If you’re the type who enjoys a ‘quirky’ car and actively seeks out silly things in silly colors, I can’t blame you for feeling disheartened these days. Manufacturers can’t branch out and make something ‘off the beaten track’ for fear of upsetting stockholders and alienating customers who just want a nice, safe, beige box to go about their beige business in. Upsetting the villagers isn’t in the ‘win at building cars’ playbook. Unless, of course, you’re French. On a planet full of people pumping out variations on a theme, France is also doing that but having some fun at the same time.
In 2020, when we were all sent to bed to think about what we’d done, Citröen unveiled the Ami. The Ami isn’t really a car, because while it has four wheels, a roof, and doors, its 6kW motor and 5.5kWh battery mean it’s only really good for 28mph, and a range of 46 miles if you’re lucky. There’s no fast charge tech on board; a full charge will take about four hours.
Quick Specs
Yes, It's A Quadricycle
Technically it’s a quadricycle, which means that kids as young as 16 can drive them in various bits of Europe, and it doesn’t need to meet stringent crash regulations. It’s also incredibly cheap to buy - around £7,700 ($9,900) in the UK - and that’s because it’s incredibly cheap to make. The powertrain isn’t cutting-edge, and its plastic body is mirrored, so Citröen doesn’t have to make too many different bits. The front and back ends are the same, but with red lenses at the back, and clear ones up front. The doors are the same on each side, just flipped, which means one opens normally, while the other apes a Rolls-Royce (badly). To open them, you pull on a racecar-style cord. There are a few mod cons, but you get a heater, a hole to fit your Bluetooth speaker, and the driver’s seat moves backward and forward. The passenger, alas, doesn’t get the same luxury.
The Ami Buggy Is Rare
Seeing an Ami in the wild is a treat beyond compare. The small, gray pods whirr around town and can come with various stickers to tart ‘em up. You can even spec a spoiler for downforce? Such was/is the Ami’s cutesy popularity, that Citröen saw fit to launch a special, the Ami Buggy. An initial run of 50 was released and sold out in less than three minutes. Not one to miss out on a trick, Citröen announced another 1,000 would hit the roads and be on sale in nine countries—40 of them came to the UK, and, much like the original 50, they all went in the blink of an eye.
What Makes The Buggy Version Unique
There are a few key differences between the standard Ami and Buggy—the Buggy is green, whereas the standard car came in gray (you can now have a slightly different gray depending on spec); instead of doors you’ll find two big ‘ol bars to keep you in; there’s a roll back fabric sunroof; shiny gold wheels finish the ensemble off nicely. The rest, well, what’s left of the rest of the car is broadly the same as the base car. There’s still a hole for a Bluetooth speaker, a space for luggage by the passenger’s feet (though without doors, I wouldn’t trust your shopping in there if you live near bends), plastic molded seats, and the lot. Though the gear selector’s moved to the center console (if you can call it that), you don’t get a fan to demist the windshield because the air can do that.
A car without proper doors may seem silly, especially in a country synonymous with near-endless rain. Still, Citröen helpfully provided plastic snap-on doors that almost cover the entire door hole. Almost. Handy in a pinch, but useless in the winter.
Gallery: Citroen Ami Buggy First Drive
It Turns Heads Like The Tesla Cybertruck
With something like the Ami Buggy, driving comes secondary to what it is. The fact of the matter is, it could drive like utter trash, and you wouldn’t care. Neither would anyone else. This is one of those rare cars that (sort of) transcends the idea of being transport. It’s a thing that brings unbridled joy - like comedy graffiti, a child falling over, or free ice cream - to all who see it.
On a single drive through the outskirts of London I was waved at by tiny humans, was told it was a Lego car, had people take pictures as they drove along (very illegal and to be frowned upon), got kudos from delivery drivers on mopeds, and received almost universal love. The only people who didn’t approve were some high school students who, as I trundled by, loudly called me a tw*t. Can’t please everyone, I guess.
Taking it to a low-key car meet in a leafy, well-heeled bit of town, I was expecting it to generate a bit of interest before it was overlooked in favor of old Porsche 911s, classic Alfa Romeo Giulias, and things worth much, much more than the Buggy’s £10,495 ($13,400) asking price. Instead, I spent the whole morning explaining what it is or letting people clamber all over it. One bloke even said he was going to order one when he got home. It was only really upstaged by an Aston Martin Valkyrie. And to that, I say: Fair play.
What's It Like To Drive?
Now, I said the drive could be awful and it wouldn’t matter. The good thing is it drives pretty well! It’s fun! With just 8hp on tap and a top speed lower than most urban speed limits the performance isn’t what you’d call ‘explosive.’ It’ll buzz from a standstill to its top speed in about ten seconds. Perfect for horrid traffic, less ideal for much else. In fact, if the road ahead is clear and you’re doing less than the speed limit, you’ll find impatient people who are happy to overtake. As the Buggy is so small, and thanks to the lack of doors so exposed, any and every other road user, even cyclists, feel huge by comparison. You’re also painfully aware that it’s really a plastic box with limited crash protection. There are creaks and rattles as you go over imperfections on the road, which can be a touch disconcerting if you’re not expecting it.
The wheels are tiny and shoved as far into the arches as possible, so it’s a deft handler. A quick twist on the wheel and your direction changes keenly. However, the Ami Buggy’s short yet soft suspension means there’s a fair bit of body roll if you’re going for it - Google ‘Ami Monaco’ for what happens if you’re a little over-enthusiastic. The tiny springs don’t help the ride too much, either.
Being barely larger than my dining table, the Ami’s pretty fantastic for visibility. While its hand-adjustable wing mirrors are easy to use, you only need to glance over either shoulder to get a good view of the world behind. Another advantage of its size is the turning circle: It’s tiny! Perfect for town driving.
It’s bouncy, a bit rolly, there are creaks, and you feel tiny. Sounds like a recipe for fear, no? Well, it isn’t. It’s all part of the fun of the Ami Buggy. No one will miss you because they’re all staring at you, and if anyone does overtake because 28mph is too slow for them, they were either desperate to make the bathroom, or desperately lonely. Either way, you won’t care because, creaks ‘n all, the Ami Buggy is hilarious. Don’t get me wrong - driving it cross country would be a stupid idea, but around town, or to hammer up and down to the beach? Your day will start great.
Conclusion
There are few people for whom am Ami would work perfectly all the time, fewer still would find the Buggy indispensable. But no matter who you are, you’ll find it amusing. Even if just to look at.
