Baby-Brousse Explained

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.
• Citroën Yagán in Chile (1973–1976),^[1] 651 examples (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), 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). 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)^{[1] [16] [17]} was manufactured, with 3,850 examples produced. Its creator, Jacques Duchemin, proposed the FAF concept to Citroën when he returned to France after the fall of Saigon.

FAF

See main article: Citroën FAF. The first FAFs were built in 1977, at the Citroën plant in Mangualde, Portugal.

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.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Curbside Classic: 1974 Citroën Méhari – Plastic Frenchtastic. 22 July 2017. Curbside Classic. 28 August 2020. en.
2. Web site: 2CVTV - the English language 2CV lifestyle, news and information website. 2cvtv.com. 2014-04-06.
3. Web site: Citroën Baby Brousse - Dalat - Mehari - Méhari - Pony - Yagán. citroenet.org.uk. Julian Marsh. 2014-04-06.
4. Book: Marie Christian . Étienne Christian . amp . 2CV Citroën - Ses dérivés, Baby Brousse, Dalat, FAF et autres . 978-2-910434-39-7 . L'Autodrome Éditions . 2014 . fr.
5. Web site: Tehran, Iran: Café Racers Celebrate!.
6. Web site: Iranian Citroëns - Saipa 2CV, Jiane and Baby Brousse Mehari.
7. Web site: The Citroën Méhari in Front of Noshahr Municipality Iran 1977 | TopTopic . 2017-04-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170425123253/https://toptopic.com/posts/the-citro-n-m-hari-in-front-of-noshahr-municipality-iran-1977-25873 . 2017-04-25 .
8. Web site: Yagan Historia.
9. Web site: Citroën Yagán: El auto del pueblo chileno . 2017-04-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170607084101/http://www.revistaxy.com/ruedas-y-motores/autos/citroen-yagan-el-auto-del-pueblo-chileno/ . 2017-06-07 .
10. Web site: Citroën Baby Brousse - Dalat - Mehari - Méhari - Pony - Yagán.
11. Web site: Citroën Baby Brousse - Dalat - Mehari - Méhari - Pony - Yagán.
12. Web site: The "poor man's jeep" is back on the Greek roads . 10 May 2014. GR Reporter. 24 April 2017. en.
13. Web site: No Reserve: 1983 NAMCO Pony-Citroen. 5 September 2023 .
14. Web site: Méhari - the Sénégalese Baby Brousse . Citroënët . Julian . Marsh . Pierre 'Rotule' . August 14, 2017.
15. Web site: Citroën Baby Brousse - Dalat - Mehari - Méhari - Pony - Yagán.
16. Web site: Made in Vietnam: La Dalat - Saigoneer . 2017-11-17 . Dang . Bui . https://web.archive.org/web/20190410114438/https://saigoneer.com/saigon-technology/3129-made-in-vietnam-la-dalat . 2019-04-10 .
17. Web site: La Dalat: Mẫu xe "nội" đầu tiên ở Việt Nam . Báo Giao thông . Thanh . Hà . https://web.archive.org/web/20170729174410/http://www.baogiaothong.vn/la-dalat-mau-xe-noi-dau-tien-o-viet-nam-d63759.html . 2013-10-12 . 2017-07-29 .