BURIED MÉHARI BREAKS OUT
The Citroën Méhari was a lightweight utility and recreational vehicle designed by former WW2 fighter ace Count Roland de la Poype, who was the boss of the French Company SEAB, a supplier to Citroën.
He was influenced by the Mini Moke, but felt that his car had to have better ground clearance, softer suspension and a non-rusting body. He based it on the 2CV platform, and produced a plastic shell rather than the more common glassfibre. In all, 144,953 were produced between 1968 and ’88 but the model was never type-approved for sale in the United Kingdom. The name came from a fast-running type of dromedary that could be used for racing or transport!
Many went to the USA, and Frank Sajjad of MB Vintage Cars of Cleveland, Ohio, has recently released an example from long-term storage. “It was put away 32 years ago by the couple who owned it, then I got a call from their daughter who told me that her father had finally decided to sell the car,” explains Sajjad. “The process of getting it out was not easy – she was well settled in there! The family wanted the car to go to someone who could restore it, and it has now gone to an owner who can give it the passion it deserves.”