Traction Avant Normale
Discussion
Another one of my old wrecks, this time my Citroën Traction Avant. Built along the banks of the Seine in Paris during the early fifties, the car was one of the later Traction examples. In production between 1934 and 1957, the Traction was Citroën's ground breaking front-wheel drive, featuring monocoque body and radial tyres, courtesy of Michelin who took Citroën on in the 1930's.
This example is known as a Normale or 11B, defining it as the wider and longer variant of the model, with a 1.9 litre 4-cyl inline petrol and three-speed transmission. It also features the "Malle Bombèe" or "Big Boot", being post '52, whereas earlier cars had the spare wheel mounted externally, mine has the spare tucked away inside.
Because there was no chassis, the whole body was mounted lower than your typical car from the 1930's, as a result the centre of gravity is low and thus the handling for the era was superb. The Traction was the motor car of choice for bank jobs in prewar France. Even today, the car possesses real presence on the road, the elegant black bodywork and wide stance harking back over 80 years.
Being a Parisian car, mine is LHD, which makes for some arse-clenching moments when meeting oncoming HGVs on smaller roads! The gearbox is operated via a dashboard mounted lever, an H-pattern in reverse - first is right and down, second left and up, top left and down. Synchro only on middle and top but even so, it's a leisurely gear change regardless. Rush it and you'll regret it, as you hear the distant transmission crunch.
The engine/gearbox set up is rather interesting, being one of the very first front wheel drive cars, there was an engineering challenge regarding how to what we would nowadays call "packaging". Essentially, the gearbox is on the front of the engine, ahead of the radiator. The linkages to the gear lever are via two long rods that pass down the left hand side of the engine block. It's worth taking care with the clutch on a Traction, because to replace it involves removing the engine and gearbox from the car!
Being French, electrics are dynamo-charged 6v Ducellier.. The amperage draw is significant compared to a 12v system, even just the indicators cause the ammeter to jump about like a flea on heat. Combine that with yellow Cibie headlamp bulbs and it's best to plan to arrive before dusk.
Anyway, there we go. What else to add.. Suicide doors, opening windscreen, super comfortable wafter... Could write a novel on it so I'll leave it at that... Fin!
Très bon! One of the most beautiful cars to come out of France. I remember the first time I saw one parked on the street here in Karlsruhe it left me somewhat starstruck. Such a pretty thing.
Yours looks amazing, just such a pretty pretty thing from all angles. Surely not completely original? What else can you share about its history if you know it was at one time in Paris? That’s half the fun about these old classics, how they lived and were used before more recent custodianship.
Yours looks amazing, just such a pretty pretty thing from all angles. Surely not completely original? What else can you share about its history if you know it was at one time in Paris? That’s half the fun about these old classics, how they lived and were used before more recent custodianship.
Nunga said:
Très bon! One of the most beautiful cars to come out of France. I remember the first time I saw one parked on the street here in Karlsruhe it left me somewhat starstruck. Such a pretty thing.
Yours looks amazing, just such a pretty pretty thing from all angles. Surely not completely original? What else can you share about its history if you know it was at one time in Paris? That’s half the fun about these old classics, how they lived and were used before more recent custodianship.
We believe it went to Morocco for a few years, judging by a stainless steel "F" badge on the rear with "MAROC" across the top. At some point either in the mid-80's or early 90's (DVLA is a bit hazy on that, I think it's the latter) it came to England, registered here and since then had about five or six different owners all over the country. Yours looks amazing, just such a pretty pretty thing from all angles. Surely not completely original? What else can you share about its history if you know it was at one time in Paris? That’s half the fun about these old classics, how they lived and were used before more recent custodianship.
steely dan said:
I'm very envious of you and wish you much enjoyment with it . A lovely car .
May I ask if it's had a body colour change or would the interior painted surfaces normally be a different colour from the exterior ?
The body has been resprayed in the past however it's almost certain that it was originally a black example. May I ask if it's had a body colour change or would the interior painted surfaces normally be a different colour from the exterior ?
The interior is very original, although the upholstery has been replaced over the years, the paint on the dashboard is original to my knowledge. English built examples would have had a wood dash, the French built cars were far more Spartan inside.
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