French carpenter's wooden Citroen 2CV sells for record sum

For the builder, who just collected $350,000 for the Deux Chevaux, embarking on the 5,000-hour project sprouted quite the return

Do you like pineapple on pizza? How about velcro instead of shoelaces? Wooden trim in cars? You’ve gotta like one of them! French carpenter Michel Robillard would likely opt for that last one, or perhaps even retort, "I see your wooden trim and raise you a nearly all-wooden car."

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And he wouldn't be kidding, either. Yes, Robillard spent in and around 5,000 hours over five years building the wood-body Citroën 2CV you see above, according to a recent Hagerty article. No, it's not like the plastic wood panelling on your old Buick Roadmaster — this is the real deal.

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The details here are astounding, with the dashboard, steering wheel, and gear selector all being fully wooden. The seats? Yep, those, too, are wood, the original cloth upholstery replaced with wooden slats. Anyone know a good chiropractor?

And even better, it's all functional, as it sits on the chassis of a 1969 Dyane – even though the body is patterned after a 1955 version of that car's "Tin Snail" predecessor – and is powered by a 602-cc 3CV twin-cylinder air-cooled engine. Is it street-legal? Nope. Can it reach speeds of 80 km/h? Yep.

The well-travelled piece has been shown at several car shows and museums in France, with admirers looking on at the incredible coachwork, crafted from four types of wood. (The fenders are walnut; and a mix of pear, apple, and cherry wood makes up the balance of the body.)

Who bought it? Well, 2CV collector Jean-Paul Favand, with plans to display it in his museum. How much did he pay? Just about €210,000 (CDN$351,984), at a June 4 "Garden Party" auction hosted by French art auction house Rouillac.

That is, if you were unaware, a lot more than a 2CV or Dyane typically go for—in fact, it's a record for the model. According to insurer Hagerty, in Canada, a perfect, top-condition 1954 Citroen 2CV is about CDN$62,000, a Dyane even less. A rare twin-engined 2CV Sahara recently sold for a bit more than half Robillard's, coming in at €132,000 (CDN$221,247), to give you another idea of the value of this one-of-one piece.

What's next for the carpenter? Well, apparently Robillard has branched out — he's currently spending time crafting a wooden DS21 Décapotable Chapron.

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