution has begun, claiming stake in the mass production of the automobile. In fact, Citroen was the first automotive company outside the US to mass-produce the automobile, and was the largest of manufacturers in Europe. Pierre-Jules Boulanger early 1930s design brief, after a pioneering market research survey done by Jacques Duclos to meet the needs of rural French whom were accustomed to horse drawn labor much less the automobile, was to be astonishingly radical for the time. The initial design called for a low-priced, rugged ‘umbrella on four wheels’ that would enable two peasants to drive 100 kg (220 lb) of farm goods to market at 60 km/h (37 mph), in clogs and across muddy unpaved roads if necessary while using no more than 3 L of gasoline to travel 100 km (78 mpg). Most famously, it would be able to drive across a plowed field without breaking the eggs it was carrying. Boulanger later also had the roof raised to allow him to drive while wearing a hat. This gave way to Citroen 2CV, a car that was released in 1948, which spawned a 42 yearlong reign of cost efficient transportation for the working class. 2CV stood for deux chevaux,” which referred to the two horsepower units that was taxed under French law of taxable horsepower, that realistically calculated engine output based on the number cylinders and bore size, not its actual horsepower. Because the 2CV’s 375 cc engine was both so small and efficient, and the car itself was so affordable, sales of the 2CV exploded, putting its numbers in the millions rivaling that of the Volkswagen Beetle. This Citroen is a more modern version known as the Charleston 2CV6, which features an Art Deco style having two-tone paint job, and striping. This model could do a top speed of 71 mph with 29 hp, and has seat belts and front disc brakes, as the 83’ model was the first year to offer both these safety features.
-On loan from The Mike Malamut personal collection
The Citroën Méhari was an off-road compact SUV produced by the French car maker Citroën, a variant of the Citroën 2CV. 144,953 Méharis were built between the car’s French launch in May 1968 and 1988 when production ceased.
A méhari is a type of fast-running dromedary camel, which can be used for racing or transport. A méhariste was a French Armée d’Afrique and Army of the Levant cavalryman that used these camels.
The Méhari was based on the Citroën Dyane 6, and had a body made of ABS plastic with a soft top. It also employed the 602 cc flat twin petrol engine shared with the 2CV6 and Citroën Ami. This is similar to the way the mechanical parts of the 1960 Mini became the 1964 Mini Moke.
The Méhari was designed by French World War II fighter ace Count Roland de la Poype, who headed the French company SEAP – Société d’Etudes et d’Applications des Plastiques. This company was already a supplier to Citroën, and SEAP developed a working concept of the car before presenting it to its client.
This 1979 Citroën Méhari was sold new in Lucca, Italy and used by the original owner’s family for trips to and from the waterfront through the 1990s. A refurbishment conducted by the original owner in 2015 included installing a new soft-top and side-skirts, rebuilding the 602cc air-cooled twin, and removing the fiberglass body from the chassis for refinishing in the original Beige Hoggar. The fiberglass body was removed from the chassis in 2015 and refinished in the original Beige Hoggar (AC125). While the body was removed, the chassis was inspected and refinished in semi-gloss black. New chrome headlight rings and a replacement fuel cap have been added, while the steel wheels have been refinished and new hubcaps and tires have been installed.
-On loan from The Mike Malamut personal collection
-Part of the Mike Malamut Personal Collection
The Citroën DS is a front-engine, front-wheel-drive executive car that was manufactured and marketed by the French company Citroën from 1955 to 1975 in sedan, wagon/estate and convertible body configurations across three series/generations.
Noted for its aerodynamic, futuristic body design and innovative technology, the DS set new standards in ride quality, handling, and braking. It probably has the most comfortable seats ever put into a production car. It was the first mass production car equipped with disc brakes.
Italian sculptor and industrial designer Flaminio Bertoni and the French aeronautical engineer André Lefèbvre styled and engineered the car, and Paul Magès developed the hydropneumatic self-levelling suspension.
This DS19 was found in the UK. We had it shipped to the US.
-Part of the Mike Malamut Personal collection
This 1976 Citroën Méhari was first acquired in France in 2017 and subsequently moved to the United States in February 2019. The car was refurbished under prior ownership and features an ABS plastic body dyed in Vert Tibesti along with a black soft top. Power is provided by a replacement 602cc flat-twin paired with a four-speed manual transaxle shared with the contemporary Citroën Dyane.
Citroen marketed the Méhari in the United States for model years 1969–1970, where the vehicle was classified as a truck. As trucks had far more lenient National Highway Traffic Safety Administration safety standards than passenger cars in the US, the Méhari could be sold without seat belts. Budget Rent-A-Car offered them as rentals in Hawaii. Hearst Castle, in San Simeon, California, used them as groundskeeper cars.
-Part of the Mike Malamut personal collection