There are 694 Sahara ducks made. With the Citroën 2CV Sahara you could just drive, but it was designed and built to conquer the desert of the same name. An environment where failure and standing was not only not a good idea, but possibly the difference between life and death.
At the time, the civilized countries still had colonies and wingewesten. And the French mining and oil exploration companies had a strong presence in North Africa. The need for a lightweight and relatively inexpensive vehicle capable of traversing sand dunes or mountains was evident. The Citroën 2CV Sahara was designed and built for these customers, but also proved popular with the Spanish Guardia Civil and the Israeli National Park Authority. Saharas were utility vehicles, not lifestyle cars.
Spot the differences
Although the Citroën 2CV Sahara looks like a regular 2CV, the differences between the two models were so great that very few components were shared. Almost all body panels for the Citroën 2CV Sahara were unique (making restoration particularly challenging). And even the chassis, although based on the platform used in the export 2CV, was reinforced (and equipped with front and rear protective plates) to cope with the rigors of off-road driving. The drum brakes were mounted inboard to reduce the ingress of water and mud.
However, the dual-engine layout is what really set the Citroën 2CV Sahara apart. Both the front and rear engines were based on the air-cooled 425 cc boxer twins used in the 2CV, but were equipped with larger carburetors for some extra power. Each engine delivered 13.5 hp (in later models 18 hp) and was coupled to its own separate four-speed manual gearbox. Connected by a single clutch pedal. The Sahara can be powered by both engines for maximum traction, or by the front or rear engine for lower fuel consumption.
That option offered numerous benefits to the men who went to explore the Sahara desert in the boss's time. Should an engine fail, the Citroën 2CV Sahara always had a second engine. If the gasoline (stored in double tanks under the driver and passenger seats) was running low, the driver could turn off one engine to get a longer range, so there was enough reserve to reach the next oasis. Thanks to the car's weight of just under 700 kilos and the almost perfect weight distribution over each wheel, the Sahara proved to be a winner in tossing through deep sand and had an impressive climbing ability.
Then: twice as expensive as a regular 2CV
First offered to the public in 1960 (although some sources say that 1958), the Sahara remained in production until 1966 and during this period 693 copies were built. A final example was built in 1971, bringing the total production to 694. The Saharas almost all went to companies and institutions. As is often the case with such workhorses or worker ducks, the Saharas were used until they no longer functioned, after which they were scrapped or served as donors.
The price now
A trader in top classics once said: "If you want to know what it costs, you can't pay it".
Once upon a time, a Citroën 2CV Sahara cost twice as much as an ordinary free-range loan. In the meantime, the Flemish Sahara says informatively: 'Price on request'. Unique driving has its price. We didn't ask about it. But we think that for such a unique 4WD, the buyer still has to take more than a ton of euros with him before the adoption is possible.
By the way, an unknown number of Sahara replicas have been made, usually based on somewhat larger boxers than the originals floated.