Just like every kid, I too imagined myself behind the wheel of a supersports car or a convertible, cruising on the beach, when I was younger. However, as soon as I started making my own money, I couldn't
picture my self in anything other than a van.
As a graphic designer I have been decorating commercial vans for over two decades, and all this time I have been driving a panel van myself. Hence the idea: why not restore a vintage van and use it for my everyday commute.
Wouldn't that be stylish?
I have a soft spot for convenience. The same goes for cars. I have always liked old objects, but I've never been an old-timer freak. A perfectly restored Jaguar E-type is nothing but an object to me. Not so a wagon, or a van! Something you don't feel sorry for when the bucket of paint you're transporting falls over or the bag of potatoes rips open. You are not constantly thinking, oh my, what's gonna happen to that beautiful trim. What's more, these little trucks are not only a way of convenient transport, but also represent a
mobile display for your commercial message.
It's not by accident that the panel van was one of the first body styles in the history of motoring.
At the beginning of the 2000's (not quite sure which year exactly) I bumped into the picture of an old postal van. I haven't seen one of these since my childhood. This feeling has gotten hold of me the kind of rush of emotions you feel when you rediscover a taste or a smell from you childhood.
Of course, I didn't know the brand or the model back then, but it didn't take me long to find out it was an IFA the model back then, but it didn't take me long to find out it was an IFA Framo. I remember being a kid watching the postman getting out of one of these I even remember the noise the Framo made. Further research revealed there was not one of them left in Hungary. I'm quite sure I could have found one in Germany, but back then, this whole old-timer business
seemed so far out of reach.
I have spent years trying to get over this itch to drive a vintage van, but, as you've probably guessed by now, I failed. Together with my eldest son, Bence, we roamed the internet for old vans. On one of these occasions, again by accident, we bumped into a Peugeot 203 Fourgonette. I have never seen or even heard of this van before, but, what can I say, it was
love at first sight...
Wide fenders, backwards opening “suicide doors”, indicator levers, and that classic round shape I'd been looking for… The essence of all the features defining the vehicle design of the 50's. From that moment on I knew what exactly I was after! It is a well-known fact that due to the rough use vans hardly ever make it to veteran age. So what followed was a long and tedious searching process. It turned out there was not a single 203 Fourgonette in Hungary at times of the cold war very few French cars came through to Central-Eastern Europe. As we searched the sites of vintage car clubs in Slovakia, Austria, and other countries, it became apparent that there is no Fourgonette in any of the surrounding regions, either. Even though magazines reported from time to time of abandoned veteran cars being found in barns, such discoveries were very rare. That's why it was nothing short of a miracle when we came across an exemplar in South Germany, make 1956, still running, and considering its age in excellent condition. It had been imported into Germany from France in 1986, but wasn't roadworthy and ended up sitting tucked away from sunlight in a locked shed
just like sleeping beauty.
What we didn't know back then, was that, while there are several sedan-shaped 203s running on Europe's roads, the van version is extremely rare. We hit the road with my friend, an expert in auto restoration, and paid the old van a visit. As soon as we caught site of the car, we knew this vehicle will fascinate everyone, not only Peugeot fans and vintage car enthusiasts.
ÍThis is how we found it. Parked for over 2 decades, with all original parts more or less intact, including original car papers. We didn't haggle for long…
Tamás Wachtel, a mechanic from my hometown specialised in refurbishing vintage cars, picked it up with a trailer. This picture features the moment of farewell for the German owner, which at the same time marks the beginning for us.
Coincidence or magic, the car rolled off the assembly line in 1956 the year of the great Hungarian Revolution and arrived to Hungary 52 years later on October 23, the exact date of the revolution. On this picture, the arrival in Sopron (the body looks this shiny only because of the heavy rainfall throughout the journey).
A step-by-step account of the restoration process can be found under “Restoration”. For the sake of van-fans I'm presenting a few specimens from the 203-era below:
The commercial version of the Fiat Balilla from the 30's. Only a few exemplars of the passenger car version exist, most of them guarded in museums.
Opel produced a panel van of its Olympia in 1950. Certain features of the Peugeot 203 and the Olympia look stunningly alike.
Similarly to Opel, Ford takes its well-conceived Taunus as the basis for the rare delivery vehicle depicted here.
Renault didn't want to fall behind competition and launched the Juva 4. As one can see they painted firm logos on vans already back then.
This Skoda was used by the Hungarian postal service after the war. Not one of them remains.
And even the Mercedes 170 had a van variant, produced in 1952, however, featuring design cues from before the war. Worth fortunes today.
The unforgettable IFA Framo, you who started it all…
A beautifully restored Panhard Dyna. I miss a contemporary firm logo from the side panel.
The commercial version of the Morris Minor is also a head turner. For me, not an option due to right-hand drive (let alone Withworth standards…).
Some say it's ugly to an extent where it becomes beautiful. The indestructible Citroen CV from 1950. Its ribbed box reminds us of window shutters. Today a French national idol and for many the ultimate favourite.
