Auto Show

One of StreetSafari's events is called CzechWrecks. We take our colorful cars to France, rag them down to Switzerland and over the Swiss Alps, into Austria, and then up into Prague in the Czech Republic. (Not Czechoslovakia, as after they got independence the Czechs and Slovaks decided that they really didn't like each other, and went their separate ways, hence Czech Republic and Slovakia today.)

This vehicle is from our first ever CzechWrecks, entered by a slightly mad Czech guy called Jaryn.

Now, we've never actually had a full and proper conversation with Jaryn as he doesn't speak a word of English, and we don't speak whatever he speaks. So we talk via translators when/if they are around. Jaryn can be best described as an artist, and a very talented one at that. We think he makes stained glass windows for churches, and he does more or less come from Bohemia which is quite fitting.

One day, (we're not sure when) Jaryn took delivery of a Citroen 2CV that had had a head on into a tree. It was a in a bad way; he did what any perfectly normal person would do, and cut it down the middle, and welded it all back together to create a Citroen 1CV. You were thinking that right?

So what we have here is possibly a one off creation, although we think he may have made a few before this 1CV, although he definitely made a few afterwards as we'll show you next week.

If you know the 2CV you will know that it has very wallowy suspension in the first place. Imagine what it's like when it's half the width! On a hairpin the suspension has over a foot of travel! Even a Ford F150 Raptor doesn't have a foot of suspension travel. As Jaryn takes a hairpin corner, he can put his hand out of the window, and literally drag his hand on the tarmac road surface! See what angle your car has to be to do the same thing!

This car also has a party trick - stick the steering on full lock, put it in gear, and jump out of the car. The result is an impressive car that drives itself in circles. Trouble is that the circle moves and its not before long that you will see a very slightly mad Czechman running after his car before it piles into something solid.

Enjoy the pictures!
By Justin Clements Street Safari