Citroen 2CV concept chariot debuts in new Asterix & Obelix movie

POISSY, France – Citroen has created a concept chariot for the upcoming movie, Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom, as part of a partnership between the French carmaker and Pathe, Tresor Films and the Albert Rene Editors, creators of the Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom movie which will stream exclusively on Netflix in the UK in spring 2023.

The 2CV chariot can be seen throughout the movie, and more prominently so when Caesar's army reaches China, where there is an advertising billboard at the entrance to the country promoting the best car at the time: The 2CV, an incredible chariot made in Gaul, pulled by two horses.

It only took designers less than three months to build, compared to the usual 12 months in creating a concept vehicle.

Pierre Leclercq, Citroen's Global Design Director, said: "The encounter between these two legends of French culture was nothing short of extraordinary.

"There has been a bond of sincerity and mutual respect between the Citroen and the Asterix movie teams since the beginning. We were presented with this incredible opportunity to create and build a concept chariot from scratch, and we had the most amazing time working on this project.

"The result is an ode to the 2CV, the legendary car which represents Citroen in all its glory."

Citroen's chariot features a suspension made of a boar's stomach, and a sunroof and headlights that are operated by fireflies boosted with a magic potion. The wheels were made of recycled shields, incorporating Citroen's iconic chevrons.

Citroen's participation in the movie also extended in the production of the film as the French automobile manufacturer provided the film crew with an electric fleet of vehicles for use throughout the shoot.

The fleet consisted of 10 vehicles, three e-C4 models, three New C5 Aircross PHEVs, two e-SpaceTourers, an e-Jumpy (e-Dispatch) and an Ami. Citroen also arranged to charge for the vehicles on the film sets at Bry-sur-Marne and Bretigny-Sur-Orge.

Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom will be released for UK audiences in spring 2023 exclusively on Netflix.

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This article was first published in CarBuyer.