Baby-Brousse

The Baby-Brousse is a Citroën 2CV-based utility vehicle, initially privately built, that later spawned the FAF series of vehicles.[1]

Similar to a metal-bodied Citroën Méhari, the Baby-Brousse was a success with more than 31,000 being built from 1963 to 1987. The entire body was made of folded sheet metal with the other parts being bolted together [2][3] without welding.

Background

The Baby-Brousse was originally conceived in 1963 by two Frenchmen, Messrs. Letoquin and Lechanteurin, owners of Les Ateliers et Forges de l’Ebrié, a company in Abidjan, the capital of the Ivory Coast.[3][1]

Sales figures

Baby Brousse-type vehicles have been made and sold under different names in several places:

• Baby Brousse in Ivory Coast (1963–1979), 1,320 built.[4]
• SAIPAC Jyane-Mehari in Iran (1970–1979),[5][6][7] 9,315 vehicles.[4]
• Citroën Yagán in Chile (1973–1976),[1] 651 examples[4] (or 1,500 examples).[8][9]
• Indonesia Baby Brousse 480 & FAF 600 [1][10]
• Central African Republic Baby Brousse 180 & FAF 60 [11]
• Namco Pony in Thessalonika, Greece (1974–83),[4] built with Dyane 6 components in a specifically built factory. These had better build quality and equipment than others. 30,000 examples were built[12] (16,680 according to Marie & Étienne Christian).[4] The Pony was the only Baby Brousse exported to the United States. [13]
• Mehari in Senegal & Guinea Bissau (1979–1983), ± 500 vehicles.[14][15]
• Vietnam Citroën La Dalat (1969–1975)[16][17] [1] was manufactured, with 3,850 examples produced.[4] Its creator, Jacques Duchemin, proposed the FAF concept to Citroën when he came back to France after the fall of Saigon.

• 
  Citroën Yagán in Santiago, Chile
• 
  Namco Pony - U.S. Model
• 
  Pony rear

FAF

The first FAFs were built in 1977, at the Citroën plant in Mangualde, Portugal.[4]

Other

In Argentina: Savoiacars , has prepared some cars based on the Méhari, with improved platform and engine, and another with a body of their own design.

Various kit car style bodies were also developed, inspired by the Méhari, such as Belgium's VanClee.

References

1. Tatra, 87 (22 July 2017). "Curbside Classic: 1974 Citroën Méhari – Plastic Frenchtastic". Curbside Classic. Retrieved 28 August 2020.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
2. "2CVTV - 2CVTV - the English language 2CV lifestyle, news and information website". 2cvtv.com. Retrieved 2014-04-06.
3. Julian Marsh. "Citroën Baby Brousse - Dalat - Mehari - Méhari - Pony - Yagán". citroenet.org.uk. Retrieved 2014-04-06.
4. Marie Christian & Étienne Christian (2014). 2CV Citroën - Ses dérivés, Baby Brousse, Dalat, FAF et autres (in French). L'Autodrome Éditions. ISBN 978-2-910434-39-7.
5. http://automotive-edu.blogspot.com/2015/05/tehran-iran-cafe-racers-celebrate.html
6. http://www.citroenet.org.uk/foreign/iran/jiane/jiane.html
7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-04-25. Retrieved 2017-04-24.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
8. http://www.autopasion18.com/HISTORIA-YAGAN.htm
9. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-06-07. Retrieved 2017-04-24.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
10. http://www.citroenet.org.uk/foreign/baby-brousse/index.html
11. http://www.citroenet.org.uk/foreign/baby-brousse/index.html
12. "The "poor man's jeep" is back on the Greek roads". GR Reporter. 10 May 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
13. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1983-namco-pony-citroen/
14. Julian Marsh/Pierre 'Rotule'. "Méhari - the Sénégalese Baby Brousse". Citroënnët. Retrieved August 14, 2017.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
15. http://www.citroenet.org.uk/foreign/baby-brousse/index.html
16. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2019-04-10. Retrieved 2017-04-24.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
17. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-07-29. Retrieved 2017-04-24.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)