Feature Article from Hemmings Motor News
Today, work trucks come equipped with all of the comfort and convenience features that their daily driver counterparts have had for years. But it wasn't long ago that the phrase "work vehicle" was used to connote bare-bones simplicity. If you got a floormat, you were fortunate. Then there's the Citroën Truckette, which takes bare-bones simplicity to the nth degree.
They were, rather obviously, based on the Citroën 2CV, variants of which sold more than 9 million cars between 1949 and 1990. With the exception of the rear cargo box, the Truckette is cosmetically and mechanically identical to its car cousin. They were built in France between the years of 1951 and 1981, and were the work vehicles for just about every tradesman in the country. Put Jacques Tati's Mon Oncle or any of the early Pink Panther movies in your Netflix queue and you'll see these things buzzing all over the countryside. They were perfectly suited to the purpose. Small and maneuverable enough to compete in city traffic, their size also allowed them to minimize the tax bill levied on commercial vehicles.
Families looking for a bit more utility could purchase a Truckette, fit it with a rear seat and a couple of flat windows, and have a vehicle that served double duty as a family hauler and a rugged work vehicle.
You'll remember that when the 2CV was at its most popular in France, longer, lower, wider cars were the fad here, so consequently, these weird little French cars were imported in microscopic numbers. The Truckette's importation was even smaller, if it officially existed at all. The Citroën Concours of America notes that there are probably between 100 and 150 in the United States now, and almost all of them were imported by enthusiasts.
"Finding a low-mileage, perfect Truckette in France is not an easy task," notes the CCA's Web site, www.citroen-ca.com, "as most have seen heavy commercial use." But take heart: If you do find one that needs repair, better than 90 percent of the Truckette's mechanical parts (including new galvanized steel frames) are interchangeable with the 2CV.
The price you'll pay for a Truckette vastly differs, depending upon whom you buy it from. Buy one at the spur of the moment at an auction and you can get burned. Buy one from a known Citroën enthusiast, who knows you're one too, and you could go home with a decent truck for $7,500 to $8,500.
A final, interesting sidenote. Citroën Truckettes were wildly popular in Japan. To the point that in the 1990s, Nissan developed a vehicle called the S-Cargo (get it? Escargot?) that looked like a modern Truckette. S-Cargos were never sold in the United States, but they do come up for sale through Canada from time to time.
This article originally appeared in the February, 2008 issue of Hemmings Motor News.
1978 Citroen 2CV 250 Truckette For Sale $10,995!
For decades I have been looking for a Citroen 2CV with a van body, know as a 250 Truckette. Last year, I found this car on eBay and purchased it without a moment's hesitation from a seller north of Seattle. It ran well and there were no rust holes on the frame or body and I was an instant owner. The second time I drove it when I had returned home I realized I was scrapping my knee against the steering column (6'3") as I got in and out of the car. About 30 times later, I have decided that I do not fit inside the car and I should list it for sale. I got to spend the winter resolving minor mechanical and interior issues and it drives great, if a top speed of 64mph is acceptable. It has a 602 cubic inch, air cooled, two cylinder engine in front with a 4 speed transmission shifted by a lever through the dash. Everything works except for the single fog light on the front. The valves were adjusted, the plugs replaced, the oil and filter replaced, all of the lights blink or do their job, and the tires have about 90% left.
If you are looking to make everyone you see in traffic smile, this little Truckette has the market cornered. There will be no drag racing, but it will easily keep up with traffic (highway travel is probably something to be thought out) and in fact, diehard fans of the 2CV have driven them around the world a time or two. It has disk brakes in front, drums in the back. You can haul about 500#'s in the back before it looks overwhelmed, I have heard of a lot more going in, but it seems almost cruel.
Businesses around the world use the car for promoting their work place, Wine Shops, Bakeries, Cheese Stores, anything of an eclectic nature would be served well by the use of the 2CV 250. Just look at it!
The selling price is $10,995. For other interesting bikes and collectable vehicles, visit our web site http://www.automaniagp.com 541 479 8888 or come by and see us at 895 SE Gladiola Drive, Grants Pass, Oregon, 97526. Oregon Dealer DA1287.
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