The 2CV based Méhari was introduced in 1968. The initiative came from SEAB in Bezons (near Paris), who designed the car. They offered the project first to Renault, but they didn't wanted it. So they placed the coach on the chassis of a Dyane and showed it to Citroën.

The material used for the coach was ABS (acrylon- butadiene- styreen) which came from the USA. The body panels were made at SEAB's factory in Villejuf.

140.000 Méhari's are made till 1987.

The 4x4 was introduced in the spring of 1979. This Méhari has a reduction gearbox, barred differential for the rear wheels. It could take slopes till 60%!. 

Not a big commercial succes because of the high price. In Holland it costed NLG 7.000 more then the Russian Lada Niva 4x4; only 5 Méhari's 4x4 were sold.

But it attracted lots of publicity in rally's and as a assistance vehicle.

The production stopped in 1983 when a total number of 1213 were produced.

This "steel Méhari" was made in Iran and Côte d'Ivoire. No doors, 1 window-wiper, square coach, still a succes with 31.000 Baby Brousse's built from 1968 till 1987.

The plant that made this BB was: "Ateliers et Forges de l'Ebrie", founded by two French, Mr. Letoquin and Mr. Lechanteur, who wanted to encourage the local industry. The mechanical parts and chassis were shipped to Côte d'Ivoire complete in parts (CKD) and assembled together. The coach was made locally from steel, without curves. The fabrication stopped right after the import-taxes for the "kits" were raised to 100%.

This example is one of the only 1500 pieces constructed in Côte d'Ivoire (Africa), and it belongs to Thierry Pello, who took it back home with him after he returned to France from his work in Africa in 1993. This type with a canvas roof was the BB3. Mr. Pello found it in 1990 in a bad state and fixed it. Mr. Pello showed his BB at the Génération 2CV meeting Easter 1997.

On this moment there are only 3 BB's in France.

This 2CV based vehicle was fabricated in Saigon, Vietnam. It was made in different versions as: little van, taxibus (like on this picture), ambulance or police-car. It had the 602 cc 31 hp engine. Its measures: 4,03 x 1,51 m.; height 1,82 m. Empty weight 770 kgs.

FAF means "Facile A Fabriquer" which means VEP "very easy to produce" and was fabicated in Spain, Portugal, Indonesia, Guinée-Bissau, Senegal. This car was developed for the African market, but it wasn't a big succes, because the Africans felt discriminated with a "second choice" car. That's why Citroën sold a lot of FAF's in Spain, where people didn't know what FAF stood for.

FAF were made in 3- or 5-doors versions.

In 1977 this 4x4 amphibious vehicle was presented by Lohr from the Alsace, France. It used Méhari techniques; the engine was placed transverse in the middle and the axels from the gearbox could drive this way the front and the back wheels at the same time. The French army bought 218 Fardiers in 1978 and they were assembled in the Belgian factory in Vorst / Forest (near Bruxelles).

The Pony was made by Namco-Citroën in Thessaloniki, Greece. Different versions were made: ST, LS, Pallas, Special, camper, ammbulance and mini-bus. It was also sold in Switzerland. Citroën forbid the sale in France of this "steel Méhari".

Measures: 3,66 x 1,53 m.; height 1,49 m. Weight 640 kgs. (camper 770 kgs.)

In 1982 the German company "Fiberfab" from Ilsfeld-Auenstein (near Heilbronn) introduced the Sherpa. It's name resembles the famous guides in the Himalaya. This was sold as kit-car: "you could built this easily with 10 screws" to the chassis that had to be donated by a 2CV or Dyane.

Measures: 3,52 x 1,41 m.; height 1,52 m. (hardtop) or 1,60 m. (soft-top).

The pictures are from Herjan Elling's Sherpa. This Sherpa was built 1981 on a chassis from 1972. It has a Dutch registration with the number: AH-3153, and is used almost daily.

He likes to have contact with other Sherpa owners:

Herjan Elling

The Belgian firm VanClee has built different polyester Méhari- look-a-likes. The first one was the Emmet. On the picture is the Mungo, which came after the Emmet.

Measures: 3,81 x 1,50 m.; height 1,60 m.

This glassfibre body was placed on the 2CV platform by Teihol S.A. in Courpière, France. The production stopped in 1990 after building 1485 Tangara's of which 25 pieces with 4x4 based on the Voisin system.