It's July 1967, and on the streets of Paris, a white Peugeot J7 with a flashing blue light speeds through traffic. In the back, a man fights death. The vehicle plows its way with a determination unlike pre-war ambulances—those rickety old vans that tossed the wounded around like sacks of potatoes. No, this time it's different. This J7 is the Paris Fire Brigade's first resuscitation ambulance, the AR1, and it will revolutionize the world of emergency medical services.

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But this revolution didn't happen overnight. It began 20 years earlier , in total secrecy, while Europe was still burning. And it has a name: Pierre Franchiset. This guy, a bodywork engineer at Citroën, was secretly designing what would become the most versatile vehicle in French history : the legendary Citroën Type H.

The Secret of Pierre Franchiset: When Saving Lives Becomes an Obsession

I have to confess something: the story of the Type H fascinates me because it begins like a spy movie. It's the middle of World War II, the Germans are occupying France and have formally banned the development of new car models. But Pierre Franchiset, that stubborn Alsatian, couldn't care less about the bans. In his office at Citroën, he secretly draws up the plans for what will become a revolution on wheels.

Picture the scene: no fuel for testing, no raw materials , and above all, an absolute ban on developing anything. But Franchiset has a vision. He wants to create a revolutionary utility vehicle with a self-supporting monocoque structure—crazy stuff at a time when all vans still used separate chassis like Peugeot's.

And you know what? He found his inspiration in the sky . German Junkers aircraft, including the famous three-engine Ju 52, had been using this corrugated bodywork since the First World War. Franchiset looked at these planes and thought, "What if we applied this to a van?" The result: the distinctive corrugated sheet metal that would make the Type H famous. Stiffer, lighter, more economical. Pierre was a genius.

1947: The Birth of a Legend

When the first prototype finally came out in 1947, it was a monumental slap in the face . The Type H revolutionized everything: monocoque structure, sliding side door as standard—a rare innovation at the time—and, above all, incredible modularity. This thing could do everything: transport goods, police vehicle, fire engine, and of course, ambulance.

But the craziest thing is that Franchiset didn't just create a vehicle. It invented the ancestor of all modern emergency vehicles . Because this sliding door would change the lives of medical teams. No more contortions to get a stretcher in, no more struggle to access the patient. Everything became fluid, fast, and efficient.

Pierre-Jules Boulanger: The Visionary Who Never Saw His Triumph

And here, I have to tell you about a man who breaks my heart every time : Pierre-Jules Boulanger, the director of Citroën. This guy is the one who supported the Franchiset project, the one who believed in the Type H when no one else did. The father of the 2CV, the visionary of the DS... A genius, in other words.

Except that on November 11, 1950, Boulanger was testing a Traction Avant on the Nationale 9, near Broût-Vernet. He did that all the time, the guy - he personally tested every technical innovation during his trips between Paris and his property in Lempdes. But that day, the fatal accident occurred . Boulanger would never see the global success of the DS, nor the extensive use of his vehicles as ambulances. Ironically, he died in a Traction that had been designed to save lives with its revolutionary safety.

473,289 Heroes on Wheels

But the Type H continued its journey. Between 1948 and 1981, 473,289 examples rolled off the Citroën assembly line. Among them were thousands and thousands of ambulances that went on to save lives throughout France and Europe. Each configuration was specially designed: resuscitation equipment, space for stretchers, easy access for medical teams.

I swear, when I think of all those Type Hs that transported accident victims, women in labor, sick children... It gives me chills. These vehicles weren't just pieces of corrugated iron , they were machines of hope.

1965: The Arrival of the Revolutionary Peugeot J7

But hey, Citroën wasn't going to stay alone in this market. In 1965, Peugeot counterattacked with the J7. And there, my friends, we enter another technical dimension. Front-wheel drive, corrugated iron bodywork (thanks to Citroën inspiration), but above all, that famous sliding side door that makes patient access even easier.

