1968 Citroen Ds20 on 2040-cars

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Drive like a prince: Join us for a walk through Monaco's car collection

Small, crowded, and a royal pain in the trunk lid to drive into during rush hour, Monaco sounds like an improbable location for a huge car museum. And yet, this tiny city-state has been closely linked to car culture for over a century. It hosts two major racing events every year, many of its residents would qualify for a frequent shopper card if Rolls-Royce issued one, and Prince Rainier III began assembling a collection of cars in the late 1950s. He opened his collection to the public in 1993 and the museum quickly turned into a popular tourist attraction. The collection continued to grow after his death in April 2005; it moved to a new facility located right on Hercules Port in July 2022. Monaco being Monaco, you'd expect to walk into a room full of the latest, shiniest, and most powerful supercars ever to shred a tire. That's not the case: while there is no shortage of high-horsepower machines, the first cars you see after paying ˆ10 (approximately $11) to get in are pre-war models. In that era, the template for the car as we know it in 2023 hadn't been created, so an eclectic assortment of expensive and dauntingly experimental machines roamed whatever roads were available to them. One is the Leyat Helica, which was built in France in 1921 with a 1.2-liter air-cooled flat-twin sourced from the world of aviation. Fittingly, the two-cylinder spun a massive, plane-like propeller. Government vehicles get a special spot in the museum. They range from a Cadillac Series 6700 with an amusing blend of period-correct French-market yellow headlights and massive fins to a 2011 Lexus LS 600h with a custom-made transparent roof panel that was built by Belgian coachbuilder Carat Duchatelet for Prince Albert II's wedding. Here's where it all gets a little weird: you've got a 1952 Austin FX3, a Ghia-bodied 1959 Fiat 500 Jolly, a 1960 BMW Isetta, and a 1971 Lotus Seven. That has to be someone's idea of a perfect four-car garage.  One of the most significant cars in the collection lurks in the far corner of the main hall, which is located a level below the entrance. At first glance, it's a kitted-out Renault 4CV with auxiliary lights, a racing number on the front end, and a period-correct registration number issued in the Bouches-du-Rhone department of France. It doesn't look all that different than the later, unmodified 4CV parked right next to it. Here's what's special about it: this is one of the small handful of Type 1063 models built by Renault for competition.

Citroen My Ami Buggy goes into limited production

Back in December, Citroen turned its tiny, low-speed electric Ami into a chunky little beach cruiser called the My Ami Buggy. It had fat tires and a bunch of off-road accessories that were probably more form than function, but it was a fun and funky little thing. Apparently a lot of people agreed and Citroen has made the decision to actually bring the My Ami Buggy to reality, though in extremely limited numbers. Like the concept, the My Ami Buggy features unique khaki-tinted plastic body panels. It also picks up a variety of exterior panels from higher trim Pop and Vibe variants, such as the bumpers, wheel arches, rear spoiler and such. There are also other concept-inspired touches such as the lime-yellow accents and arrows and contrasting black roof. Some things did change in the shift to production. Instead of no doors, the production model gets tube doors, like you'd find on many modded Jeep Wranglers. The extra fat tires and tiny wheels give way to more practical larger wheels and conventional tires. The wheels look great, though, in their khaki gold color and black center caps. There isn't a roof rack or auxiliary lights anymore, but the trade-off is that the My Ami Buggy gets a canvas roll-back roof for even greater open-air enjoyment. The inside of the My Ami Buggy features black fabric upholstery along with lime-yellow stitching and other accents, plus a few interior storage options. The floor mats continue the color scheme. And like all special editions, this car will get special badges and plates, one of which has possibly the best phrasing ever: "My Ami Buggy ULTRA SPECIAL LIMITED EDITION." Only 50 of the buggies will be built, and all of them will be sold in France. Pricing hasn't been set, but this is one ultra-limited edition car that will probably be affordable. After all, the base Ami starts at less than $10,000. If you happen to live in France and want to get one, they go on sale online on July 21 with deliveries starting on August 8. Related video: You Can Drive This 1 Horsepower Car On The Road Without A License | The List

Redesigned Citro?n C1 brings a bit of Paris style to Geneva [w/video]

Fans of super-small city cars should be enjoying our Geneva Motor Show coverage, as the flashy Toyota Aygo, the Peugeot 108 and this new Citroën C1 are all making their introductions.
We already told you about its polarizing eyelashes over the headlamps, and we'll admit, they're a dominant feature in the front of the car. The rest of this little French hatch is far more conventional. The rollback canvas roof gives the cabin an airiness that's uncommon in this segment. Many of the interior items are quite clearly from the C1's cousin at Toyota, but the rest of the interior appearance is uniquely French, with the painted center stack dominating the look of the cabin.
We've got a gallery of live images available at the top of the page, as well as the official shots and press release from Citroën's reveal of the C1 from last week.