Miguel Sánchez
After the Second World War, France was once again a free and sovereign country. With German expansionism reduced to rubble, it seemed that no one supported going around invading nations at will. Imbued with this climate of liberation, Algerian nationalists called a great march on May 8, 1945. If the defeat of Nazism was the victory of freedom, where was yours? The colonized also wanted their share of the pie.
However, France never applied the same logic in its colonies as in the capital. While Paris was turning into a party, the repression in Algeria was more typical of the defeated fascists than of the enlightened French Republic. In Algiers the march ended with shots with protesters retreating to the safety of the Kasbah. In Setif they took revenge for his hand by murdering 102 settlers. The French response was immediate: from 20.000 to 30.000 dead according to the most academic estimates.
As it was, it was clear that France had no intention of retreating. Against this backdrop, a robust car was developed, easy to maintain and capable of crossing the harshest terrain. An all-wheel drive with which to ensure the presence of French personnel even in the most remote areas of the desert. We are talking about the Citroën 2CV Sahara. Of course, when de Gaulle recognized the independence of Algeria in 1962 with his "After all, the house is theirs"… Citroën had the tact to change the name to 2CV 4 × 4.
2CV SAHARA: ALL WHEEL DRIVE THANKS TO TWO ENGINES
Based on the AZL version, the 2CV Sahara was presented at the 1958 Paris Motor Show to be mass-produced from 1960. Given its small market niche focused on colonial areas, only about 800 units were produced, 85 of them assembled at the Citroën factory in Vigo. Those that survived the desert dunes or the jungles of Central Africa were subjected to heavy forestry work. For this reason, today there are only about thirty 2CV Sahara, which is why its price easily exceeds 50.000 euros.
However, and although it came to cost almost twice as much as a normal 2CV, the Sahara was an affordable all-wheel drive for the time. In fact, his own approach comes from the need to save costs. If you stop to think, the fact that it has two engines is not so much a display of power as recognizing the absence of it. The small 425cc twin delivers only 14CV at 4.500 rpm and 26 Nm. In short, it would be difficult to see him move the whole 735 kilos on the sand. Even more so if we add the weight of a transmission to the rear wheels.
Having to manage to make an all-wheel drive equipped with a low-power engine, Citroën pulled down the middle street: one engine for each axle. It is true that this makes the trunk disappear, but makes it possible to continue using the 2CV engines instead of putting others with greater power. The reason is marked, again, by the colonial context, since if there was an engine that was easy to repair and with spare parts available even in distant lands, it was this two-cylinder.
ALMOST EVERYTHING IN DUPLICATE. THE STRANGEST 2CV
The 2CV Sahara is, without a doubt, the most curious variant of all those made from the popular french model. Beyond its double engine, several issues stand out at first glance. The first is the absence of overhangs, thus facilitating its angle of attack. Furthermore, lThe suspensions of the 2CV Sahara are reinforced and elevated. The height from the ground is a minimum of 16 cm, making it possible to put it almost anywhere. In fact, their behavior in the open field is legendary.
Externally, the tank intakes in the lower part of the front doors also stand out. And is that each engine has its own fuel tank, with 15 liters arranged under the pilot and passenger seats. Anyway, if the 2CV Sahara has something mechanically curious it is the gear system. Each engine has its own ignition key, so you do not have to both always go. However, when you turn both on for all-wheel drive… you have to sync them!
For this, the model has two gearboxes. By activating a device, the gear lever is coordinated with the rear box and that's it. Of course, it seems that sometimes it fails. However that does not altogether overshadow the mechanical excellence of the 2CV Sahara. A reliable car, easy to repair on the fly and capable of going anywhere. Something that today cannot be easily found. Even less if you are looking for a car with two engines.
Brightwells/Coys Photographs
