Repurposing and finding new functions for existing items has become a cultural phenomenon, and even objects as large as automobiles are turning into things they were never intended to be. One interesting example is this Citroën H Van, which went from being primarily a cargo hauler to serving as a parklet in San Francisco’s Marina District. The owners have decided they want it removed, or perhaps someone else has. Either way, it’s either free for the taking or a best offer. You’ll have to disassemble and move it, but this might be a fun promotional tool for a business, or maybe even a few parts for a needy Citroën. This oddity is on Filbert Street in San Francisco, California, and you can find it here on Facebook Marketplace. Unusual tip, MisterLou, and thanks for sending it to us!
Citroën began making their H-Type vans in the forties, which mainly consisted of industrial cargo vans and light-duty trucks. This series stayed in production until 1981, and the owner doesn’t mention what year or decade this one is from. While it’s obviously no longer functional as a vehicle, parts of the front and rear are still present, so there might be a few usable pieces if the future owner decides to part it out. The right door appears bent at the bottom, but the rest of the sheet metal looks fairly good, so this could be a decent no-cost score for a Citroën enthusiast!
This unit belongs to Rapha, a cycling hub near the Golden Gate Bridge. They provide a home base and community gathering spot for the San Francisco chapter of Rapha Cycling Club, along with a cafe and retail shop. Some internet sleuthing suggests the Citroën was initially found in a barn, then moved to its current street location before being converted into a parklet that provides seating and spaces for cyclists to park their bikes. Apparently, Rapha got verbal approval from the powers that be for this installation but didn’t wait for an official permit, and not everybody in the Marina District of the City by the Bay is thrilled it’s there.
Others seem to love it, and some fans have even called the parklet a San Francisco icon. However, for whatever reason, it’s got to go, and this might be a good opportunity for someone with the tools and transportation to move it to a location where it can keep serving as a parklet. Rescuing some parts to make another Citroën live isn’t a bad idea either, but my biggest hope is that this isn’t destined for scrap, although there are probably several materials here that can be successfully recycled. Do you or someone you know have a use for a free Citroën H Van that’s now a stationary parklet?
As strange as it looks, I’d try to reconnect the front and rear end, and get it running. I’m not sure how easy that would be, though.
Not that hard cause it’s front wheel drive, means no drivetrain connection to the rear, just break lines and electrical.
2X ^
THIS!
agreed~
etc
yup, worth more “back the way it was” to many of us.
Love to be the guy to provide on-site reclamation (cut off
frnt/rear, dispose of middle, & contract shipper). Had to do
that sorta thing for my self in ’82 to get my 1st bronk (a 1970,
it took 3 more to finish it). All sorta waays to have ‘automotive fun’.
(several types of research, wrench, fab, get motor running, upholstery,
body work, electrical, hydraulic, pricing and sales, more). Try a few yourself!
I wonder if there is any sort of frame still attached to the front and rear halves of the body? No engine! No frame..😳
It wouldn’t, it’s missing a substantial part of the cargo area. Guessing the floor/frame section, too.
What’s left of it might be decent body parts, though. Wonder if the engine is still in there (doubt it).
I hope the seller is the registered owner, someone is going to have to pay for whatever parking tickets that have accumulated if the new owned wants to get it on the road at some point.
Steve R
Not if you live in Canada and it disappears at midnight.
Just commenting for a friend.
:)
Not if you live in Canada and it disappears at midnight.
Just commenting for a friend who may or may not like unique trucks.
Ran when parked!
Speaking of the original Engine, I understand that there were two Petrol versions offered, a 1628 cc type 72 I4 and 1911 cc 11D/type 78 I4. There was also 3 Diesel versions offered: a 1621 cc Perkins 4.99 I4; a 1816 cc Indenor TMD85 I4; and a 1948 cc Indenor XD88 I4. The original Transmission was a 3-speed manual, with a single dry plate clutch. 🤔
Free or best offer? That’s a new one.
Yeah, I’m going to offer $100… that is, the seller pays $100 for me to remove it.
Wow you work cheap. Are you for hire?
Matt, you are right, if it was easy to tow the city’s contracted tow company would have done so. Those are multi million dollar houses in the background and street parking is nonexistent. San Francisco loves to write parking tickets and they don’t excuse them or negotiate, they will want their money.
