Franken Flair - In a world where most cars are born from blueprints and budgets, there are a few that come purely from imagination. These rare creations often don’t follow the rules—they’re built in garages, shaped by hand, and fueled entirely by personal vision. One such gem, pieced together with creativity and courage, is the Mosselschuit, a Citroën 2CV-based custom sports coupe unlike anything you’ve probably ever seen.
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| The Mosselschuit, a custom sports coupe based on the Citroën 2CV, was unlike anything you've likely ever seen—crafted by Erwin van Snick in 1959. (Picture from: Peter Olthof in Flickr) |
Back in
1959,
a 17-year-old Belgian named Erwin van Snick did something extraordinary.
With nothing more than a Citroën 2CV chassis and a brilliant sense of possibility,
he built his own car from scratch. The
Mosselschuit,
as it came to be known,
wasn’t a kit car or part of any manufacturer’s lineup.
It was completely one-of-a-kind—
an expressive blend of different car parts,
adapted and reimagined with impressive ingenuity.
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| The Mosselschuit was completely one-of-a-kind—an expressive blend of different car parts, adapted and reimagined with impressive ingenuity. (Picture from: Dirk A in Flickr) |
Rather than relying on a single donor car, van Snick scavenged components from all over. The windshield came from a Citroën DS, while the rear glass was taken from a Volkswagen Beetle. The inner door skins of a Renault 4CV were repurposed to form the car’s front fenders. Gullwing-style doors? Crafted from sections of old VW doors. Even the rear lower valence came from a classic 2CV ripple bonnet, and the lower grille area was made using pieces of Citroën HY van side panels. Somehow, it all worked. The result was a small coupe with big personality—quirky yet cohesive, modest in size but massive in charm.
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| The Mosselschuit made its way onto the cover of the Flemish teen magazine Strip, sparking the imagination of an entire generation. (Picture from: Autopuzzles) |
The
Mosselschuit didn’t just live in
van Snick’s garage. It also appeared in
his creative short film project called Zomercapriolen and even landed on
the cover of the Flemish teen magazine Strip, capturing the imagination of a generation. And then, like many one-off builds from the past, it disappeared—forgotten for decades, left to nature in a patch of woodland.
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| A
media clipping featuring a news story about the Mosselschuit, the
one-off Citroën 2CV-based coupe that was carefully restored by Sven De
Blick. (Picture from: Autopuzzles) |
That might have been the end of the story—until
Sven De Blick came along. Years later, he discovered what was left of the
Mosselschuit and took on the challenge of restoring it. Not merely fixing it, but bringing it back to the form and flair of its original vision after he completed its restoration in
2016. Through patience and respect for its roots,
De Blick returned the
Mosselschuit to the road, where it now stands as a rolling tribute to youthful creativity and fearless experimentation.
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| The Mosselschuit was built not from a single donor car, but from parts sourced far and wide—its windshield came from a Citroën DS, the rear glass from a Volkswagen Beetle, the front fenders were shaped using inner door skins from a Renault 4CV, and its gullwing-style doors were crafted from sections of old VW doors. (Picture from: Autopuzzles) |
What started as a teenager’s personal challenge has grown into something far more remarkable. The Mosselschuit proves you don’t need a factory or a fortune to create something unforgettable—just a bold idea, a few spare parts, and the belief that it’s possible.
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| The Mosselschuit incorporated a rear lower valence made from a classic 2CV ripple bonnet, with its lower grille area crafted from Citroën HY van side panels. (Picture from: Dirk A in Flickr) |
And if this quirky little coupe has stirred your curiosity about other eccentric 2CV-based builds, you’re definitely not the only one. There are others out there, like
the Mismaque Squal completed by
Guy Mismaque in 1959, ready to surprise and inspire. Each has its own charm, and
the Mismaque Squal stands proudly alongside the
Mosselschuit as a truly distinctive creation in its own right.
*** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | AUTOPUZZLES | FLICKR ]Note: This blog can be accessed via your smart phone.