The J7 has something the Type H didn't have: a forward-facing cab with a huge windshield that provides incredible visibility for ambulance drivers. And then, a killer technical detail: the absence of a rear axle provides a gigantic convertible space. For an ambulance, it's heaven.

And guess what? The first resuscitation ambulance of the Paris fire brigade in 1967, this famous AR1 that I told you about at the beginning, was fitted out by the coachbuilder Guérin on a J7 chassis. A symbol, damn it!

The Anecdote That Will Make You Smile (Yellow)

Well, I have to tell you something that made me die laughing when I learned it. The first Citroën DS ambulances weren't white! No, you read that right. Contrary to what you might think, white wasn't even in the Citroën catalog. These ambulances were light gray, yellow, blue, even black!

Picture the scene: a black DS ambulance arriving to rescue you. You'd have thought it was a hearse! Fortunately, in 1973, a decree finally made white the color for ambulances, along with a blue flashing light and a three-tone horn. Phew, we avoided the worst.

The Revolution in Medical Comfort: The DS Ambulance

But let's talk a little about the DS ambulance revolution , because there, Citroën really hit the mark. Right from the design of the DS Break, they invented the concept of the VSL - Light Emergency Vehicle. And that, my friends, is pure genius.

Thanks to this revolutionary hydropneumatic suspension, transporting an injured person in a DS ambulance was like carrying them on a cloud . No more bumps or jolts that aggravated the condition of patients. The DS glided along the road with incredible smoothness, offering unparalleled comfort for transporting minor injuries.

The Bodybuilders, these Shadow Heroes

And here, I must pay tribute to all those specialized bodybuilders who transformed these vehicles into real rolling hospitals. Ansart & Tesseire, Carrier, Etablissements Petit et Collet... These guys brought crazy innovations: raised roofs, integrated medical equipment, custom-made fittings.

In 1986, Heuliez even created its "Heuliez Ambulances" division specializing in medical vehicles. They will produce ambulances based on BX, CX and 505. Each ambulance was unique , designed to save lives as efficiently as possible.

The Peugeot J7: Omnipresent but... Hot!

Ah, the J7! If you grew up in the 60s and 70s, you must have come across it . School buses, police vehicles, fire engines, ambulances, street vendors... This thing was EVERYWHERE. Every parent and grandparent knew it.

But it had one famous flaw that still makes me smile today: you could easily burn your right calf on the engine hood located between the front seats! Imagine: you're an ambulance driver, you rush to save someone, and bam! You burn your leg on your own vehicle. The engine was directly accessible from the cabin for maintenance, but hey... ergonomically speaking, we've seen better!

336,220 Legendary Vehicles

Between 1965 and 1980, 336,220 Peugeot J7s left the factories. Among them were thousands of ambulances that would become the backbone of French emergency services. These vehicles were so reliable that after their retirement, they were often converted into emergency vehicles, often retaining their distinctive white roofs.

The Indestructible Legacy

Today, when I see a modern ambulance pass by with all its high-tech equipment, I always think of Pierre Franchiset and his revolutionary Type H. Because it all began there, in that secret Citroën office, while the war raged.

These Citroën Hs and Peugeot J7s saved thousands of lives. They were silent witnesses to births, accidents, tragedies, and miracles. They carried hope on their undulating wheels , kilometer after kilometer, emergency after emergency.

More than Vehicles: Life Companions

These utility vehicles had become inseparable from French society . The Type H with its inimitable face, the J7 with its legendary reliability... They created an incredible emotional bond with people. How many lives were saved thanks to these machines? Impossible to say, but it's enormous.

And the best part is that these vehicles continue to fascinate. They have become icons, symbols of an era when saving lives came before everything else . When technical innovation served humanity, when every detail was designed to be more efficient, faster, safer.

So the next time you come across an old Type H or a J7 at a flea market or rally, think of all the lives they saved . These vehicles deserve our respect. Because they were much more than means of transport: they were machines of hope, companions on the road to all those who fight every day to save lives.

And that, damn it, is priceless .