Automobile. Do you want to transform your Citroën 2CV into a small roadster?

When you're young, tinkering with your brother can end up with a ping-pong table, a swing, or at best a garden shed.

That would be to misunderstand the brothers Dimitri and Iwan Göbel.

In 1998, the two Dutchmen embarked on a crazy project: transforming the peaceful 2CV into a roadster.

Without any instructions, the two brothers began creating a hundred sketches and covering the workshop walls with photos of old Bugattis, Delahayes, Morgans, and Jaguars for inspiration. But there was still a long way to go.

Aided by the wise advice of their father, a genius handyman who had already built go-karts with moped engines, the two brothers started from an observation: the kits available for transforming 2CVs were of poor quality.

They'll launch this business with a clear plan. A business administration graduate, Iwan is the numbers man, while Dimitri, an art school graduate, is the creative driving force behind the company.

After two years of construction, 160 kilos of filler, many hours of sanding and adjustment, the first Burton roadster comes out of the mold.

Time was running out for the two brothers; they already had 98 orders by the end of the first year. Their idea was simple: to take inspiration from the Lomax, a three-wheel kit transforming the 2CV into a small sports car.

Certain that they could do better, they imagined a new four-wheel concept.

After a first prototype deemed unconvincing, the two brothers developed the Hunter.

A model then improved to allow easier assembly for the customer, without modification of the initial 2CV chassis.

At the Citromobile 2000 event, the Dutch presented the final model under the name Burton.

Today, more than 1,300 Burtons have been delivered in the Netherlands and abroad, from America to Ibiza, from the Netherlands to Africa. But today, a new chapter begins.

Bought by the French company Mehari Club Cassis two years ago, Burton is about to experience a new start.

First, the Burtons are brought into compliance with the addition of a roll bar, three-point seat belts, and the integration of new brake lights and turn signals.

The Mehari Club Cassis will be able to offer the Burton in France in various forms. The first uses the 602 cc Citroën engine and the four-speed gearbox of the 2CV.

The second is 100% electric and features a 15 kW front-mounted motor, producing 21 hp. Coupled with a 25 kWh battery, it promises a range of around 180 km.

These vehicles are available as a kit, priced at €11,900, or assembled at a price of €30,000 for the thermal model and €35,000 for the 100% electric version.