Photo: eBay
Every now and then, a cliched automotive story that goes like “Top 10 French Cars That Changed Everything” pops up in my news feed. I usually roll my eyes and carry on scrolling, especially when the article is about classic French cars. The Citroen 2CV in ragtop form is an exception, though, especially the one known as the Azelle - an extremely rare breed.
First thing’s first – the Citroen 2CV was never offered as a true convertible. The 4-door landaulet isn’t exactly an out-and-out ragtop and, curiously enough, the French manufacturer that also gave us the DS and Traction Avant didn’t bother to develop such a variation of the 2CV. This is where Hoffmann and Azelle come on the scene, two little companies specialized in making the 2CV go topless.
According to Wikipedia, some 1,700 Hoffmann 2CV Cabrio kit cars are registered in Europe nowadays, but God knows how many 2CV Azelle are still left. Finding a mint one is hard enough, but a customized one that looks as good as this 1967 example is like finding a needle in the haystack. Oh, nearly forgot – you can buy this French automotive quirk right now on eBay because it is located in the U.S.A.
With 3 days to go until the auction’s over and a highest bid of $20,000, the Citroen 2CV Azelle isn’t as spartan as a standard Azelle Cabrio conversion. “Completely restored in France,” and wearing white wall tires, the seller highlights that the 2CV boasts a Tony Lopez custom interior and the original 2-cylinder engine and 4-speed manual transmission. It’s the little details that make it great, details such as the diamond stitched blue-on-black seats and the Azelle name embroidered in the headrests.
Registered in Arizona, the 2CV Azelle advertised here is said to get “more onlookers than a Ferrari” at car shows. We’re not so sure about that, dear owner. Truth be told, weird cars always get pointed at by members of the public, petrolheads or not, but attention doesn’t necessarily translate into appreciation or desire. That’s why Ferrari is still top dog. Nevertheless, this custom French automobile has a bucket load of character, something that can’t be said about most convertibles designed in the 21st century.
According to Wikipedia, some 1,700 Hoffmann 2CV Cabrio kit cars are registered in Europe nowadays, but God knows how many 2CV Azelle are still left. Finding a mint one is hard enough, but a customized one that looks as good as this 1967 example is like finding a needle in the haystack. Oh, nearly forgot – you can buy this French automotive quirk right now on eBay because it is located in the U.S.A.
With 3 days to go until the auction’s over and a highest bid of $20,000, the Citroen 2CV Azelle isn’t as spartan as a standard Azelle Cabrio conversion. “Completely restored in France,” and wearing white wall tires, the seller highlights that the 2CV boasts a Tony Lopez custom interior and the original 2-cylinder engine and 4-speed manual transmission. It’s the little details that make it great, details such as the diamond stitched blue-on-black seats and the Azelle name embroidered in the headrests.
Registered in Arizona, the 2CV Azelle advertised here is said to get “more onlookers than a Ferrari” at car shows. We’re not so sure about that, dear owner. Truth be told, weird cars always get pointed at by members of the public, petrolheads or not, but attention doesn’t necessarily translate into appreciation or desire. That’s why Ferrari is still top dog. Nevertheless, this custom French automobile has a bucket load of character, something that can’t be said about most convertibles designed in the 21st century.
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