We’ve only just seen the new 2CV concept in Paris, but Citroen has delighted us with a surprise commercial version of the car at the Paris motor show that pays tribute to the panel van variant of the iconic French runabout that was introduced in the early 1950s. 

Citroen says that the Fourgonette has been guided by the same principles as the passenger concept car, taking everything down to the basics to make the van as lightweight and practical as possible. 

The original van had a teeny 375cc petrol engine producing barely 8hp and a top speed of 25mph, but an impressive payload of 250kg that made it a useful runabout. Citroen boss Xavier Chardon described the Fourgonette as “more than just a workhorse. It was part of everyday life.”

Interestingly, Citroen says that the 2CV Fourgonette concept came about because its designers got excited and came up with the idea as a passion project – it doesn’t actually point to a future production model at the moment like the 2CV concept we’ve seen already, but there’s definitely a possibility if there’s enough interest in the idea. 

Citroen describes its 2CV van study as “faithful to the spirit of the original” but focused on how it can be used today. 

There’s a cargo carrying variant of the Citroen Ami that does much of the job of the original Fourgonette, although admittedly on a smaller scale. Citroen recently revealed a new back-to-basics version of its Berlingo van that’s probably a more practical proposition for anyone needing a small commercial vehicle. 

The passenger version of the 2CV is slated to go on sale in 2028, so even if Citroen did decide to make a commercial version to go on sale it’s not likely that we’d see it on sale before 2030.