With the Citroën Type H Wild Camp conversion kit you can make your modern van look like a classic post-war era model.

With the corrugated fibreglass panels, headlight surrounds and ‘beige gazelle’ paintwork it’s hard to believe there’s a modern van hidden underneath. The Type H conversion kit, created by Italian company Caselani Automobili, was never designed to imitate the original Type H, but merely pay homage to a forgotten era and celebrates the 70th anniversary of a classic piece of French engineering.

Just shy of 500,000 of the original Type Hs were manufactured from 1947 to 1981 and its design changed little over the course of 34 years. Nowadays you’ll most commonly see a Type H that’s been converted into an artisan coffee stall or a vegan food van, serving food and drink to hipsters in fields and cities across Europe.

36 years after production ended, you can now recapture that retro image and nostalgia of times gone by for yourself by jazzing up your Citroën Relay with a panel transformation kit, or you can purchase the entire Type H Wild Camp van fully converted and ready to hit the open road.

The show van demonstrated on Citroën’s website is a Jumpy L2H2 with a 161bhp Blue HDi diesel engine, and the interior uses the Roadmap R conversion from German company Pössl.

The van comes with all the modern features you would expect, such as hill start assist, ABS and electronic stability control, with a couple of adventure-ready extras such as spotlights and a roof rack. And if you want to head off-road you’ll have a choice of optional extras including a Poclain traction control system, limited sip differential and a 9” Alpine infotainment and navigation system.

Open up the back doors and the van’s modern interior is a world away from its vintage exterior; you’ll find a small kitchenette with dual burner gas stove, 64L fridge/freezer and stainless steel sink, a fixed rear bed, multi leaf dining table with seating for four, and a cleverly designed washroom with semi-circular sliding door containing a shower, toilet and folding sink. Although it appears that you will not be able to close the bathroom door while someone is cooking, it does act as a handy divider between the cab and the bed area.

The Roadmap R conversion also features a 100L fresh water tank, 92L waste water tank, compartment for two 11kg gas bottles, a Truma Combi 4 boiler and a 12V battery with two 230V sockets, but it is unclear whether the Type H Wild Camp will carry over all of these additions.

So what’s the price you pay for that oh so desirable vintage-inspired look?

Well the starting price for a panel transformation kit is €22,800 ($26,495), which is available in a variety of colours with exciting French names such as ‘Bleu weekend’ and ‘Jaune Mimosa’ for an extra €1500 ($1,743), including the option of a two-tone roof.

If what you’re looking for is a complete Type H camper you’ll be looking somewhere in the region of €41,597 ($48,338), but you’d better grab one fast as they’re extremely limited edition, with just 70 of them being manufactured to mark the Type H’s 70th anniversary.

If you miss out on the chance to grab a Type H Wild Camper though, Caselani Automobili also makes conversion kits for panel vans, minibuses, food trucks, mobile shops and tow trucks, so you can transform any Citroën van into a retro Type H.

Source: Caselani Automobili