Citroën Méhari 4x4 - a racing dream car for sun worshippers

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Citroën Méhari 4x4 - a racing dream car for sun worshippers

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Created on June 5, 2015

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

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Balz Schreier

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Bruno von Rotz

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Citroën

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Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - the all-wheel drive version is very rare

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Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - for beach, desert and rough terrain

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Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - 3.72 meters long and 1.53 meters wide

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Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - Practicality before aesthetics

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Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - up to 100 km/h fast

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Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - very airy accommodation in the open-top car

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Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - flat windshield

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Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - gearshifting like in the 2CV

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Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - white was one of eight colors available during the production period

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Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - it can take five minutes before the Méharik is completely open

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Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - All-terrain capability for four persions

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Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - 720 kg kerb weight

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Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - with plastic body and 2CV technology

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Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - for any terrain and any weather

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Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - Méhari refers to a fast dromedary

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Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - high-legged and therefore better off-road

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Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - with talents like a chamois

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Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - you can even take some luggage or payload with you

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Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - just over 1200 units of the 4x4 version were produced

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Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - only the 4x4 version had the spare wheel on the hood

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Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - higher than wide

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Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - the bodywork was first revised in 1970

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Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - makeshift doors

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Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - to access the engine, the spare wheel has to be raised first

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Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - the hood exposes the spare wheel

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Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - familiar 2CV technology under the spare wheel

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Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - 602 cm3 and 29 hp

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Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - simple appearance

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Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - almost exclusively plastic inside too

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Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - sporty fittings

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Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - the gray lever is used to shift gears, the all-wheel drive can be engaged on the left, the reduction gear can be requested on the right

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Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - it doesn't get much more open than this

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Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - clearly labeled

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Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - It should be possible to climb gradients of up to 70 percent with it

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Citroën Mehari at the 1972 Geneva Motor Show - at 8,315 francs, the cheapest leisure vehicle of its kind

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Citroën Dyane 6 Méhari (1968) - the plastic vehicle can also be used for haymaking

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Citroën Dyane 6 Méhari (1968) - Mermaids on the beach

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Citroën Dyane 6 Méhari (1968) - on an animal hunt - with camera and rifle

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Citroën Dyane 6 Méhari (1968) - in use as a fire engine

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Citroën Dyane 6 Méhari (1968) - for the watchwomen, including guard dogs

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Citroën Dyane 6 Méhari (1968) - as a hippie mobile, fitting for the late sixties

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Citroën Dyane 6 Méhari (1968) - the farmers' wives bring the hay into the barn

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Citroën Dyane 6 Méhari (1968) - for bathing beauties and water sports enthusiasts

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Citroën Dyane 6 Méhari (1968) - as a golf car

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Citroën Méhari (1971) - the leisure duck

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The alternative to the VW buggy - Citroën Méhari based on the 2 CV - Auto e Moto d'Epoca 2014

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Citroën Méhari (1975) - at the Techno Classica 2014

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Corso - Citroën Mehari (1973) - Oldtimerclassic Hittnau 2014

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Winter RAID 2011 - Citroen Mehari (1974)

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Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1981) - RAID Suisse-Paris 2013

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Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - the payload is around 400 kg

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Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - 80 km/h can be reached within a reasonable time, above that it gets tough

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Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - 3,72 Meter lang und 1,53 Meter breit

Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - Zweckmässigkeit vor Ästethik

Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - bis 100 km/h schnell

Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - sehr luftig ist man im offenen Wagen untergebracht

Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - plane Frontscheibe

Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - geschaltet wird wie im 2CV

Summary

From 1968 to 1987, Citroën built almost 150,000 of the Méhari leisure vehicle with a plastic body and 2CV mechanics. A very special version was the 4x4 variant, which was sold from 1979 to 1983 and turned the Méhari into a mountain goat. This driving report describes the history of the Méhari 4x4 and provides driving impressions, supplemented by many photos and a sound sample.

This article contains the following chapters

Launched as a leisure vehicle
Plastic, but colored
Proven mechanics
Also for haymaking, hunting and ....
Another all-wheel drive experiment
Sought-after rarity
For patient adventurers and sun worshippers
Lots of fun, lots of attention
Further information

Estimated reading time: 5min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Lawrence of Arabia, played by Peter O'Toole in the 1962 film, had to make do with a camel to cross the desert, as the Citroën Méhari 4x4 was not yet available at the time and even less so around 1920. However, he would have been much better served by the Méhari, which did not need water, offered four seats and even a rain cover, crawled up gradients of up to 70 percent and accelerated to 100 km/h if necessary. But let's take a look back ... VW buggies appeared in the mid-sixties. At the same time, the Mini Moke was launched in England. Citroën did not want to be left behind and launched the Méhari, a lightweight, off-road vehicle with an open plastic body. The car was designed by Count Roland de la Poype, a French fighter pilot from the Second World War, and his company SEAP.

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Images of this article

Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - 3,72 Meter lang und 1,53 Meter breit

Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - Zweckmässigkeit vor Ästethik

Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - bis 100 km/h schnell

Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - sehr luftig ist man im offenen Wagen untergebracht

Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - plane Frontscheibe

Citroën Méhari 4x4 (1980) - geschaltet wird wie im 2CV

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