There’s a New Delightful Citroen Retro Van That Looks Like a 2CV
Citroën joined forces with Italian coachbuilder Caselani to create a retro tribute to the 2CV Fourgonnette AU.
Retro car design can be a serious miss or a beautiful win. Though I think most of us want to forget that the Chevy HHR ever existed, Citroën released an utterly delightful modern rendition of the totemic 2CV, based on the modern skeleton of the Citroën Berlingo van. Folks, the small van is very good.
The French automaker joined forces with Italian coachbuilder Caselani to design and build the 2CV tribute. It pays homage to the Fourgonnette AU variant of the 2CV, which is the utility version of the iconic car. The original version looks like a 2CV pickup with a corrugated bed cap and the effect is quite lovable. The new version captures a lot of the same vibes, especially the humble pluckiness of the original.
Considering what the Berlingo looks like, the work Caselani did is mighty impressive. The sheet metal is all new, only betrayed by the shape of the Berlingo window frames. Wherever the designers could, they were fully inspired by the original, with modern cues. The retro balance is done expertly.
It teeters on the same edge as some Mitsuoka cars. Mitsuoka is a Japanese coachbuilder that takes modern cars and gives them classic treatments, except the designers are much more unhinged. For example, they took an ND Mazda MX-5 Miata, put a replica C3 Corvette body over it, and called it the Rock Star. Oh, and don’t forget the Buddy, which is a contemporary Toyota Rav4 with a butch Chevy CK truck-esque front end.
My favorite part of the Berlingo tribute car is the rear windows. The shape and proportion of them are delightfully Art Deco with a minimalist twist. The order books on the tribute car open on October 1, with production slated for January 2023. Of course, this won’t be coming to the United States, but I’m just happy it exists.
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