Lot Ended
Description
Rare Paris-built RHD Traction in a fetching colour scheme;
£40k restoration about 20 years ago and only 8,000 miles since; many useful
upgrades; recently completed a tour of France; rock-solid car that drives
beautifully; pre-war looks with post-war road manners; one for the connoisseur!
Introduced in
April 1934, the extraordinary Citroen Traction Avant was years ahead of its time
and positively bristled with innovations. Largely the work of French
aeronautical engineer André Lefèbvre (1894–1964), it was styled by Italian
sculptor Flaminio Bertoni, an absolute genius who went on to design the
equally radical Citroen 2CV and the DS.
Hired by
Andre Citroen in 1933, Lefèbvre's previous work with the aviation company Voisin
instilled a focus on lightweight design, structural efficiency, and aerodynamic
form. He was instrumental in adapting the monococque construction method
employed in aircraft manufacture for use on the sensational Traction
Avant.
Aside from its pioneering welded steel
unibody, the Traction was also the world’s first mass-produced front-wheel drive
car and one of the first to feature rack-and-pinion steering, hydraulic brakes,
synchromesh transmission and independently sprung suspension.
Hailed for
its exceptional stability and astonishing roadholding, the Traction rendered all
rival cars completely inadequate, a reputation that endures to this day
[Your scribe drove a couple of 1930s Austins before jumping into this car and
the difference was astounding, like switching from a hefty broad sword to a
delicate rapier].
The original 7A had a
32hp 4-cylinder OHV 1,303cc engine mated to a 3-speed manual gearbox which made
it good for 62mph with 28mpg economy. It was quickly succeeded by the 7B which
had a 1,529cc engine and very soon after by the more powerful 36hp 1,628cc 7C.
Known as the Light 12 in the UK, the 7C remained
the standard 7CV model until the Luftwaffe brought production to an abrupt
end in 1941, by which time around 69,500 had been sold, the vast majority
with Berline (saloon) bodywork and a small number with Cabriolet and Faux
Cabriolet/Coupe bodies.
This particular Traction
is the 7C2 version which came out in 1938 with various upgrades such as
rack-and-pinion steering (rather than box) and telescopic shock absorbers on all
four corners (rather than friction dampers). It also gained the distinctive
‘Pilote’ dished steel wheels which were specially designed for the new Michelin
X radial tyres which gave greater steering delicacy and ride comfort, being
quickly adopted by Lancia and other top-tier car makers.
This car is most unusual as it is a right-hand drive model made
in Citroen’s Paris factory rather than at the Slough works in England - readily
indentified by the double chevrons in front of the grille rather than
behind, the metal rather than wooden dashboard and the single instrument
binnacle rather than separate dials. This is confirmed by a letter from The
Traction Owner's Club and it was presumably built specifically for the UK
market because the chassis plate gives the Slough phone number for
parts.
Corrsespondence on file shows that it was first registered
in Sutherland in the Scottish Highlands in March 1939 with the registration
number NS 1769. Nothing is known of the car’s early
history but by 1985 it was owned by a Mr NJ Webb of Glastonbury who was to keep
it for the next 23 years. In 2008 it was acquired by a Mr Aspinall of Leominster
by which time the Citroen had fallen off the DVLA radar and the original
number had been assigned to another car so he got it re-registered as ASV
838.
At this point the Traction was in a fairly poor state so Mr
Aspinall commissioned a complete restoration which reputedly cost over £40,000,
the bulk of the work being recorded by invoices on file. The bodywork was
completely stripped and professionally repaired. The suspension was fully
rebuilt and more effective 12” brakes added from a later model.
The engine was found to be unserviceable so a
later 1,911cc unit from a Citroen ID was installed following a protracted
rebuild which included new pistons and liners and new shells on a reground
crankshaft which was fully balanced along with the conrods and new cam followers
(the V5C still records the capacity as 1,658cc). The gearbox was swapped for a
1946 unit which was also fully overhauled.
The
finished bodyshell was professionally repainted and all exterior chrome either
rechromed or replaced, along with the lovely Bauhaus-style front
seat frames inside. The upholstery was retrimmed in top-quality leather, with a
new cloth headlining and modern inertia-reel seat belts.
It also had a new wiring loom and conversion to 12v electrics with
period Marchal headlamps updated with LED bulbs. The Jaeger instrument panel was
refurbished, the odometer re-set to zero and a new set of five Michelin X tyres
were also fitted.
Mr Aspinall
subsequently sold the car via Brightwells in May 2016 for £19,600. It then
had another owner in Royston and from 2019 another in Coulsdon from whom the
current owner acquired it in May 2022.
He has
gone right through the car to get in good shape for long-distance touring, as
detailed by invoices on file. This included having the gearbox and rear
axle/diff fully rebuilt by Devon Tractions with a high ratio final drive for
more relaxed motorway cruising. It also had a new clutch kit; cylinder head
rebuild; new timing chain; carb rebuilt; new brakes and pipework; new wheel
bearings plus much else besides.
We are told that
the car now drives very well indeed, completing a tour of France in late-2024
with no problems whatsoever and being much admired by the Francais. It has
certainly been starting promptly and driving beautifully as we have moved it
around on site, with healthy 60psi oil pressure and delightfully light and
direct steering.
The vendor advises that ever since he bought this car it
has emitted a slight rattle from the front at tick-over which
disappears as soon as you touch the throttle. The source of this noise has
defeated all efforts to find it and as it does not affect the way the car
drives and is completely inaudible once on the move, it remains a
harmless mystery to this day.
Supplied with a good file of invoices, it also comes with much useful
technical literature relating to the model and two highly detailed period repair
manuals. A quantity of useful spares will also be made available to the winning
bidder if desired.
Two old MOTs (both clean passes with no advisories)
record 23 miles in November 2011 and 1,703 miles in August 2017, the odometer
currently showing 7,972 miles which is the total distance covered since the car
was restored by Mr Aspinall 20-odd years ago. Classed as a Historic Vehicle, it
is of course now MOT-exempt and free to tax.
As
you can see in the photos, this delightful and sensibly uprated Traction looks
to be in great shape for an 87-year-old, with just a few minor scuffs to the
bodywork here and there. It is only reluctantly for sale because our vendor has
recently been diagnosed with a health issue which unfortunatelly means that he
will soon have to hang up his driving gloves for good, poor chap.
On offer here at a very modest guide
price, this ground-breaking Citroen brims with Gallic panache
and now needs an enthusiastic new owner who can reap the rewards of all the
good work so recently carried out.
As you can probably tell by now, we
love this car and we are sure that you will too, so make sure you come and see
it!
Consigned by James Dennison – 07970
309907 – james.dennison@brightwells.com
Please
note: An HPI check shows a ‘Scrapped Marker’ in December 2000 but this
relates to a Volvo 740GL and has nothing to do with this Citroen. We have
experienced this type of error before and should be able to assist the buyer in
getting this marker removed.