When I stumbled upon this 1971 Citroen Mehari, advertised here on Craigslist, my initial reaction was What the heck is that?  Devoted Barnfinds readers may remember a write-up Scotty Gilbertson did on one of these trucks a little over a year ago, however, I must have missed that post because I honestly can’t say I’ve ever seen one before.  Have you?  Located in Durham, New Hampshire this rare find is offered at $4,995 and despite its duck boat-like appearance and plastic body, its seller gently reminds potential buyers that this Citroen does not float.

If you bought this truck would you keep the plastic flamingo strapped to the grille?  Perhaps it’s a bit tacky but I think it fits perfectly!  This vehicle has beach vacation written all over it and how fun would it be to own one of these and cruise around in places like Cape Cod or the Outer Banks?  Originally orange, the body shows the effect 47 years of exposure can have on plastic despite this truck being garage-stored, according to the seller.  The fading is obvious but more importantly, how brittle is the plastic?  Half-century-old plastic certainly isn’t going to help this truck win any IIHS Top Safety Awards and even a minor collision could be catastrophic.  The seller doesn’t provide photos of the metal frame but claims there is “very little rust anywhere, only surface rust.”  The original door panels will be provided with the sale as well as the original canvas top, although “rotted out.”  I do like the functional non-original bikini top and frame which fits nicely with the design of the truck.

The seller claims to have owned and driven this Mehari for 30 years and other than needing a good cleaning and some new seat covers, the truck’s spartan interior looks to be in decent condition with no visible cracks in the plastic tub.  The spare tire is neatly tucked out of the way in front of the rear passenger side wheel well – a clever design that helps increase the amount of cargo/passenger space.  And I love how the rear seat folds down to provide ample room for coolers, beach chairs, or maybe even a surfboard.  If you owned this truck how would you use it?

Citroen equipped the Mehari with a twin cylinder 602 cc engine and although the seller fails to provide a photo of the motor, it is reported to run strong with just over 86,000 miles.  The carburetor was recently rebuilt and the seller offers to include a spare low-mile transmission with the sale as well.  Other maintenance performed on the truck includes a completely new exhaust system, new brake lines, brake shoes, and a battery.  The seller claims “you can probably get in this Mehari and drive it for the next ten years without ever doing anything to it…”  It certainly looks like it’s ready for some fun and at $4,995 this might be the perfect opportunity to own an extremely rare (in the USA) Citroen!