When you think of Bond cars, you probably picture a slick Aston Martin or maybe the underwater Lotus Esprit from The Spy Who Loved Me. But Roger Moore’s personal favourite? A beat-up yellow Citroën 2CV.
Yep, that tiny French car from the For Your Eyes Only (1981) chase scene, where Bond, alongside Melina Havelock, escapes gun-toting bad guys in two bulky Peugeot 504s, is the one Moore said he loved the most. And now, one of the actual 2CVs used in that epic sequence is up for auction.
This isn’t just any replica either. It’s the only verified 2CV from the film that’s ever gone under the hammer. It was rescued from a scrapyard in Paris and is now being sold in a month-long online auction, which ends 17 July. Bidding’s already hit $120,000 (£89k), but auction house Heritage Auctions is hoping it reaches a blockbuster-worthy $500,000 (£370k).
The chase itself is legendary, a hilarious, action-packed flip on the typical Bond car scene. Instead of an Aston roaring down a runway, Moore jumps into the passenger seat of a dinky yellow 2CV. Within minutes, it's barrel rolling through Spanish villages (actually shot in Corfu), dodging bullets, and bouncing through olive groves. At one point, it even drives in reverse mid-chase.
Director John Glen said the whole point was to subvert expectations: “It was the complete opposite of what one would expect, it's usually an Aston Martin, so I thought let's go the absolute opposite end of the spectrum with a Deux Chevaux."
Six 2CVs were used during filming, and they took a battering. But three survived, and this particular car was the pristine model used at the start of the chase, including the shots with Moore and Carole Bouquet. It wasn’t fitted with a roll cage like the others so they could actually get the stars on camera.
The production team didn’t just use stock 2CVs either. They secretly upgraded them with a more powerful Citroën GS engine, beefed up the interiors, and slapped on fake Spanish number plates to keep things looking authentic. Fun fact: The English-made plate on this one says “TUCKERS BS AU 145” in tiny print.
After filming, this 2CV was junked, literally sent to be scrapped in Paris. Luckily, a Citroën superfan named Philippe Wambergue saved it, and in 2004 it was picked up by the current owner. Its authenticity was later confirmed by a fellow 2CV collector who owns another Bond car.
The car’s been restored just enough to resemble its on-screen look - yellow paint, replacement doors and boot, and original-style seats. But it’s not exactly pristine: the paint is peeling, the bodywork’s got dings, and the interior shows all the signs of movie stunt action. It’s not road legal, either. Think of it more as a collector’s prop than something you’d daily drive.
Still, it comes with a certificate of authenticity, and as Alastair McCrea from Heritage Auctions put it, "it is imbued with the daredevil spirit of Bond.”
And if you’re a Citroën fan, here’s a bonus bit of good news: the 2CV could be making a comeback, as an electric car. Citroën’s global CEO Thierry Koskas hinted it could return in 2027 with the same simple, rugged charm, but redesigned for modern roads and green driving.
So whether you're into Bond, movie history, or quirky French cars that can somehow survive multiple rollovers and keep driving, this 2CV might just be the ultimate piece of film nostalgia.
