Citroën Berlingo Grand Angle - 1997
Citroën France asked Franco Sbarro and the students at Espace Sbarro in Switzerland to design a vehicle for photo reporters based on the Berlingo. A veritable studio on wheels, this surprising Grand Angle features digital photography equipment. In 1997, digital photography had not yet reached the general public, and was only just beginning to be used by professionals.
The other, much more eye-catching feature is the seat, which can be raised to take photographs. Franco Sbarro had already proposed a similar system on the Windhawk for hawk hunting. Except that here, it's aimed at hunters... of images!
The Berlingo Grand Angle was part of the Aventure Peugeot Citroën DS reserves and was sold in December 2017 for €8960.
Extract from Journal du Nord vaudois, February 27, 1997
"At the request of Citroën
(Paris), the Berlingo utility and leisure vehicle has been
transformed here into a work tool for the great reporter and
scoop hunter. Compared to the standard Berlingo, the aesthetic
changes are rather limited. These mainly concern the prominent
wheel arches, which are larger than the original equipment,
with their increased dimensions of 16 x 8 inches; this
justifies the adoption of an engine that has also been revised
upwards; in this case, it's the 3-liter V6-24-valve block that
has found a place under the hood, with a power output of some
200 HP. The rear of the vehicle takes the form of a cell with
four large, smoked windows, reminiscent of an office on
wheels. The most important feature is the operator's seat,
which can be raised to a height of up to 1.30 m, and is
permanently sheltered by a roof. Eight spotlights underneath
can illuminate a work area if required. Thus equipped, the
reporter can work without leaving his vehicle, with all the
advantages that this implies in certain situations. And to
assist him in his work, digital image communication (thanks to
Siemens) has been favored in this Grand Angle, along with a
range of state-of-the-art technical solutions for modern
reporting. It's hard to imagine, looking at it from the
outside, that this Berlingo, Grand Angle style, conceals such
sophisticated equipment!
In brief
1- Vehicle designed by students at Espace Sbarro in Switzerland
2- Official commission from Citroën France
3- Adaptations and transformations for digital photography