Citroën

The Citroën Méhari is a lightweight recreational and utility vehicle, manufactured over 20 years in a single generation. It was designed by French World War II fighter pilot Count Roland de la Poype, who headed the French company SEAB - Société d'Etudes et d'Applications des Brevets. He developed the idea of using a plastic, rather than fiberglass body. De la Poype was inspired by the fashionable Mini Moke, with its low ground clearance, hard suspension and rust-prone body. The company was already a supplier to Citroën, and SEAB developed a working concept of the car before presenting it to its client. The chassis and suspension were taken from Citroën's two-cylinder models and the 602cc engine was from the Ami. In total almost 150,000 Méhari's have been produced.