Citroën may not be a popular brand in the Philippines, but if you show a photo of a 2CV to anyone, chances are they’ll recognize it as something French. If anything, you can make any backdrop appear French just by dropping one of these in the background.
We bring up the 2CV because one was recently sold for more than a well-equipped BMW 7 Series. The reason for the high sale is rather interesting. It’s owned by an artist, and if you haven’t noticed yet, it’s made entirely out of wood.
OTHER STORIES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED:
Unrealistic car financing 101: How these dubious programs work
First impressions: Ford Ranger Raptor EcoBoost V6
Okay, big chunks of the car is made out of wood. This wooden 2CV is a labor of love of French carpenter Michel Robillard. He started the build way back in 2011, and Robillard took six months just planning and drawing before the woodwork began. The car’s chassis sits on a Citroen Dyane floorpan and the exterior and interior are based on a 1955 version of the 2CV.
Robillard used a variety of fruit woods for the build. It’s walnut for the front and rear fenders, pear and apple for the bodywork, cherry for the filling of the doors and the rear trunk , and elm burl for the dashboard. Even the hubcaps are made from wood to stay in theme. According to the auction that sold the car (Rouillac Commissaire Priseur), it took the carpenter over 5,000 hours to complete the car.
What’s even more amazing is the fact that it runs. Yes, this wooden sculpture has an engine and it’s sourced from a 3CV, a slightly more upmarket version of the 2CV. The car is also drivable as all of its drivetrain and chassis components are intact. Obviously, those bits aren’t made of wood, in case you were wondering.
As for the price, it was estimated to go for € 170,000 or about P10.2 million. But by the time the hammer when down, this unique and handcrafted Citroën fetched for a whopping € 210,000. For reference, that’s around P12.59 million, more than enough to buy you a (base) Porsche Cayman and a Toyota Land Cruiser.
But hey, whoever bought this one-off 2CV isn’t in it for the performance. It’s all about art appreciation for the new owner of this car, and some folks are willing to pay a huge price tag to get it.
