The Citroën Méhari occupies a specific and quietly influential place in French automotive history: a minimalist open-body leisure vehicle that sold nearly 145,000 examples across a 19-year production run, yet remained deliberately simple throughout. By 1983, the model was entering its final phase of civilian production, and the Very Light Blue body colour seen on this Norev 1:18 die-cast is characteristic of the soft pastel palette that distinguished late-era examples. This is not a racing car or a prototype — it is a piece of everyday French motoring culture rendered with collector precision.
Built on the 2CV: The Citroën Méhari's Lightweight Formula
The Méhari was engineered around the Citroën 2CV's floorpan and drivetrain — the AK chassis — pairing a flat-twin, air-cooled 602 cc engine with a 4-speed manual gearbox driving the front wheels. Where it departed from its donor platform was in the body: thermoplastic ABS panels (trade name Dylac) replaced conventional steel, keeping the complete vehicle weight to approximately 470–490 kg. That bodywork did not rust, shrugged off minor knocks, and — crucially for this model — held colour through the full depth of each panel rather than as a surface paint layer. The Méhari is named after the Méhari camel, bred for speed and endurance in North Africa.
Integral Colour, No Paint: What Very Light Blue Actually Means
On the real Méhari, body colour was not applied — it was moulded in. The ABS plastic panels were produced in the selected shade, meaning the colour ran through the entire thickness of each component. By the early 1980s, Citroën offered the Méhari in a palette that included pale pastel tones, with Very Light Blue among the documented late-production options. A 4×4 military variant had run alongside the civilian Méhari from 1979 to 1983 before being phased out, leaving the standard open road version to carry the nameplate forward toward the 1987 end of production. The 1983 date places this example firmly in that final civilian chapter.
Norev's Die-Cast Interpretation at 1:18
This 1:18 scale model is produced by Norev, a French manufacturer with a heritage of Citroën reproductions spanning decades. The material is die-cast metal, and the scale faithfully renders the Méhari's open-body configuration — the low beltline, the flat surfaces, and the absence of conventional doors that made the real car so visually singular. The Very Light Blue livery on the model corresponds directly to the integral-colour ABS aesthetic of the original: a flat, even tone without the depth variation of metallic paint, which is exactly correct for this subject.
In the Display Cabinet
The Méhari at 1:18 pairs naturally with the broader Citroën civilian range of the same era: the 2CV — the Méhari's own donor platform — has been widely reproduced at this scale by Norev, as has the Dyane and the Ami 6 and Ami 8. For collectors with an interest in French leisure and utility vehicles, the Renault Rodéo occupies a comparable cultural niche and represents a logical companion piece. The 1983 date and Very Light Blue colour make this a late-production variant that stands apart from earlier Méharis in any period-accurate display of early-1980s French motoring.
Häufig gestellte Fragen
What is the Citroën Méhari?
The Méhari was a lightweight French open-body leisure vehicle produced by Citroën from 1968 to 1987. Built on the 2CV's AK chassis with a 602 cc flat-twin engine, it used ABS thermoplastic body panels and weighed approximately 470–490 kg. Total production reached around 144,953 units.
Why is the 1983 date significant?
By 1983 the Méhari was in its final civilian production phase, with the 4×4 military variant also being phased out that year. It makes this a late-era example, approximately four years before the model's 1987 end of production.
What does 'Very Light Blue' refer to on the real car?
On the Méhari, body colour was moulded into the ABS plastic panels rather than painted. Very Light Blue is one of the pale pastel shades documented among late-production Méharis from the early 1980s — the colour ran through the full depth of each panel.
Who makes this 1:18 scale model and what material is it?
The model is made by Norev, a French manufacturer with a long track record of Citroën reproductions. The construction is die-cast metal at 1:18 scale.
