The Dyane Caban was launched in France on 20th April 1977. The name comes from a thick cotton jacket once favoured by maritime pilots ("pilot jacket" or "pea jacket" in English and "caban" in French) that often featured white decorative piping.
The Caban was designed by Serge Gevin, who was responsible for a number of other Citroën special editions, including the Spot, the Charleston and Dolly. His wife, Micheline, was responsible for finding the seat material used on the prototype Caban.
Based on a standard Dyane 6, the styling was maritime-themed, with Bleu Marine (AC649) paint, a white vinyl roof and wheels painted Blanc Meije (AC 088). This made it the only Dyane not to have grey wheels. Decals in the form of white pinstripe graphics were applied to the bonnet, tailgate, doors and “A” panels, with Caban logos on bonnet, tailgate and front doors. The logo had the word in a flowing script above a stylised compass pattern.
Introduced first in France, the Caban for its first production run was equipped with front drum brakes as well as grey door handles and grille, all corresponding with standard Dyanes of the period. Seats were a jersey material with a houndstooth design, known as pied-de-coq in French, which appeared in the LN of the same era, and would also return in the original series of the 2CV Charleston (i.e. square headlamps and drum brakes) in 1981, although in the Caban it was a dark blue and white colour combination.
Note that some sources, e.g. James Taylor’s generally excellent "The Citroën 2CV and Derivatives", 1983, state the Caban was launched with front disc brakes, preceding their arrival on other Dyanes by two months. However, this is incorrect.
As with all Dyanes of the era, Cabans were fitted with stainless steel bumpers with black tape inserts. The only engine option was the 602cc unit.
Other markets had to wait a few months for a second production run, by which time all Dyanes, thus including Cabans, were equipped with front disc brakes. This run was supplied to the UK, Germany, Switzerland and the Benelux countries. The second production run also had a standard black grille with chrome strips and black door handles, these changes having been made to standard Dyanes in July 1977.
The French and Swiss examples featured a number denoting where a particular vehicle was in the production run; this number could be found on the left-hand “A” panel, right at the bottom. Two different typefaces have been seen for this mark although it is not know whether that is significant.
The Caban was announced in the UK on 22nd July 1977 (see accompanying press release) for sale from early August. All UK models were from the second production run and were not numbered. Note that Citroén’s UK publicity photos show grey door handles and grille but these photos were of the first production run and didn’t reflect what was actually sold in the UK.
Production of the Caban totalled 1,500 for France (the first production run), 250 for Switzerland and 250 for the UK (second production run). Presumably Germany and Benelux each received 250 examples as well, but it is not possible to confirm this.
The list price in France was 16,130 F, and in the UK it was £1,758.51.
Some further Caban trivia - by the end of April 1977, all 1,500 of the French allocation of Cabans was sold out. Of the Swiss allocation, the first numbered twenty examples were offered as prizes in a tombola draw.
Production of the Caban took place both in France and at the Forest factory in Belgium.