CITROËN MEETS ASTERIX: CITROËN CREATES 2CV CONCEPT CHARIOT FOR THE NEW ASTERIX & OBELIX MOVIE

• Citroën has created a concept chariot for the upcoming movie, Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom.
• Concept chariot based on the iconic 2CV as part of Citroën’s partnership with the film.
• Chariot created in just three months and features iconic Citroën design cues alongside themes from the Asterix & Obelix film series.
• To support the partnership, Citroën provided the crew with a fleet of 10 electric vehicles during filming.

Citroën has reinterpreted its iconic 2CV as a chariot that features in the new Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom movie, as part of a partnership between the French carmaker and Pathé, Trésor Films and the Albert René Editors, creators of the new movie. Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom will stream exclusively on Netflix in the UK in spring 2023.

The 2CV chariot can be seen at various points in the movie and marks a first for Citroën. Its design team sketched and built the model in less than three months, compared to the usual 12 months it takes to create a concept vehicle.

Pierre Leclercq, Citroën’s Global Design Director, said: “The encounter between these two legends of French culture was nothing short of extraordinary. There has been a bond of sincerity and mutual respect between the Citroën and the Asterix movie teams since the beginning. We were presented with this incredible opportunity to create and build a concept chariot from scratch, and we had the most amazing time working on this project. The result is an ode to the 2CV, the legendary car which represents Citroën in all its glory.”  

For the chariot, Citroën focused on its core values of comfort, technology and bold design, adding a special touch to the movie. The result is a concept chariot featuring suspension made of a boar's stomach, and a sunroof and headlights that are operated by fireflies boosted with a magic potion. Another detail is the wheels, made of recycled shields, incorporating Citroën’s iconic chevrons.

The chariot features in different parts of the movie, including when Caesar’s army reaches China, where there is an advertising billboard at the entrance to the country promoting the best car at the time: the 2CV, an incredible chariot made in Gaul, pulled by two horses. This is a subtle allusion to the famous Citroën advertising film made on the Great Wall of China. The wings of the helmet worn by Asterix also feature the new Citroën logo.

BEHIND THE SCENES

Citroën’s participation in the movie didn’t end with the creation of the concept chariot. As part of the partnership, Citroën also provided the film crew with an entirely electric fleet of vehicles for use during filming. The fleet was made up of 10 vehicles: three ë-C4 models, three New C5 Aircross PHEV’s, two ë-SpaceTourers, an ë-Jumpy (ë-Dispatch) and an Ami. Citroën also arranged charging for the vehicles on the film sets at Bry-sur-Marne and Bretigny-Sur-Orge.

Sustainability was a key element of the partnership right throughout the filming schedule. The electric fleet provided by Citroën was one of the Asterix team’s contribution to decarbonisation. The team also worked with an agency that implemented processes to limit waste as much as possible. For example, the costumes were recycled and reused for other purposes, while two tonnes of wood were saved by using recycled cardboard as part of the movie. Also, all the wooden crates used during filming were given to two urban farms in the Ile-de-France region. 

The film will be released for UK audiences in spring 2023 exclusively on Netflix.

The teaser of the movie Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom is available here.

To see more of the concept chariot, please click here.

ENDS

Contact:

JOHN HANDCOCK
HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS
john.handcock@citroen.com

TEL +44(0)7810 180249

MASON FINNEY
PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGER
mason.finney@citroen.com 

TEL +44(0)7788 178394

MICHAEL ARNOLD
PRESS FLEET MANAGER
pressfleet@stellantis.com  

TEL +44(0)7831 829410

JEREMY TOWNSEND
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR
jeremy.townsend@stellantis.com  

TEL +44(0)7827 896480

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Citroën

Since 1919, Citroën has been creating automobiles, technologies and mobility solutions to respond to changes in society. A brand of boldness and innovation, Citroën places peace of mind and well-being at the heart of its customer experience and offers a wide range of models, from the distinctive Ami, an electric mobility object designed for the city, to saloons, SUVs and commercial vehicles, most of which are available in electric or plug-in hybrid versions. A pioneer brand in the services and attention paid to its private and business customers, Citroën is present in 101 countries and has a network of 6,200 points of sale and service throughout the world. Citroën UK media website: www.media.stellantis.com/uk-en/citroen