Concept car comes from a joint venture with Carrosserie Caselani. While it won’t reach production, Citroën is using it to release a new line of vans with focus on camper use
- Conceptual version of the Citroën SpaceTourer debuted in a Düsseldorf auto show
- Besides the Type Holidays, there are similar versions made of Citroën’s other vans
- All those modifications are made by coachbuilder Caselani inspired in the Type H van
Citroën made a very special appearance at this year’s Düsseldorf Caravan Show. The Type Holidays above is based on the SpaceTourer, a business van it sells in many versions. However, it was converted twice.
The internal conversion focuses on camper use. The rear section features amenities like a folding table, a heating system, a kitchenette, and a pop-up roof with a bed. But neither of those is its main attraction.
All external elements are new. They take direct inspiration from the Type H, a line of vans Citroën offered from 1947 to 1981. This neo-retro conversion comes as a partnership with Italian coachbuilder Caselani.
Here, I am going to show you everything about this brilliant initiative. Even though it is not going to be a regular offer in its portfolio, Citroën is using it to spearhead a new trim version for its existing van line.
Citroën Type H: where it all began
After World War II, the French carmaker had to rebuild its line according to the country’s reality. The Type H came in 1947 under the same philosophy as the 2CV: motorize people who still used horses and carts.
Citroën found a number of ways to make its production cheaper. The glass areas are small and flat, many internal items were borrowed from other models, and body and trim versions were kept to a minimum.
The most notable feature, however, was its corrugated bodywork. Those ribs appeared on front, side and rear panels as a clever resource to increase mechanical resistance with low costs and no extra weight.
Citroën sold over 470,000 units, most of them in France, Belgium and Netherlands. Many are still active as vintage-style food trucks, some upgraded with modern powertrain, or simply as non-functional displays.
Carrosserie Caselani
Builder Fabrizio Caselani and designer David Obendorfer occupy the top roles at the Italian coachbuilder. They also work in the nautical sector, providing parts and materials to high-end manufacturers like Riva.
Some people use the term retromod to describe projects like this, where one modifies a modern car using retro elements. It is the opposite of restomod, when one restores a car applying some modern elements.
Caselani has built such projects for five years. It currently accepts every commercial van Citroën sells: Type H for the Jumper, Type HG for the SpaceTourer, and Fourgonette (inspired in the 2CV) for the Berlingo.
According to the coachbuilder’s website, each model comes in multiple versions for cargo and camping. It is also possible to customize their body paint with metallic and pastel colors in single or double tones.
Citroën Type Holidays: the concept
Citroën equipped the show car with several items focused on camping activities. The most noticetable is the pop-up roof, which houses a compact bed for two people and allows people to stand on the cabin.
You can fold the second-row bench as a bed, once again for two, or remove it altogether. The front seats can swivel, and there are wood cabines to store all your groceries and a folding table to consume them.
The concept van also includes a heating system supplied by Webasto, and a kitchenette with fridge, sink, and cooking area. Those are all essential items especially for people who like to camp for several days.
Since this car is not going to reach production, Citroën has not released any technical specifications about it. What really matters is that it is going to release a new trim version for its van lineup, named Holidays.
Type Holidays in production
Citroën intends to “bolster its presence in the converted camper van market.” While there are no specifics about that move yet, we can imagine that the Holidays version will bring special preparation to that end.
This is quite a smart move considering that camper vans are on the rise. There are factory conversions like Volkswagen’s, third-party partial conversions, and a plethora of independent items you can find online.
Such variety is useful because there are also many types of campers. Some of them simply want weekend getaways, while others want to spend weeks off the grid. And there are several possibilities in between.
We can also observe that this move fits Citroën’s current identity like a glove. The French maker now aims at people’s well-being and at finding innovative ways to make mobility more pleasant and sustainable.
The Citroën Type Holidays manages to be interesting in two ways. The most obvious is its design: Caselani does a wonderful job bringing elements from the Type H without completely rebuilding the donor body.
Looking forward, the other reason is what this concept car represents for Citroën. We can expect its lineup of vans to become even more versatile and useful. Would you consider camping with one of those vans?
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While the Type Holidays uses a van, you can perfectly enjoy camping with other types of cars as well! If yours requires extra baggage room, we have a whole selection of roof racks to recommend.
Danillo Almeida has explored his passion for cars in two distinct ways. The first one is his graduation course in Mechanical Engineering, which will hopefully lead to a job position in the field. The other one is expressing his knowledge and opinions on the matter through writing. Almeida has already contributed to blogs, stores, and websites in general writing automotive content in many formats.
