Yesterday, Citroën unveiled their latest concept car, a re-imagined electric version of the legendary 2CV. My delight gland was significantly excorpulated by what I saw, and I sincerely hope this concept makes it to market close to what was shown (albeit with skirted rear fenders) and for the low price they’re targeting. Now, in what seems to be a company-wide effort to see just how excorpulated my delight gland can be, the company has shown a second 2CV-based concept car, this one a modern re-interpretation of the commercial variant of the 2CV, known as the Fourgonnette.
The original Fourgonnette was introduced in 1951 to meet the growing demand for a small, cheap van or commercial vehicle, much the same reasons why Volkswagen developed their famous Type 2 van. Citroën’s solution to the commercial vehicle problem was typically simple: cut the body off a 2CV after the front doors and graft on a small corrugated shed that looks something like a quonset hut.
The resulting vehicle, which also got a 425cc version of the air-cooled flat-twin in the base car, adding three more horsepower for a mind-scrambling 12 hp, was an incredibly flexible, usable, and affordable workhorse. Businesses all over France and Europe, to the tune of 1.2 million of these ribbed wonders being sold between 1951 and 1978. There were even sort-of station wagon versions with rear side windows and back seats, so you could take the fam out after a hard week of hauling cheese or whatever.
That’s all background so you can have some context around this new version of the Fourgonnette:
As you can see, the design language mirrors that of the new 2CV electric concept; like the original, it’s essentially the same from the B-pillar forward.
Aft of the B-pillar is the nearly cubical cargo box, though here the corrugated ribs are contained within a large side door that appears to open up, like a hatch, one on each side. The integration of the cargo area into the rest of the body is also far more smooth and seamless than in the original.
The rear is now all glossy black, with a pair of windows nearly invisibly set into the twin doors that form the rear. Two horizontal taillights are also seamless set into the glossy black doors, giving the rear of the van a much sleeker look than the rest of the vehicle. You can see it better in this walkaround video:
The rear end treatment is a bit of a departure from expected 2CV style, but I think it works, and makes it very clear that we’re dealing with something modern.
It’s all very cool, and I can see a small electric delivery/cargo/coffee/food truck type van like this being something that a lot of people and companies would want; unfortunately, unlike the electric 2CV passenger car concept, this one has not been promised to go into production. As the press release disappointingly notes (emphasis mine):
Above all, the 2 CV Fourgonnette is a free expression by Citroën’s designers—a passion project. This design study was born from a spontaneous desire to bring back to life a model that defined its era and continues to evoke a unique emotional response. While this concept does not preview a future production model in the short term, it opens up new avenues for consideration and demonstrates one thing: the spirit of the 2 CV Fourgonnette remains remarkably relevant and continues to inspire.
Who knows, maybe the new EV 2CV will be a hit in 2028 or whenever, and that’ll pave the way for variants like the Fourgonnette. I guess we’ll find out!
I WANT ONE!!!!!!!