The Traction Avant was one of Citroen’s entrants into the front wheel drive market and used a welded unitary chassis (Unibody) as its construction. This saved 70kg in steel and also allowed the car to sit much lower than its rivals. This, coupled with an independent suspension with torsion bar design over the traditional beam axel with leaf springs, gave this car a real modern edge.
This particular example was built in Slough, UK in 1948 and spent a vast part of its life in South Africa in a dry climate.
In September 1999 it was registered back in the UK where up until 2010 it saw 3 owners. In 2010 the vendor purchased it and put it through a Nut & Bolt (the owner described how every single part was laid out and cleaned or replaced) restoration totaling over 1,100 man hours in labor and a final bill in excess of £68,000.
This Citroen has been on a fault free trip to Europe and used as a wedding car for family members, but short of that has not been used a whole lot sinceits restoration, covering perhaps less than 10,000 miles in 10 years. Due to current circumstances, it has not had its 1000-mile yearly service as the vendor didn’t deem is necessary having hardly been out the garage in the last 18 months.
Firstly, it was nice to see the car came with the original handbook which was in very nice condition and the V5 is also present.
Copious amounts of invoices as proof of the restoration come with the sale, listing each and every part and process that went into the 1,100hr+ project, also old Mot certificates and service invoices.
Of course, part of the restoration was the interior and this has been executed superbly. The owner informed us that when the project was started, it was with a view to do some light rally events, so was fitted with a period correct electronic heater mounted centrally under the dashboard which honestly looked factory fitted. Also come power points mounted under the glove compartment and some warning lights (Oil, Alt).
The interior was retrimmed using leather to closely match the original and this as you’d expect is in great shape. Being upwards of 10 years old, the leather upholstery doesn’t look brand new but is in beautiful condition with just the odd mark here and there and the same can be said for the matching door cards.
Tan carpets and mats are in superb shape having been protected with weatherproof over-mats and these are well fitted. Looking at the dashboard you can see that too has been either refinished very well or has been generally cared for all its life. The Smiths gauges all work and are clean and clear throughout. The Speedometer has a mileage reading of 80730 miles and we’re told this probably won't change until the new owner collects it.
Simply, the complete interior is an absolute pleasure to be in and has been exceptionally restored and maintained and was very difficult to fault if at all.
Sporting that large Citroen emblem across the front grille, the whole image is bursting with class!
Finished is a well suited dark blue with cream wheels and chrome caps, this car was exceptionally well presented and from what we could see, would not be far off concours condition with a little bit of a detail. The dark blue paintwork had been applied and finished to a very high standard and all the door fitments, trim & window seals all fitted beautifully.
One thing the vendor pointed out to us was the semaphore signals had been sealed in place. This was not because they did not work, in fact we were assured they did, but we were told a common fault was that they leaked and caused corrosion issues, so, to save anything happing to the excellent finish, they were sealed in place and really you wouldn’t notice unless shown.
Again, the initial visual inspection showed exceptional workmanship and care since its restoration. A glance underneath showed us a superbly clean chassis, while everything that needed such had been powder coated and was indeed in A+ condition. Under the engine and transmission showed very little in the way of oil residue, with all the surrounding mechanics looking near new and well lubricated.
The engine has been fully rebuilt by SCOTT racing in Suffolk and this started and ran perfectly and this is mated with a fully rebuilt and modified gearbox and front end. One modification that was added for the rallies was an electric radiator fan. This has been well fitted and almost can't be seen when looking under the bonnet.
This is likely one of the finest examples of its kind in the country and has been finished to be a useable classic as well as a head-turner at the shows.
With the advantage of an extensive restoration and some Mod-cons to help with longer journeys, it would not be out of the way to see this car cruising down any motorway or showing off its lines in a small village in Europe. Having the ability to carry 4 people comfortably + luggage and with a top speed to match UK limits, this isn't something you see too often from a car 70+ years old.
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1948 Citroen Light 15 Traction Avant
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