Citroen recently unveiled a modern 2CV van, built with Italian coachbuilder, Caselani. There's no chance it will be sold in the USA, but it is worth looking at because it has left us in two minds.
We like the idea of a restomod, especially one dedicated to something as simple as a van. The 2CV Fourgonnette AU was launched in 1951 as an extension of the 2CV range. It was immensely successful because the car it was based on was so popular. The 2CV van was French, cheap, reliable, and could carry loads of products to the market.
The modern Caselani creation is based on the Citroen Berlingo van because the Europeans don't do pickup trucks, and we obviously don't do vans anymore. It is officially licensed by Citroen but will be marketed and sold by Caselini.
The modern 2CV Fourgonnette will be available for professionals, and a leisure version will also be produced for carrying people. All engine types will be proposed, including electric.
As you can see, it has a vintage-style body kit mounted on the Berlingo's exterior. You can see hints of the original 2CV, including the large Citroen chevrons, large round headlights, and corrugated sheeting on the sides, rear, and roof. As a design exercise, it's marvelous, and there's no doubt that several chic French delivery businesses will jump at the opportunity to have one in their fleet.
Unfortunately, no price is mentioned, which leads us to believe it will be expensive. The order books will open on 1 October, and deliveries will start in January 2023. That's strike one.
The Berlingo van underneath can carry between three to five people and is equipped with either a 1.5-liter four-cylinder turbocharged diesel or a 1.2-liter four-cylinder turbocharged petrol. The EV has a range of roughly 170 miles, which is ideal for Paris.
The Berlingo van has 18 driver assistance technologies and four connectivity technologies. These include the color head-up display, hands-free access and start, the overload indicator, and a wide-angle rearview camera.
It's also functional and can carry roughly 550 pounds with a driver on board.
"We are extremely proud that our best-selling Berlingo has been revisited by Caselani, drawing inspiration from the iconic 2 C V Fourgonnette, which left its mark on both Citroen's history and that of the automotive sector more widely," said Pierre Leclercq, Head of Citroen Style.
Our main issue is the same we have with modern Minis. Minis used to be cheap and fun, but now you're looking at $35,000 for a John Cooper Works Hardtop. Like the Mini and the Beetle, the 2CV was built as cheap transport for the masses. And boy was it cheap. Heck, the "2" in its name literally refers to the number of two taxable horsepower it had on tap, and no one in their right minds would pay a lot for 2 hp.
If you're an automotive enthusiast, you'll know the 2CV was designed for peasants. The designers wanted a family of four farmers to drive across a field with a cow in the trunk, six chickens on the roof, and a basket of eggs on the passenger's lap. The suspension had to be soft enough not to break the eggs.
Those weren't the exact targets, but not even Citroen's historians agree, which is the most French thing ever.
What we love most about the 2CV is the rebellious nature of Citroen's bigwigs, especially Vice-President Pierre Boulange. Work on the 2CV started in 1936, and Hitler declared war on France in September 1939.
Boulange refused to negotiate with the Nazis and instead chose to shut his factories down. He hid several TPVs (the 2CV prototype) in and around Paris. One was even hidden in the attic of a multi-story building. Boulange refused to let his factories be used to build weapons of war, so he simply sat back and spent six years thinking of how the car could be improved. That's how it got the second headlight...
The 2CV was stupid cheap by the time it was launched in 1948, and it played a massive role in getting France back on its feet.
We love an homage, but we wish this one were more in keeping with the original car and not just a design exercise.
