Citroën has reinterpreted its iconic 2CV as a chariot that features in the new Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom movie, as part of a partnership between the French carmaker and Pathé, Trésor Films and the Albert René Editors, creators of the new movie. Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom will stream exclusively on Netflix in the UK in spring 2023.
The 2CV chariot can be seen at various points in the movie and marks a first for Citroën. Its design team sketched and built the model in less than three months, compared to the usual 12 months it takes to create a concept vehicle.
Pierre Leclercq, Citroën’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 Citroën 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 Citroën in all its glory.”
For the chariot, Citroën focused on its core values of comfort, technology and bold design, adding a special touch to the movie. The result is a concept chariot featuring suspension made of a boar’s stomach, and a sunroof and headlights that are operated by fireflies boosted with a magic potion. Another detail is the wheels, made of recycled shields, incorporating Citroën’s iconic chevrons.
The chariot features in different parts of the movie, including 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. This is a subtle allusion to the famous Citroën advertising film made on the Great Wall of China. The wings of the helmet worn by Asterix also feature the new Citroën logo.
AutoBrief Snippets
- Citroën has created a concept chariot for the upcoming movie, Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom.
- Concept chariot based on the iconic 2CV as part of Citroën’s partnership with the film.
- Chariot created in just three months and features iconic Citroën design cues alongside themes from the Asterix & Obelix film series.
- To support the partnership, Citroën provided the crew with a fleet of 10 electric vehicles during filming.