“This is going in an Autosport Engineering supplement,” says Peter Thurston incredulously as he reveals his extraordinary Citroen 2CV8 racer, yet to turn a wheel. In place of a wheezing 602cc air-cooled flattwin engine making a whopping 45bhp in racing trim sits a gruff 4.6-litre Rover V8. Even in mild tune, developing 280-300bhp, this powerplant should propel the circa 700kg bolide at a fair lick in a straight line.
“It’s anti-engineering really, something I’ve put together from parts lying around my workshop, purely for my own amusement,” he says. “Will it work? I don’t know, but I’ve always raced for fun and this is guaranteed to put a smile on spectators’ faces.” Societe Nationale des Escargots de Fer enthusiasts read on.
Peter Thurston Racing in Faversham, Kent, is one of Britain’s longest-established and
