Citroën has chosen the CV Show in Birmingham for the World Premiere of two show cars, one based on the Type H and the other on the New Dispatch – two vans which feature as part of 70 years of history and illustrate Citroën’s prominence in the LCV segment. These two distinctive concept vehicles are the outcome of extensive customisation on both the interior and exterior in the colours of the Le Coq Sportif brand.
The two show cars play on the contrast between white and colourful blocks of blue and red. Blue, white, and red – illustrating a delightful encounter between two iconic French brands dedicated to employing a workforce with the know-how, based on creativity and innovation, to offer high-quality, modern, and distinctive products. Their collaboration is supported by shared values and is also a reference to the Type H’s presence in the publicity fleet of Le Coq Sportif.
Five years ago, Le Coq Sportif returned to the roads of France in the biggest cycling event, driving in a Citroën H van. The iconic vehicle, promotes a sense of friendliness and sociability, which is an important aspect of the cycling world, and influences Le Coq Sportif’s participation in certain events. Le Coq Sportif strives to be seen as a “popular” brand in regards to being in touch with people and their everyday lifestyles, and thus enabling them to engage in sports in a stylish yet casual way with high-quality, comfortable, and distinctively designed products.
Citroën has always been interested in people’s relationship with their car. The Brand’s vehicles always reflect their times and are designed for people who make cars an integral part of their life. For Citroën, it is important to be a popular brand positioned at the heart of the market – a brand with broad appeal that stands out owing to its unique identity, modernity, styling, and the practicality and comfort offered by its products. This philosophy is shared by Le Coq Sportif in the realm of sports.
Two Mobile Workshops Flying The French Colours
The Type H and New Dispatch have been converted into mobile bicycle maintenance workshops. They can also be transformed into workshops for clothing at cycling events demonstrating the functionality of these two vans. The Citroën Design Centre and the Le Coq Sportif styling office have combined their creative energy and expertise to develop the two vans, which display Le Coq Sportif’s colours along with the brand’s name and logo on each side.
The same approach has been taken in the design of the two show cars’ exteriors. All the body parts, including the wheels and roof racks for transporting two bicycles (on New Dispatch only) are painted a luminous white. The white is livened up by blue and red rectangles scattered across the entire body like coloured blocks – a playful, “arty”, Mondrian-inspired colour scheme that gives a fresh and energetic look to the two show cars. The combination of blue, white, and red also symbolises the pairing of two French brands that share the same emphasis on creative know-how and French elegance.
This association is signed by a “Citroën X Le Coq Sportif” logo at door level on the New Dispatch and at the front end on the Type H. Similarly, a 70th anniversary logo appears on the New Dispatch doors and the windscreen of the Type H.
The two show cars have a different spirit inside:
– The Type H focuses on authenticity and nostalgia. It has a warm and simple feel about it that is cheerful and comfortable, with light-coloured woodwork made of different types of wood, which lines the workshop and the wall where tools are hung. The seats in the cabin are upholstered in natural, chocolate-coloured leather, enhancing the interior and playing on the theme of natural materials.
– New Dispatch strikes a modern and refined note. Its black woodwork contrasts with white leather seats accented with red, white, and blue topstitching.
These two models are shown in a video filmed at the CREPS velodrome in Bourges and Raymon Poulidor velodrome close to Limoges and at Le Coq Sportif factory at Romilly-Sur-Seine. This iconic site and birthplace of Le Coq Sportif more than 130 years ago, which the brand decided to move back to in 2010, displays French architectural audacity and know-how and displays these show cars in an exceptional atmosphere.
Following their world premiere on the Citroën stand at the Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham, these two vans will be on display at Le Coq Sportif communications events. These enjoyable and original events, whether connected with cycling, the inauguration of points of sale, or the delivery of Le Coq Sportif corners, will be relayed on social media.
