For the 70th anniversary of the Citroen Type H van, an industrial designer has made a body kit that transforms a modern Citroen Jumpy into a Type H.
If the Germans have the V.W. Bus and Americans have the Ford F-series as historical and legendary utilitarian vehicles you might say the French have the Citroen Type H panel van. And for the Citroen Type H’s 70th anniversary according to our motoring friends over in Germany at Auto Motor earlier today (Apr. 4, 2017) an industrial designer has created a body kit that turns a modern day Citroen Jumpy into an homage to the Citroen Type H that looks every bit the part. Moreso this kit is primarily meant to credit Italian designer Flaminio Bertoni who designed the original Type H. Check out a couple of press photos that David Obendorfer has provided for us below.
The Citroen Type H van holds a special place in French history for not only being a utilitarian vehicle with a unique post-war design but for being innovative in many ways. It’s no mystery that the French have mastered the art of front wheel drive and with this Citroen Type H, it’s no different. Instead of using a body on frame approach where the body and chassis were designed as different units the Citroen Type H used a monocoque design.
Since it’s FWD that means the Type H benefited from a low-flat floor, perfect for businesses and whose basic design endures in modern utility vans today. And those iconic corrugated panel siding were as functional as they were aesthetically suited to a utility vehicle. The ribs added strength without adding much weight. Produced for more than forty years after being introduced in 1947 more than 500,000 were made with many still kicking around in the French countryside today.
It’s a shame that Obendorfer will only make 70 kits that can be added to a modern day Citroen Jumpy as research shows , reliability of the Citroen Type H was questionable at best. Since these body kit vans use modern engines and technology, reliability won’t be a question. Perhaps if he sells all his kits at record pace he might be motivated to make a second run of them.
