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Citroen Type H 70th Anniversary Van: limited edition kit car honours Euro classic

citroen-type-h-kit-front

The Citroen Type H 70th Anniversary Van is a limited edition kit car being built in Italy to celebrate the 70th birthday of Flaminio Bertoni’s original Citroen H Van.

The “fibreglass suit” was designed by David Obendorfer and Fabrizio Caselani, and is applied to a contemporary Citroen Jumper van, known as the Relay in the UK.

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According to its designers, the Type H kit doesn’t “copy the forms of the original model, but rather we aimed to capture the soul of the iconic vehicle”.

Although Citroen doesn’t sell the Jumper/Relay sold down under, the van is found on Australian roads as the Fiat Ducato. The Ducato and Citroen Jumper/Relay are structurally identical, but are distinguished by different front end designs and some unique drivetrain options.

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Production of the Type H using “artisanal methods” will be carried out by FC Automobili. Output will be limited, appropriately, to just 70 units. No word yet on how much the Type H 70th Anniversary Van will cost.

Sold primarily on the Continent, almost half a million H Vans were produced between 1947 and 1981.

Unlike other vans of the era, the Citroen H Van featured unitary construction, front-wheel drive, independent suspension, and corrugated exterior panels.

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The H Van was powered by a 1.9-liter four-cylinder engine with around 40kW of power and 110Nm of torque. By comparison, the Relay/Jumper’s turbo-diesel engines produce between 80 and 118 kilowatts, and 304 and 350Nm.

With the H van measuring 4278mm long, it is dwarfed by its modern-day homage, which, depending on the body style, measures between 4963 and 5998mm.

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