The Citroën 2CV Sahara was a four-wheel-drive 2CV built with two separate engines: one at the front to drive the front wheels and another at the rear to drive the rear wheels. Citroën says it was developed to meet Total’s need for a vehicle to explore North African oil fields. Calling it the “only” dual-engine production car ever is harder to establish: the historical sources here explain the Sahara’s unusual design and limited production, but do not prove a worldwide superlative.
Was the Citroën 2CV Sahara really built to search for oil?
Yes. Citroën’s history, published by Stellantis, says the 2CV 4×4—informally known as the Sahara—answered Total’s need to explore North African oil fields. A specialist 2CVGB account likewise describes oil exploration as the target market and says the car needed to carry engineers and equipment. The evidence supports saying it was developed for that work; it does not establish that every Sahara was used at an oil field.
The assignment fitted the 2CV’s broader practical character. The standard car was a simple, economical front-wheel-drive vehicle conceived for rural use. For the Sahara, Citroën adapted that basic idea to remote, difficult terrain where ordinary roads and service facilities might be scarce.
How did a car with two engines work?
The Sahara kept the regular 2CV’s front engine and added a second engine and transmission at the rear. The front engine drove the front wheels; the rear engine drove the rear wheels. Because the axles had separate power units, the car did not need a conventional driveshaft running between them.
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Each engine had its own gearbox and fuel tank. The engines could operate separately or together. The technical account describes shared gear and clutch controls, with a means of putting the rear gearbox in neutral for normal front-wheel drive; MotorTrend also describes switches that let the driver disengage either engine. This gave the driver a choice of using one engine or both, rather than making the car dependent on both power units at all times.
How it differed from a standard 2CV
| Feature | Standard 2CV | 2CV Sahara |
|---|---|---|
| Engines | One front engine | Two engines, one at each end |
| Driven wheels | Front wheels | Front wheels from the front engine and rear wheels from the rear engine |
| Fuel and transmission | Not stated in the cited standard-2CV source | Each engine had its own fuel tank and gearbox |
| Purpose | Economical everyday and rural transport | Four-wheel-drive work in remote, rough terrain, including oil exploration |
What were its performance and fuel-consumption figures?
Citroenet’s historical Sahara specification lists two 425 cc engines, maximum power of 24 bhp and a top speed of 100 km/h. It reports fuel consumption of 9 litres per 100 km on tarmac with both engines operating, and 10–12 litres per 100 km off road. These are figures from that reference’s specification, not results from a modern test.
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How many 2CV Saharas were made?
Citroenet’s annual production table records 694 vehicles in the main production tally, with the run chiefly spanning 1960 to 1966. The same table lists one additional vehicle in 1971. Citroën’s Stellantis-hosted history describes that final vehicle as assembled in the Netherlands from remaining parts, so it is useful to distinguish the main tally from the later one-off assembly.
For perspective, Citroenet’s table lists 3,867,932 standard 2CV saloons. That figure refers to saloons, not all 2CV-based derivatives. The contrast still shows how rare the Sahara was beside the familiar 2CV.
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When was the Sahara developed?
Citroën’s account says the first of two prototypes was tested in February and March 1958, and a second began testing later that year. A third, closer-to-final version demonstrated its capabilities after August 1959. Citroenet says the model went on sale in 1960.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Who else used the Sahara?
Citroën’s account also identifies French forestry workers and postal deliveries to isolated mountain settlements among the vehicle’s uses. It notes a 1971 commission by the Belgian royal household. These examples reinforce that the Sahara was conceived for demanding, far-from-the-city work, not solely for oil exploration.
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Sources
- Citroën / Stellantis Media, “2CV: Da settant’anni è gioia di vivere”, on the oil-field purpose and other users.
- Citroën / Stellantis Media, “La 2CV 4×4, ovvero il Sahara per tutti!”, on the prototypes and 1971 assembly.
- MotorTrend / Four Wheeler, “Citroën 2CV Sahara 4×4: Two-Engine, Four-Wheel Drive”, on the layout and operation.
- Citroenet, “Citroën 2 CV Sahara 1958”, for specifications and sale history.
- Citroenet, “Citroën 2CV and derivatives annual production figures”, for production totals.
- 2CVGB, “Sahara / 4X4”, for specialist context about the intended oil-exploration market.
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