Citroën Type H : le fourgon en tôle d'avion qu'on n'a jamais pu tuer

Citroën Type H: the van made of aircraft sheet metal that could never be killed. In 1947, at the Paris Motor Show, Citroën unveiled a van clad in corrugated sheet metal, directly inspired by the fuselage of the German Junkers Ju 52 aircraft. Officially prohibited from producing this type of vehicle due to the Pons Plan, the manufacturer defied the ban and launched the Type H, designed by the engineer-aviator André Lefèbvre and the sculptor Flaminio Bertoni. With only two prototypes, its front-wheel-drive monocoque structure, flat floor, and virtually indestructible ribbed bodywork, this van conquered all of France. For 34 years, from 1947 to 1981, it became the police van, the vehicle of choice for the postal service, firefighters, bakers, and street vendors, but also the star of dozens of films, from Fantômas Unleashed to The Triplets of Belleville. Produced in 473,289 units, it outlived the sublime DS, its rivals Renault and Peugeot, and even all the men who designed it. Now transformed into food trucks and a collector's item, the ugliest of French vans has established itself as a true national icon. This is the incredible story of the Citroën Type H, the van that refused to die. Music: Eyes of Glory - Aakash Gandhi; When Johnny Comes Marching Home - Cooper Cannell. Photos from archive.org, freely accessible and in the public domain.