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)[1][16][17] was manufactured, with 3,850 examples produced.[4] Its creator, Jacques Duchemin, proposed the FAF concept to Citroën when he returned 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
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