View source for Engineering:Citroën FAF

{{Infobox automobile
| image        = 1980 Citroën FAF A4x4, at Conservatoire Citroën.jpg
| name         = Citroën FAF
| manufacturer = [[Company:Citroën|Citroën]]
| production   = 1973–1981
| engine       = Flat-2
| class        = Compact SUV
| body_style   = 2-door/no-door utility
| layout       = FF layout
| related      = Baby-Brousse<br>[[Engineering:Citroën 2CV|Citroën 2CV]]<br>[[Chemistry:Citroën Méhari|Citroën Méhari]]<br>[[Engineering:Citroën Dyane|Citroën Dyane]]<br>[[Engineering:Citroën Ami|Citroën Ami]]<br/>[[Engineering:Citroën Bijou|Citroën Bijou]]
|successor   = [[Engineering:Citroën C-Crosser|Citroën C-Crosser]]<br/>[[Engineering:Citroën E-Méhari|Citroën E-Méhari]]<BR>Namco Pony Super (For Namco Pony)
}}

The '''Citroën FAF''' is a small utility vehicle produced by the {{wipe|France}} manufacturer [[Company:Citroën|Citroën]] from 1973 until 1981.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.citroenet.org.uk/foreign/faf/faf01.html | title=FAF Facile à fabriquer, facile à financer - easy to build, easy to fund page 1 }}</ref> It was built using a combination of imported and locally sourced components in various developing countries.<ref name="Citroennet">{{cite web|last=Marsh|first=Julian|title=Baby Brousse |date=| work = Citroënët | url = http://www.citroenet.org.uk/foreign/baby-brousse/index.html|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191222180450/http://www.citroenet.org.uk/foreign/baby-brousse/index.html | archive-date= 2019-12-22 }}</ref> The body was made of easy to produce, folded steel panels, giving an appearance resembling a metal-bodied version of the [[Chemistry:Citroën Méhari|Méhari]].<ref name="FAF"/> The flat metal panels and simple components were meant to allow for easier production, mostly in developing countries.<ref name="Citroennet"/>

==Origin==
The origin of this idea was the privately built 1963 Baby-Brousse from Ivory Coast, and its many derivatives.<ref name="Citroennet"/> Notably these include ''La Dalat'' (Vietnam), ''Pony'' (Greece), ''Jyane-Mehari'' (Iran), and ''Yagan'' (Chile).

The various Baby-Brousse cars were quite successful, selling over 30,000 units.<ref name="Citroennet"/>

Both the FAF and Baby-Brousse are derived from the [[Engineering:Citroën 2CV|2CV]]. The concept predates the FAF name, so it is often erroneously reported that some of Baby-Brousse vehicles were ''based on the FAF.''<ref name="FAF">{{cite web|last=Marsh|first=Julian|title= FAF: Facile à Fabriquer, Facile à Financer (Easy to build, easy to fund) | work =Citroënët|url=http://www.citroenet.org.uk/foreign/faf/faf01.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201117164917/http://www.citroenet.org.uk/foreign/faf/faf01.html | archive-date= 2020-11-17 }}</ref>

==Name and target market==
FAF stood for the French ''Facile à Fabriquer'' and ''Facile à Financer'' (Easy to Manufacture, Easy to Finance).

The primary target market for the FAF was Africa. However, the concept of a "second-class" car that was connected with the FAF seems to have affected its manufacture and sales remained low.<ref name="autoroute">{{cite web|url=https://www.autoruote4x4.com/it/070201_citroen_faf_4x4_1977.html#.X0lbl9NKhkc|title=Citroen FAF 4x4 (1977)| work = Autoruote 4x4 | publisher = New Explorer | date=7 February 2014|language=it|archive-url = https://archive.today/20201203032118/https://www.autoruote4x4.com/it/070201_citroen_faf_4x4_1977.html | archive-date = 2020-12-03 }}</ref>

==Pre-FAF cars==
{{multiple image
| align     = right
| direction = vertical
| image1    = Namco Pony California1.jpg
| width1    = 200
| caption1  = Namco Pony Greece U.S. Model
| image2    = Pony-cit.jpg
| width2    = 180
| caption2  = Pony rear
| image3    = Citroen Yagan 1974.jpg
| width3    = 200
| caption3  = Citroën Yagan from {{wipe|Chile}}
}}
The FAF idea coincided with the widespread production of Baby Brousse 2CV-based vehicles in many countries, so the two often overlap.<ref name="curb">{{cite web|title=Curbside Classic: 1974 Citroën Méhari – Plastic Frenchtastic|date=22 July 2017|publisher=Curbside Classic|url=https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-european/curbside-classic-1974-citroen-mehari-plastic-frenchtastic/|access-date=28 August 2020|language=en}}</ref>

