Car Citroën TYPE H Holidays COBI 24626 - Action Town 1:35

Did you know:

• The development of the van nicknamed "TUB" began in occupied France already in 1942 in strict secrecy from the Nazis.
• The entire project was supervised by the famous French automotive designer André Lefèbvre, who also created the Citroën Traction.
• The first built prototype had to be tested on the road, but due to a shortage of petrol everything had to be postponed.
• The presentation of the new vehicle to the public took place only in 1947 at the Paris Motor Show.
• The body of the vehicle was self-supporting, and Citroën increased its strength simply by pressing a number of reinforcements into the thin steel sheets. The inspiration came from German Junkers aircraft.
• Thus a van of unique appearance was created with a boxy "nose", which many French people called nothing else but Belmondo.
• Shortly after the war, there was a shortage of everything, so many parts came from older models such as the Traction Avant or 2CV. Steering wheels for the first series had actually been produced back in 1920 and were simply pulled out of forgotten warehouses.
• Mass production ran from 1948. The Citroën company had no money for advertising – and it wasn’t really necessary anyway. In 1948, several type H vans took part in the Tour de France cycling race as support vehicles, where they immediately gained huge popularity.
• The van was so popular that various versions were created, such as flatbed truck, ambulance, modifications for firefighters, police, postal service, butchers, florists, doublecab, or even a mobile boutique de glaces  .
• With only minimal changes, the van was produced until 1981.
• In nearly 35 years, more than 500,000 units were built in various versions.
• Even today, the legendary van is so popular that it is possible to buy a special kit of parts and components to convert a modern Citroën Jumper into a type H model – and demand is huge.
• In the 1970s and 80s, Citroën vans were a common sight on the beaches of the French Riviera, enhancing the sunny summer atmosphere. Today such a vehicle is more of a rarity.

Technical specifications:

• production: 1948 - 1981 France
• dimensions: length 4.28 m, width 2.00 m, height 2.43 m
• weight: 1400 kg
• engine: 4-cylinder type 7814 displacement 1911 cm³ and output 37 kW
• fuel tank capacity: 60 l
• fuel consumption: 13 l/100 km
• top speed: 88 km/h
• acceleration 0–88 km/h: 48 s
• seating capacity: 2

 
Magazine L’argus de l’automobile et des locomotions 1948:

"This car is so incredibly French! First I was impressed by those folding doors that look as if they jumped open by themselves, and then that little step on the fender... Front-wheel drive means the floor is so low that your face is almost at window height when you serve a customer."