Our Story
The story behind the Vans…
It has long been a dream of mine to create a beautiful coffee van. I wanted something quirky, something with a history and a story, and I wanted to be able to offer quality coffee made with flair and talent.
I discussed my idea with a friend and they immediately suggested I find myself a Citroen H van. These sturdy and unique vans were utility vehicles designed in 1947, and sold across France and Europe for 34 years. Around 500,000 of them were made, but only a handful made their way to New Zealand. When I looked them up and saw the style and unique details of these Citroen classics, I immediately fell in love with the idea of turning one into my dream coffee van.
After an exhaustive search, our first precious find arrived in New Zealand. Coming all the way from Europe in a container, the stunning little piece of history looked very, very different to what you see today. Now fully restored and customised to create great coffee, what you see today is a dream in the making.
I sourced the 1967 van (named Rene by my wife) from France through a broker. The broker said that Rene was in ‘ok’ condition. But when it arrived from Provence it was covered in rust and falling apart.
Refurbishing Rene was a daunting prospect, almost every panel had to be removed, blasted and re-sprayed. We had to completely replace the engine. During the months of work, I found a 1968 French franc lodged in the door and couldn’t help but imagine it rattling around the quaint roads of Provence for decades before making the trip to New Zealand.
Today, Rene is almost unrecognisable from its former self, so sleek and shiny. Branding and design was masterfully done by Jonathan Templeman at Design Dairy, he created a gorgeous hand-drawn font that’s reminiscent of the lettering on H vans of the post-war era. And so, The Tinman Coffee Van was born!
Rene has since been joined by bigger brother, Beauregard, our second Citroen H-come-coffee-van. Both vans can be seen around Auckland and beyond, at events, weddings, launches, parties, festivals, market days and more, providing high quality coffee for all.
The Tinman offers a fully mobile bar and bespoke experience at your location to align with your event, be it a birthday, anniversary, wedding or work function. Our iconic 1960’s Citroen H vans will add a memorable, special twist to your event… and they look fantastic in photos! Make your special occasion easy with a top quality, draft beer or cider system. We’ve also invested in a stunning Ferarri-red La Marzocco coffee machine. During the summer months, both The Tinman vans can also serve ice cream by the scoop and a range of lunchtime-friendly cabinet items. The Tinman Vans are versatile and we work with you to accommodate any special ideas you have.
Our mission is to provide “Coffee with Heart”, and we really do feel that we are delivering on this dream. The Tin Man has definitely been a project born of love – it would have to be with what we’ve gone through restoring these amazing vans! The care and thought that has gone into every minute detail – from re-printing the French “instruction” labels for the van’s instruments, to sourcing the bulbs for the golden headlamps, has been meticulous.
The Tinman brand means so much to us and we love being out and about with our vans and customised coffee carts, delivering fresh, quality coffee and hot drinks. Rene is going to win over the neighbourhood in a heartbeat. Wherever we go we get comments about the vans, how unique they are, how cute, and we know that our Tinman vans are winning the hearts of many, just as they won ours.
If you have an event or wedding, party, festival, market day or office shout, give us a call at The Tinman – we’d love to share our beautiful vans and stunning quality beer and coffee with you.