“A Morgan, a Bugatti and a Citroen went into a bar…” Thus must begin the story that begat this 1984 Le Patron — thank you to Barn Finds reader Ira Goldstein for submitting this very unusual find! It’s listed for sale here on catawiki.com and is located in Hengevelde, The Netherlands. The current bid is 5,001 Euro which is far below the auction estimate.
As the Le Patron is still being produced in The Netherlands, I’m guessing the 1984 designation of this car refers to the year of the Citroen 2CV that the car is based on. The 2CV was produced from 1948 to 1990 and is a peculiarly French interpretation of the idea of a “people’s car”. Known for its incredibly soft ride and powered by a small horizontally opposed 2-cylinder engine, (in this case a 602 cc, 31 horsepower version), the 2CV, like the Mini and Volkswagen Beetle, made affordable transportation available to income classes that were not able to purchase cars before. This car features a four-speed manual transmission as well (as proper sports cars should). An interesting side note is that like the British Berkeley kit car, Le Petrons are available in both three and four-wheel versions!
The driving layout actually looks pretty comfortable, with far more room than I would expect in this sort of minimalist kit car. And hey, there’s even a luggage rack so you can carry at least one suitcase with you when you are off for a weekend in the country! The seller states that the car is completely refurbished and runs, drives and stops well.
I wonder if the side bolsters are necessary to keep you in the car? I don’t see any seat belts, so that might be the only restraints you have! Note the characteristic 2CV shifter sticking out from the dashboard.
Engine access is incredible, another item that is often neglected in kit car designs. While I can’t say I’m a huge fan of the aesthetics, as a mechanical engineer I appreciate the functionality of this unusual sports car. And with the Euro trading at E1.00:$1.09 this morning, the total cost of this unusual sports car even with shipping to the USA would be minimal. As kit car licensing varies a lot from state to state, check with your local authorities before bidding! What do you think of this design?
Leave the designing to the professionals
Seats from the rec room of a demolished Elks Club.
Berkeley cars, although 3 and4 wheels were not kit cars.
Actually, the seats are from another Citroen, the BC GT1, another odd, yet interesting French car.
Some things should be left in the Barn!
Another you’ll have the only one car. And that’s a good thing. Of course, pickup truck drivers will hold you in lower regard than if you were driving a Miata, if that matters to you.
“Still being produced”? You mean there is more than one?
Once seen, cannot be un-seen! What an atrocity! Not the least bit cute, pretty or even practical! PASS.
Can you get one with a leather or wicker body? If not, why not?