We found this AZU in a barn in France. Unfortunately, there was no Carte Grise or other history with it. So we requested a building certificate from Citroën and looked at details in and on the car. And then you often get quite far in reconstructing its past.

The certificate confirmed it was a car from January ’71 and that it was built in the factory in Levallois. The painted registration on the car is also from ’71 and shows that it was delivered new in the department of Aisne (02). On the windscreen it has tax stickers and the insurance certificate from ’91 and ’92, so it was still driven until that year.

On the dashboard shelf we found a few shabby photos of the AZU and one of them showed an advertising sign on a facade. “À La Pomme Rose” is written on it, via Google Street View we suddenly found ourselves in front of a flower shop in the hamlet of Moulot, near Clamecy in the department of Nièvre. The barn opposite was also visible and once housed this van before it left for the Auvergne, where we found it. This AZU-A is from the last model year, with the small ribs, still a 425cc engine, but already 21hp. In ’72 the ribs became wider, a 435cc engine was used and the type designation changed to AZU-B, later called 250.

In a few places it has rust, in a few other – common – places it doesn’t. The chassis is perfect, the floors quite neat. We only cleaned it externally and otherwise left it as it was, to retain its sympathetic appearance. Of course, some adjustments can still be made if desired.

We mainly focused on the technical components. New brakes, tyres, a full service. With the declaration from Citroën we obtained a Dutch registration. With that it can go back on the road. As a company car for a flower shop…?