1974 Citroen Ami - Ami Sport Cabriolet

Unique Austrian one-off

Engine and brakes from the GS

60 hp four-cylinder boxer engine

All modifications officially registered

Guaranteed to turn heads

The Ami was Citroën’s offering in the lower middle class, based on the 2 CV chassis and fitted with either two- or four-cylinder boxer engines. Citroën intended it to bridge the gap between the 2 CV and the D models. The Ami was conceived very much with the French market in mind: modest in performance and running costs, yet spacious and comfortable. Production ended in 1979, and neither the GS nor the Visa was really a direct replacement.

On 20 June 1974, this car was registered as a Citroën Ami 8 Berline. Its owner, Mr Sonnleitner, was a panel beater by trade – and a creative one at that. When the saloon finally gave up the ghost in 1986, an idea began to take shape: why not build a sporting Cabriolet on the Ami chassis, entirely to his own design? It was to be rakish yet perfectly usable, with a low nose and truncated tail. And the body would be made entirely from sheet steel, just as he had learned his trade. No sooner said than done.

To ensure the mechanical specification lived up to the looks, he replaced the engine and gearbox with a 60 hp four-cylinder unit from a Citroën GS, together with its high-pressure braking system and a five-speed gearbox. Several photographs taken during construction give an impression of the work involved. On 19 November 1987, the completed car received individual approval in Klagenfurt.

In April 2009, advancing age finally persuaded Mr Sonnleitner to sell HIS car. The new owner had expected a taut sports car rather than a comfortable Citroën. In January 2011, the “Sonnleitner” was therefore sold to a Citroën enthusiast in Bavaria. He obtained historic approval for the car in Germany and added it to his 07 historic-vehicle registration.

The Sonnleitner certainly stands out. It is more solidly constructed than one might expect of a one-off, without pretending to possess the professional perfection of a production car. Mr Sonnleitner’s definition of everyday usability included a watertight hood, working heater and doors that close with a satisfying clunk. The boxer engine sounds good and has little trouble with the car. Liberal amounts of rust protection were intended to ensure eternal life.

It has seen little use in recent years. The tyres were renewed for the auction, but although the car arrived under its own power, a service is nevertheless due.

For its time, the Sonnleitner was quite a remarkable undertaking. For Citroën enthusiasts it is a real highlight: characteristically unconventional and guaranteed to stand out at any event.