In the spring of ’78, Garage Moderne Alexandre in the 20th arrondissement in Paris checks the fluids and tire pressure to make this HY ready for delivery. It is delivered to Mr. Bourny, who lives a few streets away, just around the corner from the Père-Lachaise cemetery.

The bus is actively used and arrives at the garage for maintenance in October, with 7,691 km on the counter. In February ’79, another note is made in the maintenance booklet, at 13,754 km. The other pages remain empty, its fate in the subsequent period is unwritten.

The first written sign of life is a Contrôle Technique in 2016. The inspector notes 18,617 km as the mileage. This is followed in 2017 by another CT at 18,968 km. In both cases, the car is inspected before sale. Initially by someone near Épernay in the Champagne region. Then in Tourteron, a little further north, towards Belgium.

And it keeps going further north, a little bit at a time. We see it at a colleague’s in Limburg and admire the unique condition it still is in. Then it moves to a collection in North Holland, where it shines in public. It recently ended up with us.

The wheels and bumper have been repainted at some point, probably because they had a bit of surface rust. Citroëns from this period were certainly not built to last forever and were sprayed thinly. So it is a miracle that the HY is still around and certainly in this condition. Completely original, all around in first paint, which still shines beautifully.

The HY was delivered in this last version with a 1900cc petrol engine and a 3-speed gearbox. The French model kept the rear-opening doors until the end of production in ’81, where the Benelux models opened forward.

This is your chance to drive out of the showroom in a brand new HY, just like M. Bourny. We haven’t seen them newer and more original than this since ’81.