Caselani Pays Homage to the Citroën Type HG

Fabrizio Caselani unveiled a contemporary reinvention of the H-Van on its 70th anniversary by adding a new “skin” to the Citroën Jumpy (also the Ram ProMaster van, Peugeot Boxer van and Fiat Ducato van).  We featured it in an article back in April of 2017.

Now Caselani is introducing a smaller version of his “H-deco” design based on the Citroën Type G — a little-known prototype that Citroën planned to release as a smaller version of the H Van.

The Type G used an air-cooled flat-twin engine shared with the 2CV. Several prototypes were made, but the project was canned in favor of the 2CV-based, nine-horsepower AU van released in 1951, and only one surviving example exists in Citroën’s official heritage collection.

Based on the success of giving an H Van retro-look to the Jumpy, Caselani has chosen to bring the Type G to light by offering a similar look to Citroen’s mid-size Dispatch van. (The consumer version is called SpaceTourer, and the Peugeot version is called Expert.)

Caselani offers the Type HG as a passenger van, a crew-cab van, and a panel van.

Caselani also envisions that there will be camper versions.

Prices start at 29,400 euros (taxes excluded) for the short-wheelbase panel model powered by a 100-horsepower, four-cylinder turbodiesel engine. For those who already own a Dispatch or an Expert, the purchase of the transformation kit on its own is 14,800 euros. Caselani likes to point out that the conversion was created with Citroën’s input, and is authorized by the brand.

This group photo shows both the original H Van and the Type G, along with the H Van retro Jumpy Type H and the Type G retro Dispatch Type HG.

The Type HG looks decent enough although the rakish windshield makes conversion look too slick in comparison to that of the Jumpy Type H.