In 1969, Citroën's Vietnamese subsidiary began building La Dalat, the first automobile manufactured in Vietnam.<ref name="giao">{{cite web|last=Ha|first=Thanh|title=La Dalat: Mẫu xe "nội" đầu tiên ở Việt Nam | trans-title = La Dalat: Vietnam's first "domestic" car |date=|publisher=Giao Thong|url=http://www.baogiaothong.vn/la-dalat-mau-xe-noi-dau-tien-o-viet-nam-d63759.html|access-date=24 April 2017|language=vietnamese|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729174410/http://www.baogiaothong.vn/la-dalat-mau-xe-noi-dau-tien-o-viet-nam-d63759.html|archive-date=29 July 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://vjtadventures.com/citroen-la-dalat-car-vietnam/ | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170519074405/https://vjtadventures.com/citroen-la-dalat-car-vietnam/ | archive-date = 2017-05-19 | title = Citroën La Dalat – First Car Made In Vietnam | publisher = VJT Adventures }}</ref> Production ended when Americans departed Saigon in 1975 at the end of the Vietnam War.<ref name="rouge">{{cite web| last = Clément-Collin | first = Paul |date= 2016-04-08 | title = Citroën La Dalat: la perle de l'Orient aux origines africaines! | trans-title = Citroën La Dalat: the pearl of the Orient with African origins! | work = CarJager | url = https://www.carjager.com/blog/article/citroen-la-dalat-la-perle-de-lorient-aux-origines-africaines.html |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200522210144/https://www.carjager.com/blog/article/citroen-la-dalat-la-perle-de-lorient-aux-origines-africaines.html | archive-date= 2020-05-22 |language=fr }}</ref> In total, 3880 Dalats were built.<ref>{{citation | type = Auction Catalogue | date = 2017-12-10 | publisher = Leclere Maison des Ventes | language = fr | title = Vente des réserves de l'Aventure Peugeot Citroën DS | chapter = Lot 102: FAF | page = 72 | chapter-url = http://fr.zone-secure.net/27293/452939/publication/contents/pages/72/2048x0.jpg | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171126071849/http://fr.zone-secure.net/27293/452939/publication/contents/pages/72/2048x0.jpg | archive-date = 2017-11-26 }}</ref>

In 1972, the Greek firm [[Company:Namco (automobiles)#NAMCO .281972.29|Namco]] began production of the '''Pony.''' This was the most successful version of these 'simplified' 2CV utility vehicles, selling 30,000 units.<ref name="gr">{{cite web|last=|first=|title=The "poor man's jeep" is back on the Greek roads |date=10 May 2014|publisher=GR Reporter|url=http://www.grreporter.info/en/poor_man%E2%80%99s_jeep_back_greek_roads/11116|access-date=24 April 2017|language=en}}</ref> The Pony was exported as well, including to the {{wipe|United States of America}}.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Gilbertson|first=Scotty|date=2016-04-10|title=It's Greek To Me: 1983 NAMCO Pony-Citroën|url=https://barnfinds.com/1983-namco-pony-citroen/|access-date=2021-08-26|website=Barn Finds|language=en-US}}</ref> Production of this "poor man’s jeep," that benefitted from special tax rules, ended in 1983, two years after Greece joined the [[Social:European Union|European Union]]. 67% of the parts were of Greek origin.<ref name="gr"/>

An attempt to start production in Sri Lanka by the Ceylon Transport Board in the early 1970s failed due to a dispute over royalties, but a prototype was displayed at the Republic Day celebrations in 1974.<ref>{{cite web|last= Moonesinghe|first= Vinod|title=The Royalists and the Citroën project|date=8 December 2019|publisher=Sunday Times, Sri Lanka|url=https://www.pressreader.com/sri-lanka/sunday-times-sri-lanka/20191208/282166473057196|access-date=19 August 2020|language=en}}</ref>

Various kit car style bodies inspired by the FAF and Méhari, such as Belgium's VanClee, were also developed.

==Production history==

{| class="wikitable" style=";"
|- align="center"
| style="background:#e2e2e2;"|'''Country'''
| style="background:#e2e2e2;"|'''1977'''
| style="background:#e2e2e2;"|'''1978'''
| style="background:#e2e2e2;"|'''1979'''
| style="background:#e2e2e2;"|'''1980'''
| style="background:#e2e2e2;"|'''1981'''
| style="background:#e2e2e2;"|'''Total'''
|-
|'''Portugal'''
| align="center" |180
| align="center" |30
| align="center" |180
| align="center" |240
| align="center" |180
| align="center" |'''810'''<ref name="Citroennet"/>
|-
|'''Guinea Bissau'''
| align="center" |0
| align="center" |0
| align="center" |120
| align="center" |180
| align="center" |0
| align="center" |'''300'''
|-
|'''Central African Republic'''
| align="center" |0
| align="center" |0
| align="center" |0
| align="center" |60
| align="center" |0
| align="center" |'''60'''
|-
|'''Sénégal'''
| align="center" |0
| align="center" |0
| align="center" |0
| align="center" |0
| align="center" |15
| align="center" |'''15'''
|-
|'''Sri Lanka'''
| align="center" |1
| align="center" |0
| align="center" |0
| align="center" |0
| align="center" |0
| align="center" |'''1'''
|-
|'''Indonesia'''
| align="center" |0
| align="center" |0
| align="center" |60
| align="center" |540
| align="center" |0
| align="center" |'''600'''
|-
|'''Total FAF'''
| align="center" |181
| align="center" |30
| align="center" |360
| align="center" |1,020
| align="center" |195
| align="center" |'''1,786'''
|-
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.citroenet.org.uk/foreign/faf/faf01.html FAF Facile à Fabriquer, Facile à Financer]
*[http://www.dsinasia.com/Vietnam/vanthanh.html Vietnam's 'Dalat']
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20091020160827/http://geocities.com/Paris/9896/meha-etc.htm Mehari-based vehicles]

{{Citroën}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Citroen Faf}}
[[Category:Cars powered by boxer engines]]

{{Sourceattribution|Citroën FAF}}