
Toby Wilson
Head of Department
LOT 100
A fine and rare 'La Conquete du Sahara' mascot by Marcel Bonnot, French circa 1922,
This mascot was made to commemorate the first motorised crossing of
the Sahara by half-track Citroën Kegresse 'autochenilles' which drove from
Ouargla to Tam then southwest to Bourem on the Niger river via Tin Zaouatine
and Essouk near ancient Tadmakka in the Adrar des Ifoghas, following a
trans-Sahara route dating from the medieval era.
Each of the five Citroen half-track vehicles had a nickname for the original journey: Golden Scarab (Scarabee d'Or), Silver Crescent (Croissant d'Argent), Flying Turtle (Tortue Volante), Sacred Cow (Boeuf Apis) and Crawling Caterpillar (Chenille Rampante).
The original plan for the 1922 adventure was to leave the vehicles in Africa, but the trip went so well that the teams decided to drive the vehicles back to the Mediterranean coast.
Another epic Sahara journey is planned to follow the exact route on December 19 2022 to January 7th 2023, this time in replica cars, and in Citroen electric vehicles.



Our Cars specialists can help you find a similar item at an auction or via a private sale.
Find your local specialist
Head of Department