Description
H&H Classic Auction @ The Imperial War Museum, Duxford/ Cambridgeshire
9th October, 2024 13:00
Registration No: WC 1264
Chassis No: 151112
MOT: Exempt
Recently fitted with a handbrake, ratchet quadrant and starter motor
Converted in-period to a Pickup by a Dordogne butcher during WWII
Offered with some original documentation, various manuals and the current V5C document
An evolution of its B2 and B10 predecessors, the B12 was introduced in October 1925. Available with a diverse choice of all-steel bodywork (made to Budd patents), its uprated, quarter-elliptic leaf-sprung chassis featured worm and roller steering, rear shock absorbers and four-wheel drum brakes. Powered by a willing 1452cc four-cylinder side-valve engine mated to a three-speed manual gearbox, the B12 was quick to establish a reputation for durability and economy. In production for less than two years, surviving examples are an understandably scarce sight today.
This Citroen B12 was built in 1925 (verified by Stellantis-Citroen UK) as a Saloon. Purchased as a non-runner in 2021, some missing parts have since been sourced in France and the now engine starts and runs via the starter motor or starting handle. The vendors purchased the B12 due to an interest in WWII history, of which there is plenty. It was converted to a Pickup (Plateau) by a butcher in the Dordogne during WWII, to enable him to obtain fuel from the Nazi occupiers who issued coupons to owners of commercial vehicles. When Germany finally retreated and liberation came, vehicles were painted with Free French Independence (FFI) insignia to participate in victory celebrations. The butcher then sold it to a local vineyard owner. An Englishman spotted the Pickup in a field in the late 1980s and purchased it, subsequently featuring in a number of magazines.
Since 2021 the Pickup has benefitted from much expenditure, including replacement of the flat bed, the fuel lines, battery and cradle and the 6v windscreen wiper motor; refurbishment of the steering wheel, wiring loom, matching door cards and fabricating period registration plates. The Citroen was granted an age-related number in January 2024. Some original documentation and various manuals are included along with the V5C.
