Les vacances d'été ont commencé, La princesse Victoria, et plus encore...

A wonderful little car. In 1972 I worked in Northern Nigeria and bought a second-hand 2 CV. I drove it from Sokoto to Lagos to pick up my shipped belongings and drove back again. 900 miles trip - only fault on the return journey I hit a large bump in the laterite road and suddenly lost all drive to the front wheels. The splined drive shafts had popped out . Jacked up the car precariously high on a heap of rocks, put the drive shafts back and continued on my way. I later bought a new Citroen Mehari jeep in Kano - carried a cool box of iced beers in the back. Gave a Catholic priest a lift from the mission in Yelwa. By the time we got to Sokoto on the laterite roads his white robes were distinctly red with the dust. "Sorry Father" I said "about your robes". "Ah to be sure" he said "'Tis the nearest I'll ever get to being Cardinal". The Mehari also doubled as a wedding car for the Barclays Bank manager and his charming bride - married in Sokoto - carried standing in the back of the Mehari waving to the crowds. The ABS Mehari body sufferd from cracks around strees points these were easily repaired using a hot soldering iron to weld the crack. Later in UK I also enjoyed owning and driving an Ami 8 and a Citroen GS. Great cars - all of them.

Always fun to drive these Citroëns wih the well known and reliable two cylinder aircooled engines. In my life I drove a early 2CV AU, a funny Ami 6 with the strange backwindow and Ami 8. All these cars were not fast but with 55-60 mph life passes slow. You really should try one it is unique and these cars prove that a slow life doesn't have to be boring ;-)