Citroën’s Ami Electric is taking on a new look in a couple of distinct ways;
A refresh in mid-October 2024, saw the front and rear end get a little beefier (both sections are the same panel.) The headlights and taillights, now extruded with surround housings (rather than recessed) were moved higher while the mini lights up front and reverse lights out back were moved lower into protrusions on each corner.
The re-design also allowed Citroën to add fake gills on the front right fender, a nod to those found on early ripple-bonnet 2CVs. Because of the symmetry the same fake grill treatment now appears on the rear left fender giving a nod to the 2CV Sahara! The final touch was adding the new Citroën logo to both ends.
If the new 2CV themed look doesn’t suffice, or owners of 1st generation Ami Electrics would like a body transformation, Caselani has shown a design inspired from the famous Citroën Type H Van, produced between 1947 and 1981. What is being referred to as the AmiHY may soon be a another retro Citroën offering by Caselani. These prototypes were spotted at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium on October 19, 2024 during the 24 Hours 2CV Race.
Transported there on a Jumpy flatbed re-bodied by Caselani, it appears that for the diminutive Ami Electric, the original plastic body panels are swapped out entirely for those with the H Van theme. Caselani kits have to date involved affixing redesigned elements to the original body panels.
Builder Fabrizio Caselani and designer David Obendorfer in Sospiro (Northern Italy) under license from Citroën, transform new Citroën vehicles such as Jumper to look like an H Van, the Jumpy to emulate the look of the Citroën Type G — a little-known prototype that Citroën planned to release as a smaller version of the H Van, and the Berlingo to take on the look of a modernized 2CV Fourgonnette (aka Truckette).
Pricing of the AmiHY kit has not been announced. Caselani kits are expensive, but for those who want a retro look that stands out on the road or when parked, many seem willing to make the investment.