It’s not often that a car can make such an impact, especially a commercial car. But the Citroen Type H van certainly did, becoming a style icon of sorts in the 34-years it stayed in production. 473,289 of the wonderful little vans were made before production halted in 1981, with very little changing since it commenced production in 1947 after the second World War.
The corrugated metal panels, originally used as they added strength without adding weight, made the H van instantly recognisable, and remained one of the most distinctive features. 70-years on, the H van is celebrated with a unique “fibreglass suit” that tacks on the style of the Bertoni-styled original onto the modern bones of the Citroen Jumper van.
The Type H kit is not meant to merely ape the original. Rather, it is “aimed to capture the soul of the iconic vehicle.” Capture the soul it certainly has, with Type H conversions looking as smart and as distinctive as the original Type H was in the 1940s. The kit fits the structural architecture of the Citroen Jumper van, which we receive in Australia as the Fiat Ducato.
The Type H will be produced using “artisanal methods” by FC Automobili, with production limited to just 70 units. Prices were not detailed, though we don’t expect them to be quite as costly as some other commemorative special editions. The ‘new’ H van will also be considerably perkier than the original, with period cars producing 40kW & 110Nm from a 1.9-litre four-pot, while the current Citroen Jumper’s turbo-diesel manages between 80kW-110kW, and between 304Nm-350Nm of twist.
For more information on Citroen, check out our Showroom.
