50 years of the Paris-Persépolis raid in a Citroën 2 CV

50 years of the Paris-Persépolis raid in a Citroën 2 CV

“Memory of the 3 Citroën raids in 2 CV”, the Association of participants in the raids of the 70s, tells you about the 1971 Raid.

50 years ago: 500 dedeuches, 15,000 km, 30 days, Paris-Persépolis and back, this was the adventure program that Citroën offered to young people in France and Europe. Building on the success of the Paris-Kabul raid carried out the previous year, Jacques Wolgensinger and his team renewed the formula.

Bonus episode: Awards, a new 2 CV for Christmas!

During the prize-giving ceremony on December 12, 1971, the classification, which was not disclosed before, rewarded fifty crews. The 1st prize, a 15-day trip to South Africa, offered by Total, goes to a Dutch couple. The next ten are given a new Citroën: a GS, two Méhari, three 2 CV 6, two Dyane, two 2 CV 4. The 12th receives 5000 F, the 25th, a very nice Canon camera…

Two aspects are taken into account: regularity test over the length of the course and a file of 5 slides accompanied by a recording of 3 to 5 minutes on the Raid. As almost half of the competitors arrived at Rungis without any penalty, it is the quality of the very short audio-visual editing makes all the difference.

For Christmas 1971, Raymond Ravenel, CEO of Citroën, hands over the keys to a 2 CV 6 to team 159 (Pierre Lacasta; Jean-Paul Martin), winner of the 7th prize. Find in the appendix 4 photos from the file presented by crew 159 as well as a photo of the prize giving.

This yellow 2 CV from Persépolis is now part of the Citroën collection exhibited at the Conservatoire in Aulnay-sous-Bois.

(testimony and photos of Pierre Lacasta)

Find all the previous episodes by clicking here!

The originals of the documents cited* (regulations and posters in particular) are available from: memoiredes3raids@orange.fr / photo credit: Citroën unless otherwise indicated on the photo

A source of information on the official Citroën 2 CV Raids, this association was created during the World 2 CV Meeting at Salbris in 2011. It brings together, in the Deuchist spirit, the former participants of Paris-Kabul 1970, Paris-Persépolis 1971, Raid Afrique 1973 and organizers from Citroën. Marlène Cotton-Wolgensinger is also its godmother.
The association also welcomes, after cooptation, “friends” journalists, historians, young generations, passionate about these mythical raids of the 70s. Member of the association of the 2 CV Clubs of France (A2CF), its members participate in the World Meetings or National. They have, for example, organized the ephemeral museum with its Evolution gallery, in La Rochelle in 2015 with the participation of Citroën Heritage or co-organized that of Nîmes in 2017. The association is also a member of “L’Aventure Peugeot Citroen DS”.
To bring your testimonies, enrich the list of former participants, benefit from all their resources: films, books, archives, reissues of stickers, contact them by email: memoiredes3raids@orange.fr or by mail : Pierre LACASTA, président-Maison des associations-31 Rue du Cormier-17100 SAINTES