Meet The Owner – Jon Kinahan and his Citroën Dyane 6

Scotty Tremayne’s friend, Jon Kinahan, owns one of Citroën’s finest cars. In his words:

He is a big lover of the 2CV and has a 2CV Charleston. He was approached roughly eight years ago by a chap who breaks 2CVs about an MOT failure Dyane. Jon had always wanted a Dyane to join his Charleston in the garage, so the timing was great! I went with Jon and trailered it back home. Over the following year Jon had it restored, including a full galvanised chassis, fresh paint work and a new set of boots for it.

The Dyane’s story is well-known. When it debuted in August 1967, Citroën intended it to appeal to French motorists who now regarded the 2CV as dated and to Renault 4 owners. Panhard, a Citroën subsidiary, created the bodywork, and the Deux Chevaux’s 425cc unit powered the early versions. Five months later, the 6 version boasted the Ami’s 602cc engine.

Perhaps racing driver John Miles encapsulated the Dyane’s appeal when he wrote in Autocar: “I would be tempted to move house without the removal van, and for those considering a moonlight flit, the headlights are adjustable from within to cope with attitude change”. Not to mention: “The wipers grind away like an electric cockroach, but to anybody with any soul left, it is fun. Fun is also to drive around the outside and out-brake ‘hard’ men in their skittish Mk 1 Capris and Mk 2 Cortinas.”

Jon’s Dyane is a late example, and it is fascinating to see how few rivals it had in 1982, two years before production ended. At £2,798, it was £43 more than a 2CV Charleston, which lacked a hatchback. A Fiat Panda was £3,095 but had only two side doors, while the Renault 4TL, at £3,199, did not have a full-length fabric sunroof as standard.

The lucky Dyane buyer gained a five-door, four-seater that permitted fresh-air motoring in the summer. By 1982, it was more luxurious than the original versions (admittedly, this was not a difficult achievement) but retained that vital aesthetic and practical details. The seats could be removed for picnics, and for cold weather there was a plastic cover for the grille. The Dyane also had a starting handle for those moments when it was reluctant to proceed.

As for the Kinahan Citroën:

Often, Jon will take his collection of dogs down to the beach with the roof off when the sun is shining. It’s great to drive around the little roads and even more fun when it comes to the roundabouts! It gets plenty of stares while driving around town and down to the beach. We are yet to see another one on our roads here in the area The local classic car community always comes and has a look when it’s parked up at classic car meets.

And Jon’s Dyane remains more than a match for any Ford Cortina.

With thanks to: Jon Kinahan and Scotty Tremayne