Berlingo Taxi - 2000

P

ropose the conversion of a Citroën Berlingo into a cab. The idea comes directly from Citroën, but the students from the Espera school in Pontarlier have gone a step further by modifying the bodywork to create a real competitor to London cabs.

Citroën marketing manager Marc Chatrieux and Berlingo product Christophe Mauville approached Sbarro with the idea of remodeling a Berlingo into a modern cab. Led by Espera director Louis Laurent and former student-turned-teacher Franco Capaldi, the Espera students created a Berlingo that everyone recognizes as a cab.

British inspiration

There's no mistaking it. When you see this Berlingo, you immediately know it's a cab. The illuminated sign on the roof says so, of course, but the overall look is immediately reminiscent of London cabs. It even verges on caricature. Black, checkerboard and, above all, a redesigned front end with round headlights. In reality, the headlights are those of the standard Berlingo, but with a mask that also hides part of the indicators. The "eyelids" give it a rather strange look. A grille adorned with the Citroën chevrons gives this Berlingo a retro feel.

Secured interior

The rear bench has been moved back 15 centimetres to increase space and comfortably accommodate three people. A luggage compartment has been installed in place of the passenger seat. The impression of space is accentuated by the large Webasto canvas roof. The driver is separated from the passengers by a burglar-proof plexiglass safety partition. The only rear door, on the left-hand side, can be opened by the driver, who remains in his compartment.

The Berlingo Taxi was auctioned by Leclere on December 10, 2017 for €7,841.