Steve R
That probably means “how much will it cost me for you to make it disappear?”
If only it was closer, I’d go pick it up and see if it can be remodified back into a road worthy van. If not, I’d enjoy it the way it is.
Pretty safe bet they’ll expect you to remove the entire ‘parklet’, not just the vehicle parts. On the bright side, you’re getting for free what SF taxpayers probably paid $10-20M for.
You can use the wood to build a deck.
I know the industrial look is ‘in’ for city scapes, hopefully not long, but this will never make it without repainting in a light hue with some flower power.
I think the color that’s on it looks pretty good for this van. Reserve Flower Power for the VW buses.
From Google Earth, it looks like an eye sore. I can’t believe the city would allow something like that to sit there in the street.
Apparently, they didn’t.
It took me a minute to figure out what the heck we were looking at.
Raise your hand if you’ve never heard of a parklet.
Never
Same here
Thank you. Now I don’t feel alone in the thought.
So, I’ve been doing some research….. The City of San Francisco established the official parklet program in 2010 after early design experiments by the design firm Rebar. Parklets are technically public property. Anyone can sit, rest, or enjoy the space without buying anything from a nearby business. The San Francisco Department of Public Works handles permits and inspections, while the Municipal Transportation Agency manages traffic rules. Commercial parklets that occupy two parking spaces incur an annual city fee of more than $4,600. The city halves this fee if the host business reports gross receipts under $2.5 million. Traditional custom parklet builds range from $20,000 to over $60,000 in material and labor costs.
According to Google Earth, this contraption has been sitting at Fillmore and Filbert Streets, in San Francisco CA, since 2014. 12 years without a proper city permit?
I live on Filbert Street and see this daily as I ride my bike past it. So, first of all, there would be no parking tickets as this has been used as a parklet by Rapha. There are many parklets in SF where the owner, usually a restaurant, pays a monthly fee to have it there. This one is just unique in build, but not in nature. I also doubt neighbors have been complaining about it, because, again, this is San Francisco! It’s an interesting piece and I would hate to see it go.
Take it to Berkeley
Scrap
In Hogan’s Heroes they used one of these as a Nazi radio detection van. In the movie Hindenburg, one was used to supposedly load supplies onto the doomed dirigible when in Germany…even though a French Citroen…and it did not first enter production until 1946. Still, it would be a shame to see this one go to a scrap yard. Maybe someone would want to restore it as an act of historical preservation. It could also be rented out for movies.
I wonder how much shipping would cost. I’m seriously considering getting this.
I bet the truck front and rear sections could be pulled up onto a roll off wrecker.
Front end looks like a WW2 German Ju52 transport . How come all the good deals I can afford are on the west coast ?
Is there an engine still under the hood?
Given the region, the engine compartment may have already been converted to a butt wiping station and clean needle exchange.
ha ha ha ><!
/
o
You’re gonna need about $2 million to get into a condo with no parking in that neighborhood.
So far away.
I can’t help but want to get the van halves welded back together into a single unit as a roller. Any scrap yard motor and tranny can be dropped in under the hood. Cool van for any business. And its free, maybe even with scrap value in the parklet metal to offset some of the moving costs? Plus as mentioned wood for a deck in the back yard?
Hmm.
I just drove by it this last weekend… Born and raised in SF and it’s the first time I’ve seen it.
Supposedly its been a fixture on the corner of Fillmore and Filbert for 12 years (2014).
What a mess. It’s going to cost you to drag it away. Not to say that I’ve not done anything like that before.
Generally, nothing is more expensive than a free car. Wonder if this fits that category.
Only if it was still a car.
Parklet? Could someone please explain what that is? That’s one i haven’t heard..looks like someone cut this poor old van in two and assembled benches and tables in the middle. However, with some crafty welding, a supercharged mill, and a crazy horn, I envision this becoming a very similar vehicle to the van that the bat guy drove in ‘Jeepers Creepers’, and would definitely get people outta your way on the road! Too bad it’s on the other side of the country..
They blew up during the pandemic cuz they helped restaurants expand into outdoor spaces. As a local, I found it funny that the guidelines reference under utilized parking spaces…in San Francisco???!!!
We couldn’t eat inside, together, but eating outside, is just fine.
Are you talking about THE plandemic!
It was definitely planned.
Good luck with that
Parked when I ran
Has to be french…