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Citroen MehariPosted Sunday, June 28, 2009
The Citroën Méhari is an off-roader produced by the French automaker Citroën. 144,000 Méharis were built between 1968 and 1988.
The Méhari was based on the Citroën Dyane 6, and had a body made of ABS
plastic with a soft-top. It also employed the 602 cc flat twin
gasoline engine from the 2CV6. A four-wheel drive
version of the Méhari was produced from 1980 to 1983 and had excellent
off-road qualities, mostly due to the lightness of the vehicle (the
standard Méhari weighs just 570 kg
The
Méhari was Citroën's replacement for the 2CV
Sahara and was named after the breed of dromedary used by North African
Berber nomads.
The
car started life as a protoype by the SEAB company who produced the
first batch of vehicles although production ewas moved fairly rapidly
to the Panhard factory in Ivry.
The Méhari was launched in 1968 and used the underpinnings of the Dyane 6 fitted with a moulded ABS body comprising 13 components.
At launch, the Méhari used the 28 bhp version of the 602 cm3
flat twin which was upped to 28.5 bhp in 1969 and 29 bhp in 1979. In
1970, a two seater version was launched since the French tax
authorities would class it as a commercial vehicle and TVA (French VAT)
could therefore be recovered on purchase. In 1970, the Méhari also
acquired a new grille and new lights. In 1978, in common with all
other A series models, front disc brakes were fitted together with
another new grille. In 1980, the Méhari 4 x 4 was launched featuring
disc brakes on all four wheels, reduction gearing on three gears -
these cars may be recognised by the mounting of the spare wheel on the
bonnet. In 1983, production of the 4 x 4 ceased and the Méhari was
renamed Méhari Azur. Production ceased in 1988. Introduced in 1968, the Mehari was a new multi-purpose, all terrain
pick-up joining Citroën’s family of light, flat twin vehicles. The
Mehari was originally designed with a plastic body which prevented
corrosion problems and resisted impact. Roughly 145,000 Meharis were
produced from 1968-87, and in 1979, the 4x4, which you see here, was
introduced. A total of 1,313 examples of the 4x4 were built when sales
were suspended after only three years. The reason for the stoppage may
have been the large order for 5,000 Mehari 4x4s placed by the French
armed forces in 1981. The Mehari was a practical, economical fun car
in the newly emerging leisure vehicle and beach buggy market.
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