How France’s classic Citroën 2CV became a British-style retro sports car

France’s iconic Citroën 2CV has been given a radical makeover by a Dutch kit car company – borrowing a little from the British along the way.

With the retro styling of an early-to-mid-20th Century roadster – and a very English name – the Burton is one of very few kit cars available in France, as regulations ban amateurs from building them.

“In France, a kit car can only be built by a professional mechanic, who must have a certificate saying they have received special training for that particular kit,” Bertrand Bruna of the 2CV Méhari Club Cassis told The Connexion.

The club was originally formed by fans of the Méhari, a lightweight recreational and utility vehicle produced by Citroën. It acquired the Burton Car Company in 2022.

It had heard of the car from members in the Netherlands, where the kits were first released in 2000, and decided to go through the regulatory hoops to bring it to France.

A kit to turn a 2CV (the later 2CV 6 models) into a Burton costs €10,000. 

It is delivered to the nearest affiliated garage, with mechanics then spending around 50 hours dismantling the old car’s bodywork and replacing it with the new fibreglass kit, usually for another €5,000.

Customers without a 2CV can order a Burton car from the 2CV Méhari Club Cassis for €28,000.

“The car goes as fast, or should we say as slow, as a 2CV. However, because you are sitting much lower, and in the open air, the sensations are completely different,” said Mr Bruna.

“Almost everyone who tries one comes out of the car with a big grin on their face.”