A fine and rare 'La Conquete du Sahara' mascot by Marcel Bonnot, French circa 1922, signed, nickel plated bronze depicting a beautiful nude, carrying a Citroen Kegresse half-track vehicle, number 16 with French Depose stamp to rear, title inscription on front of base, 14.5cm high on its original Citroen 1922 radiator cap above a turned spalted beech display base. Sold with the mascot is an original 1923 illustrated book 'Le Raid Citroen' by Haardt & Audouin-Dubreuil, 8vo, detailing the monumental achievement, together with 'Crossing the Sands: The Sahara Desert Track to Timbuktu by Citroen Half Track', hardback, large 4to, published 18 Jun. 2009 by Ariane Audouin-Debreuil. (3) Footnotes: This mascot was made to commemorate the first motorised crossing of the Sahara by half-track Citroën Kegresse 'autochenilles' which drove from Ouargla to Tam then southwest to Bourem on the Niger river via Tin Zaouatine and Essouk near ancient Tadmakka in the Adrar des Ifoghas, following a trans-Sahara route dating from the medieval era. Each of the five Citroen half-track vehicles had a nickname for the original journey: Golden Scarab (Scarabee d'Or), Silver Crescent (Croissant d'Argent), Flying Turtle (Tortue Volante), Sacred Cow (Boeuf Apis) and Crawling Caterpillar (Chenille Rampante). The original plan for the 1922 adventure was to leave the vehicles in Africa, but the trip went so well that the teams decided to drive the vehicles back to the Mediterranean coast. Another epic Sahara journey is planned to follow the exact route on December 19 2022 to January 7th 2023, this time in replica cars, and in Citroen electric vehicles. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com