News: Twin-engined Citroën 2CV expected to fetch £60k at auction
Super-rare Citroën expected to fetch £60,000-plus at auction
ACitroën 2CV Sahara that completed a 4000-mile trip from Nigeria to the UK will be offered at Classic Car Auctions’ next sale, with an estimate of £60,000-£65,000. The car will be sold at the Practical
Classics Classic Car and Restoration Show at the NEC, which runs from 31 March to 2 April (viewing is on March 31, with the sale itself on the following two days). It’s one of 694 Saharas made, and is believed to be one of only 100 left, of which 30 are thought to be in working condition.
The twin-engined 2CV was registered in Nigeria in December 1965 and belonged to an Englishman working there as an anthropologist. He needed four-wheel drive but didn’t want a Land Rover.
The Sahara features two 425cc engines, one powering each axle. Both engines were operated by a single clutch, gearlever and accelerator, providing four-wheeldrive capability.
The original owner’s time in Nigeria was brought to an end by the Civil War in 1967. This prompted the trip back to the UK via the Sahara Desert from which the car is named. Sandstorms, extreme terrain and a broken hydraulic pipe were just three of the challenges the 2CV overcame.
Recent examples sold for £114,584 (2012) and £154,780 (2016), so there should be a considerable buzz of excited anticipation in the room when this car’s lot number is finally called.
Nigel Gough of Classic Car Auctions (CCA) consigned the car. He says: ‘It’s priced very keenly and it has generated loads of interest. It’s a rarefied market, but there are a few people out there who know exactly what it’s worth. This example’s not concours condition, but it’s all the better for it. ‘ We have an international audience – it may well leave the UK.’
The 2CV will be sold with its original front engine, replacement crankshaft and crankcase halves, as well as the original documentation from its time in Nigeria.