A little history
Though generally forgotten today, the Citroën TUB (Traction Utilitaire de type B, or "B-Type Traction Utility Van") was a ground-breaking van back in 1939, the year of its launch. Actually, Citroën did in the commercial field what it had just done for the passenger cars with its Traction Avant, but unfortunately, World War Two would hamper the TUB’s career.
To say the truth, the TUB is arguably the world’s first modern van. Taking a lot from the Traction, it was a front-wheel-drive, unibody construction vehicle with a cab-over design. Suspension was independent thanks to torsion bars. Power came at first from the Traction’s 9 CV engine, before the 11 CV block became available. No less than seven cubic metres were available to pack boxes, cartons or any other stuff on the low and perfectly flat floor of the rear compartment, thanks to the driving shaft's absence. Citroën also seems to have been the first to incorporate a sliding door on the right side, allowing for easy access in the case a TUB would be used as a delivery van – an idea that made the vehicle so convenient that it would be unthinkable today that a panel van doesn’t have at least one of these.
The TUB’s production was restarted after the conflict, but for a limited time only. By the end of 1947, its successor was ready: the iconic Type H, which would be built until the early Eighties. Ironically, throughout its long career the H has always been referred to as the “tube” by the French public, a nickname accidentally referring to its unfortunate predecessor.
About the models
Ixo has had the pleasant idea of developing a mould for the TUB, that its involvement in many of Altaya’s press series fully justified. Here are two of them.
Model: Citroën TUB 11-T
Year: c.1940
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.10 of its Michelin press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2006, in Souillac, France
If not due to a mistake, the two windshield wipers are evidence that Ixo's TUB is a 11 CV, and therefore from 1940 or later, rather than the more common 7 CV which had a single wiper in front of the driver. Even with two wipers the said driver would have probably been blind in anything heavier than light rain should the original van be fitted as its scale model is, the wipers of the latter being very far from touching the surface of the windshield. This said Ixo did a nice job here. Separate details are few but the decoration is nice enough to make it forget – note the amusing padlock on the rear door. Certainly a model worth 13/20.
Model: Citroën TUB 11-T
Year: c.1940
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.42 of its Nos Chères Camionnettes d'Antan press series
Acquired: second hand with stand and box, in October 2007, through mail from a fellow collector from Rouziers de Touraine, France
Same model as the above... and not, as it's now reproduced with its left tarpaulin screen raised (on the TUB, the right side screen was fixed, while the left one could be opened), unveiling cleanly lined boxes of bottles. Another nice model by Ixo – 13/20.
Though generally forgotten today, the Citroën TUB (Traction Utilitaire de type B, or "B-Type Traction Utility Van") was a ground-breaking van back in 1939, the year of its launch. Actually, Citroën did in the commercial field what it had just done for the passenger cars with its Traction Avant, but unfortunately, World War Two would hamper the TUB’s career.
To say the truth, the TUB is arguably the world’s first modern van. Taking a lot from the Traction, it was a front-wheel-drive, unibody construction vehicle with a cab-over design. Suspension was independent thanks to torsion bars. Power came at first from the Traction’s 9 CV engine, before the 11 CV block became available. No less than seven cubic metres were available to pack boxes, cartons or any other stuff on the low and perfectly flat floor of the rear compartment, thanks to the driving shaft's absence. Citroën also seems to have been the first to incorporate a sliding door on the right side, allowing for easy access in the case a TUB would be used as a delivery van – an idea that made the vehicle so convenient that it would be unthinkable today that a panel van doesn’t have at least one of these.
The TUB’s production was restarted after the conflict, but for a limited time only. By the end of 1947, its successor was ready: the iconic Type H, which would be built until the early Eighties. Ironically, throughout its long career the H has always been referred to as the “tube” by the French public, a nickname accidentally referring to its unfortunate predecessor.
About the models
Ixo has had the pleasant idea of developing a mould for the TUB, that its involvement in many of Altaya’s press series fully justified. Here are two of them.
Model: Citroën TUB 11-T
Year: c.1940
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.10 of its Michelin press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2006, in Souillac, France
If not due to a mistake, the two windshield wipers are evidence that Ixo's TUB is a 11 CV, and therefore from 1940 or later, rather than the more common 7 CV which had a single wiper in front of the driver. Even with two wipers the said driver would have probably been blind in anything heavier than light rain should the original van be fitted as its scale model is, the wipers of the latter being very far from touching the surface of the windshield. This said Ixo did a nice job here. Separate details are few but the decoration is nice enough to make it forget – note the amusing padlock on the rear door. Certainly a model worth 13/20.
Model: Citroën TUB 11-T
Year: c.1940
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.42 of its Nos Chères Camionnettes d'Antan press series
Acquired: second hand with stand and box, in October 2007, through mail from a fellow collector from Rouziers de Touraine, France
Same model as the above... and not, as it's now reproduced with its left tarpaulin screen raised (on the TUB, the right side screen was fixed, while the left one could be opened), unveiling cleanly lined boxes of bottles. Another nice model by Ixo – 13/20.
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