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Developing a new car, or a new variant of an existing model, is an expensive business, which is why most automakers over the last few decades have attempted to build 'world cars', cars that appeal to customers across the globe, with minimal changes from one market to the next.
Back in the late 1950s though, one automaker was tasked with building a vehicle to combat a remarkably niche set of problems, for just a handful of buyers. Impressively, that automaker—Citroën—came to the rescue of those with the dilemma and produced a car perfect for their needs. It made sense to very few buyers, but it was perfect for a handful, and today, it's a hugely collectible off-roading classic curiosity.
Citroën's Simple Solution To A Complex Problem
To understand why anyone would need a four-wheel drive and twin-engine Citroën 2CV, it's first important to wind the clock back to the 1950s. Back then, France still had a significant empire in North Africa, and within the Sahara, searching for oil was big business. The problem is, the Sahara Desert was, and of course still is, notoriously tricky terrain.
A vehicle developed solely to perform in such conditions was required. Something with power sent to all four wheels to ensure maximum grip, but it also had to be incredibly light, to avoid getting stuck every 30 seconds in deep sand. The immensely utilitarian Citroën 2CV made for a fabulously well-suited candidate, except it only sent power to the front, but Citroën soon found a solution for that.
Instead of opting for a traditional 4x4 system with a transfer case, Citroën instead chose to drop another engine in the 2CV, this time at the rear of the car. The front engine would drive the front wheels, while the rear engine drove the rear wheels. This design meant two transmissions were required, both four-speed manuals. As the engines were tiny—just 425cc—and the rest of Citroën's design was about as complex as a tin of sardines, the finished product was still immensely light, and therefore perfect for exploring the rough terrain of North Africa.
Performance Was Not The 2CV's Strong Point
There have been other twin-engine cars in the past, but none quite like the little Citroën here. See, those other efforts - like the twin-flat-12-driven Alfa Romeo BiMotore, and Volkswagen's twin-engine Pikes Peak racer - were performance-focused, looking to send outputs soaring in the name of speed.
Citroën did not care about such trivial pursuits. Good thing, really, as the 425cc engine in question only sported 12 horsepower. Even with two of them, lightly tweaked with higher compression ratios and enlarged carburetors, power still peaked at around 27 horsepower. It could crack 60 mph, but that's about where momentum would stop. With a pair of two-cylinder lumps violently vibrating away at either end of the car, 60 mph is probably about fast enough anyway.
Should 27 horsepower have proved a little overwhelming, it was possible to run on just the front engine alone, leaving the driver with a much more manageable 13.5 horsepower to deal with instead. Both engines required engaging individually, so Citroën simply fitted two ignition barrels. Simple, but effective.
Proof That Off-Road Capability Does Not Require Horsepower
While far from being the fastest thing on four wheels, the Citroën certainly did prove to be immensely capable at the job it was designed for. The diminutive 2CV was capable of climbing a 40-percent gradient, it boasted long-travel suspension that was ideal for traversing rocks and bumps in its way, and robust steel plating running underneath helped to protect it from sustaining too much damage.
It's also worth noting that, as either engine and transmission could be run independently of the other (running just the rear meant a little bit of clutch trickery to prevent damage up-front), occupants could suffer total engine or transmission failure and still motor along completely fine, simply by disengaging the damaged end.
And it was still a 2CV too. Unbelievably simple to work on and ridiculously light, that soft suspension with skinny little tires was the perfect combination for nimbly darting along any trail, path, or dune-edge without shaking the car to pieces or crashing into too many obstacles.
A Closer Look At The 2CV's Charming Simplicity
In comparison to a regular 2CV, the Sahara 4x4 is a complex and technological powerhouse. OK, that's a stretch, but there's certainly a lot less going on with early versions of the standard model, the very first of which were motivated by a pea-sized 375cc engine. It was an air-cooled horizontally opposed flat-twin engine, a configuration used by all production 2CV models, but those earliest of cars made do with just 9 horsepower.
The Sahara-utilized 425cc arrived in 1955, with 12 horsepower on tap. Later iterations found more power, with 18 horsepower extracted from most 425-powered '60s models. A 435cc unit came along for the 1970s, with 26 horsepower on tap, before the 'big block' 602cc engine was introduced for the 2CV6. Here, high-compression units were able to top 30 horsepower.
The 2CV's simplicity extended far past the engine compartment too. The fabric bench seats could be lifted out in a matter of seconds, so that farmers would have somewhere to sit while enjoying lunch in the fields. A fabric roll-top roof extends from the windshield back almost as far as the rear bumper, while the windshield on early models would drop forward for enhanced ventilation. Similarly, the side windows would fold upward too, instead of winding down.
Doors were closed with straps, the spare tire was mounted in the engine bay for quick and easy access, and for quick repairs, the front fenders simply bolted on and off. There was very little that could not be fixed with a basic toolkit, and so it's easy to see why it would make the perfect basis for a 4x4 vehicle designed to explore some of the world's most remote environments.
The 2CV Sahara Is An Elusive Collectible Today
As useful and effective as the Citroën 2CV Sahara (simply called the 2CV 4x4 from '62 onward) was, being able to cross African deserts slowly but surely wasn't exactly a mainstream need. So, only 694 were purchased — likely also as a result of the twin-engine 2CV costing virtually twice as much as the standard model. The number of known survivors left isn't an exact science, but most believe around 30 working examples remain.
Here's What To Pay
As a curious and endlessly fascinating piece of French engineering history, the Citroën 2CV Sahara is marvelously collectible. Surely no collection is complete without one of the simplest adventure vehicles ever to grace the road, but the 2CV's immense scarcity means only a tiny number of collectors can enjoy them. As a result, prices are really quite steep; here are the details of a few notable and recent sales:
- A restored 1964 model sold last year for around $72,000, despite boasting an estimate of $90,000+
- In Spring 2024, two magnificent examples changed hands for $163,000 and $128,800 respectively, showing what can be achieved when Sahara models in remarkable condition hit the market
- Just prior to this, a very original and well-patinated example sold for close to $68,000
Of course, the little Citroën was never sold new in the US, but being well over 25 years old now, they are eligible to be imported. Should buyers not fancy their chances at auction, there is a trio of examples available through a specialized dealer in Europe right now, priced at roughly $90,700 and $102,000 each, while one is advertised without a price.
Hagerty's valuation tool takes into account the wide spread of prices achieved, with $135,000 marked for concours examples, $90,800 for those in excellent condition, $64,800 for good cars, and $38,400 for 'fair' examples. A classic Jeep or Land Rover will be cheaper, and probably better over certain terrain too, but for sheer oddity and intrigue, the curious little Citroën takes some beating.
