Car Citroën TYPE H Service COBI 24632 - Action Town 1:35

Did you know:

• The development of the van nicknamed "TUB" began in occupied France already in 1942 under strict secrecy from the Nazis.
• The entire project was overseen 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 the lack of gasoline everything had to be postponed.
• The introduction 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 simply increased its strength by stamping numerous profiles into thin steel sheets. The inspiration came from German Junkers aircraft.
• Thus a van of unique appearance was created with a square "nose", which many French people called Belmondo.
• Shortly after the war there was a shortage of everything, and therefore many parts came from older models Traction Avant and 2CV. Steering wheels for the first series were even produced back in 1920 and were simply pulled out of forgotten warehouses.
• Mass production ran from 1948. Citroën had no money for advertising and in fact it wasn’t even necessary. 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, ambulance, fire brigade, police, postal service, butcher, florist, doublecab, and also mobile car service for Citroën owners.
• Since the 1950s, the carmaker built an extensive network of service vehicles that could help drivers anywhere in France. All you had to do was find a phone booth, dial a four-digit number, and wait 3–12 hours for the service van to arrive.
• The construction of type H vans was simple and all malfunctions could be repaired on the spot. Even replacing the entire engine was not a problem. Do you also have such service for your car today?
• With 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 you can buy a special kit of parts to convert a modern Citroën Jumper into a type H model, and demand is enormous.
• In the 1970s and 1980s, Citroën vans were commonly seen at the beaches of the French Riviera, completing the sunny summer atmosphere. Today, such a vehicle is rather 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 engine type 7814 with a capacity of 1628 cm³ and output of 29 kW
• number of gears: 3 forward and 1 reverse
• since 1955 hydropneumatic suspension
• fuel tank capacity 60 l
• fuel consumption 13 l/100 km
• maximum speed 90 km/h
• acceleration 0 to 88 km/h in 48 s
• number of seats: 2

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

"That uphill ride is not exactly what the vehicle is built for. The gearbox allows you to overcome an incline even with a fully loaded car, but at a speed close to walking pace. Want to go faster? Tough luck. Shifting to a higher gear makes the engine choke. If you don’t downshift in time, the engine stalls, and the subsequent restart uphill? Hard to imagine."