In 1993 while driving his Citroën 2CV through the deserts of North West africa due to a blockade by the military which prevented him to travel directly from Tan-tan to Tilemsem, a French man named Emile Leray came to a sudden stop as he broke a frame rail and a suspension swingarm.

There isn’t any sign of civilisation for miles, stuck in the middle of no where. What’s a man to do? Why, disassemble his trashed up car and build himself a motorcycle from the parts! Emile clearly is the definition of ingenuity as he created the two wheeler using is own knowledge and instinct.

The biggest problem was the lack of tools. No welding meant that Leray needed to use screws, making the most of what holes he already had in the metal salvaged from the car. When he came across the challenge of needing new holes he had to bend the metal, saw at its edge with a hacksaw, and then flatten it again.

Estimating the project would take about three days to complete Emile also made some sleeves for his shirt out of his own socks to protect him against sunburn. Okay, not as impressive, but none the less still using his smart ingenuity. However, building the motorcycle took him twelve days, instead of the estimated three.

Driving the rest of the way from Tan-tan to Tilemsem with no breaks on a makeshift motorcycle can’t have been the safest ride and it defiantly wouldn’t have passed it’s MOT even tested by the cheapest mechanic! But it got Emile there! Well done, sir. Well done.

EDIT:

Here’s a video of him taking apart his car by hand… Yes, you read that right… By hand. Mechanics and to some extent Iron Man, eat your heart out: