Citroen Mehari: Camel of the Cote D’Azur.

This quirkily French take on the Mini Moke is a Citroen Mehari. Named after an apparently quite fast dromedary, it’s powered by a monster 602 cc flat two cylinder engine (the same one used in the 2CV), weighs in at a corpulent 535 kg and is made of ABS plastique.

I think it’s pretty cool in a Gallic kind of way. Ironically, this one was photographed in Italy, just over the border from France, whereas the Fiat 500 Jolly featured last week (https://uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com/2023/07/fiat-500-jolly.html) was snapped on the French side of the boundary between the two countries.

Not that it’s much of a border; crossing from bon jour to buona giornata is about as auspicious as passing through the Flannelette Curtain from New Town to Moonah, but without the sudden abundance of car yards, muffler shops and smash repair businesses. It is, quite literally , a stroll.

Unless you’re an asylum-seeker, that is! The French police are very keen that no illegal immigrants should sneak into their country and may be more than a little piqued that their Italian neighbours have been somewhat lax when it comes to stalling the steady flow of arrivals from Africa.

But enough of that! This particular Mehari was a sight to be seen as its tanned sixty-something driver and his similarly Mediterranean-skinned lady friend wound their way along a rocky path, en route to a lovely secluded beach. I believe the correct term may be tres chic?

Arrivederci!

U M P H

(uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.)

iPhone images.

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