TOURS: A Citroen 2CV made of wood, thought to be the only one of its kind, has sold for €210,000 (US$225,000) at auction in France, setting a new price record for the iconic vehicle.
The car, in full working order and registered in France, beat expectations when it went under the hammer in the central town of Tours on Sunday.
The body of the 2CV was hand-crafted out of wood with the same famous curves as the post-war French classic.
It was snapped up by Paris-based collector Jean-Paul Favand, who owns a museum of vintage fairground attractions.
“I’m having difficulty talking after this bet,” Favand told AFP by telephone afterwards.
The auction house had issued a guide price of €150,000 to €200,000, saying it was “much more than a car – it’s a work of art”.
Auctioneer Aymeric Rouillac declared the sale a record as he brought down the hammer.
The previous high for a 2CV was set in 2016, when an extremely rare 1961 2CV Sahara in almost mint condition was sold for €172,800 by Paris-based auction house Artcurial.
Carpenter Michel Robillard crafted the wooden 2CV’s wings out of walnut and its chassis from pear and apple tree wood.
He used a single block of cherry wood for the bonnet, shaped with just chisels and sandpaper.
Source: CNA
