Yahoo Autos This Plastic-Bodied Roadster Hides a Citroën 2CV Underneath
The Burton has the low, long, cab-back design cues of a proper sports car. It's got old-school style, an airy cabin, pod-mounted headlights, and a wire-frame split windshield. Everything about it says classic sports car. Trouble is, it came out in 2000 and is actually a front-wheel-drive economy car underneath.
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That doesn't mean it's uninteresting, though. Because though it's underpinned by an economy car, the donor car happens to be one of the most iconic cars of all time. The Citroën 2CV helped mobilize a postwar France, a triumph of minimalism that became one of the most successful people's cars of all time. Its reign spanned 42 years, during which around 9 million 2CVs and 2CV variants were sold. Convertible, coupe, delivery van, and more variants were built during that time.
Then, 10 years after the 2CV left production, Burton introduced its sports car. The company, which made its name selling replacement parts for 2CVs, built a retro-inspired fiberglass roadster body and a minimalist, open cabin. It remains available today, with prices starting at €4499 ($5283 at today's exchange rate) if you build your own. Fully assembled versions sticker for €12500 ($14,677 at today's exchange rate), but if you don't want to deal with importing or building one, you can buy a clean used one like this example on Bring a Trailer. It may have the air-cooled engine from a 2CV and front-wheel drive, but at least it looks exciting.
Disclaimer: Bring a Trailer is also owned by Road & Track’s parent company, Hearst Autos.
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