Launched in 1983, the Méhari Azur arrived during the model's final production chapter, adding a co-ordinated two-tone scheme to a body that had remained architecturally unchanged since 1968. Norev — a French manufacturer with deep roots in Citroën modelling — renders it here in die-cast metal at 1:18, closing the loop between a car that famously avoided metal bodywork and the scale model that now preserves it in precisely that material.
The Méhari: ABS Panels, Air-Cooled Twin, Open Air
The Citroën Méhari was produced from 1968 to 1987. Built on the 2CV-derived AK 400 platform, it used a 2-cylinder air-cooled flat-twin engine, paired with a 4-speed manual gearbox. Its most unusual engineering choice was the ABS thermoplastic body — rust-proof, lightweight, and entirely free of sheet steel — which gave the Méhari its unmistakable utilitarian silhouette and made it equally at home in French coastal towns and civil service fleets.
The Azur Edition: A Beach Car Gets a Colour Identity
Citroën introduced the Azur special edition in 1983 to reinvigorate Méhari sales in its closing production years. The name — French for sky blue, azure — was a direct nod to the car's coastal, leisure-oriented market. Two colour combinations were offered: blue body with white accents, and white body with blue accents. The white Azur pairs all-white ABS bodywork with blue interior and canvas hood details, giving the car a cleaner, more graphic character than earlier production variants. It remains one of the most visually sought-after Méhari configurations among collectors.
Norev in Die-Cast at 1:18: The Material Irony
Norev's 1:18 scale model of the Méhari Azur White is constructed in die-cast metal — a material the real car deliberately avoided. That contrast is part of what makes this 1:18 scale model car an interesting collector object: it freezes in metal a vehicle whose entire identity was built around the rejection of it. Norev has a long heritage producing 1:18 models of classic French road cars, and the Méhari sits naturally within that tradition of documenting French automotive patrimony in scale form.
In the Display Cabinet
The Méhari's compact, boxy proportions make it an easy fit even in a crowded cabinet, occupying noticeably less shelf depth than a contemporary saloon or sports car at 1:18. It pairs naturally with a Citroën 2CV at the same scale — the platform donor — or alongside a Citroën Dyane, Ami 6 or Ami 8 to build a coherent tableau of French utility and leisure motoring from the 1960s through the 1980s. The white Azur colourway provides strong visual contrast against darker display backgrounds and stands out clearly from the more common blue Azur variant.
