It’s an (almost?) unbelievable story of ingenuity, of a man, Emile Leray, stranded in the Moroccan desert when his Citroen 2CV became disabled after hitting a rock and breaking an axle. With limited food and water, he decided his best option was to disassemble the car and create a two wheel vehicle, a motorcycle, he could ride to safety. It took him twelve days, but he managed to do it, or so the story goes.
You can see pictures of the motorcycle during the build that he has kept as proof of his accomplishment and the motorcycle itself is now in an auto museum display.
He had supplies on board for the trip he was taking and some tools, though not many. He had a hacksaw, some screwdrivers, a hammer, pliers and a few wrenches and that was it. Not what you would think was necessary, but a Citroen 2CV is a very basic car and you can take it apart fairly easily and his mental toolbox, the knowledge, experience and thought process needed is something he carried everywhere.
This adventure took place in 1993 and has been all over the Internet, but until a couple of days ago, I had never heard of it. I was ready to write this off as some kind of automotive mythology, but if you read the various accounts, look at the photos and see the presentation of the display at the museum with Emile Leray present, it becomes much more believable. The TV show MythBusters tried to duplicate his creation and failed, but they didn’t fully understand what he did, which could explain why they came up short.
Look at the photos, watch the video, make up your own mind. Toward the end of the video, there’s a short segment showing Leray recreating his work on another 2CV using the basic tools he had. I’m inclined to believe it and if so, this is one helluva build! What do you think?
Michael Hill says
Unbelievable ingenuity.
Duffey Wolvin says
That’s funny- I know this story and would have guessed I read it here. Life is strange, and that man drinks for free in my bar.
JP Kalishek says
Read this long ago. I loved the part about the authorities not being happy that he left in a car and showed up on a “bike” even though it was obvious the bike was made from the car
Bob says
…Yes, Dear! Really! Like I said, the minivan broke down Friday night on the way to Home Depot when I was going to get you that new bathroom countertop. I had to spend all weekend trying to survive and only managed to get home by turning the minivan into what some people mistakenly think is a brand new Ducati Panigale!
Aren’t you glad you married someone so clever?
Paul Crowe says
Of course, Honey, you are clever, but now that you’re home safe, can you turn that Ducati back into a minivan and get that countertop?
Graham says
Ride of the Phoenix
Paul Crowe says
It’s possible he saw the movie and it sparked the idea.
If you’re a bit more cynical, it’s also possible he practiced the whole process beforehand and pre-planned his breakdown so he could save himself with this ingenious build, making sure he had photos to show. Maybe he even imagined a new film being made of his exploit. You have to be pretty cynical to think that, but as I said above, make up your own mind.
Great movie, by the way.
Jake says
Any other car, I wouldn’t believe, but you can do anything with a deux chevaux.