The MK II

The MKII was designed in 2001 and construction began in 2003. Using the knowledge and expertise gained from the MKI a spaceframe chassis was designed that could incorporate standard 2CV components, including the engine, the unique suspension, steering and drive train. Unlike most other 2CV based kit cars which retain the 2CV's ladder chassis with a new body bolted on top, giving a high centre of gravity and excess weight, the MKII was designed to discard the ladder chassis and use a spaceframe built from scratch. This not only means you sit lower in the car giving a far better centre of gravity, but results in better suspension geometry, steering and handling, as well as keeping weight to a minimum.

These pictures are some of the first sketches of the MKII. From the initial concept, very little time was spent designing the rest of the car, and despite these pictures being drawn two years before construction even started, the finished car is virtually unchanged.

Here you can see the car under construction. The chassis is made from a combination of square and round steel tubing that is MIG-welded together. Onto this other parts are gradually assembled: the seat; the steering wheel; the pedals and controls; the petrol tank, the mudguards, the electrics, the bodywork, the exhausts etc, until a complete car had been built. The electrics, fuel and brake lines run inside the hollow sections and the body was formed by bending aluminium sheeting over the steel framework, with each panel formed to overlap the next, creating a very tidy and minimalistic appearance to the car.

These two pictures were taken on the day the MKII first thundered into life. As the exhausts were custom made, how they would sound was unknown. Luckily the noise was incredible, and as it revved to 9000rmp on the tacho it sounded absolutely gorgeous.

The car was then dismantled and each piece cleaned and painted in BRG before being transported out of the garden and into its new home. Once re-assembled it had to be subjected to a Single Vehicle Approval test (a very strict and mandatory safety test for any re-built, kit or imported vehicle) and once passed it became registered as the Max Hyde Motors MKII in May 2005.

Since then it has covered over 3000 miles with no problems at all. It handles perfectly with no under or over steer, very fast acceleration and a top speed of 90mph, that’s 18.5mph over a normal 2CV despite being the same car underneath.

It brings a smile to anyone who sees it and some people will even overtake just to pull level and take a photo. Many people say that it’s an extremely unusual car to follow as with the raised body line, from behind you have no view of the driver!

It has been driven to France on several occasions, once covering over 600 miles in under a week, has been featured in many magazines, appeared on television, photographed for a French newspaper, and has even been on the local BBC radio station when thousands of listeners got to hear the glorious sound of the exhausts.

No doubt there are many more miles and years of joyful motoring for this most unique of cars.

© COPYRIGHT 2006 - MAX HYDE MOTORS