Citroen H-Type Price Guide

The Citroën H-Type is one of the most recognisable commercial vehicles ever built. It is the corrugated-panel van that served as the French butcher’s delivery vehicle, the mobile café, the ambulance, and the wine merchant’s transport from 1947 to 1981. The corrugated aluminium panels were not decorative; they were structural, following the principle of aircraft fuselage construction.

The Car

The H van used a flat-twin 1,300cc engine (later 1,600cc) with front-wheel drive in a purpose-designed van body that provided maximum load space within a minimal footprint. The corrugated aluminium-over-steel construction was lightweight and rigid. Early cars used a 23bhp 1,300cc engine; later variants received the 1,600cc unit. The cab-forward layout gave the H van its characteristic silhouette. French chefs prize them for mobile catering; British buyers use them as food trucks, festival bars, and promotional vehicles.

Buying

The H van’s corrugated bodywork is straightforward to inspect but difficult to repair; specialist panel-beaters who understand the structure are essential. The flat-twin engine is simple and well-supported. Load floor condition reflects working life. The Citroën H van community is enthusiastic and well-organised in both France and the UK.