Rare Rides: A 1955 Citron Traction Avant - the Front-Drive Car That Started Everything

The car you see here is quite possibly the most important vehicle to ever come out of France. Pioneering no less than three major advances in automotive technology, it would effectively set the stage for passenger cars of the future — continuing to this day.

It’s a 1955 Citroën Traction Avant, and its importance cannot be overstated.

Produced between 1934 and 1956, the Traction Avant was the flagship of the Citroën fleet. The design was penned by André Lefèbvre and Flaminio Bertoni. Setting a styling precedent, these two men would collaborate in future years on Citroën’s 2CV, the beautiful DS, and the HY Van that would remain in production for 34 years.

There were two- and four-door versions of the Traction Avant, along with convertibles and hatchbacks (another Citroën innovation). Different body lengths were available, and there was even a pickup truck variant. The Traction Avant could seat two as a roadster, or nine as a large family sedan. Also marketed as a commercial vehicle, its innovative hatchback provided a flexible covered rear cargo area.

The length of the Traction Avant varied a full 20 inches between models, the width by 8 inches, and the height by 3 inches (some of these would obviously be called “crossovers” today). Such flexibility was allowed because the Traction Avant was a unibody design — the first passenger vehicle to be mass produced with such underpinnings.

With its typical eye on comfort, Citroën developed a revolutionary four-wheel independent suspension for the Traction Avant. At a time when many roads were rough, allowing independent wheel movement greatly improved ride quality. Other contemporary vehicles had compromised rides because of solid axles front and rear. Citroën also used a Traction Avant as test rig for its next revolution in comfort, the hydropneumatic suspension. While the company implemented it for the final two years of the Traction Avant (rear wheels only), the new dampers would soon grace all four corners of the 1955 DS.

The most important innovation of the Traction Avant was its namesake feature. Translated into English, its name is “Front-Wheel Drive.” Such a drive setup was only implemented before in limited-production luxury vehicles like the Cord.

In the Traction Avant, the engine was mounted behind the front axle, creating a mid-engine front-drive layout. The engine’s placement made a big difference in weight distribution, helping the car handle better than other front-engine, front-drive vehicles. The long hood also contained the transmission. Putting all drive components at the front made body modifications at the rear easier.

All models had three-speed manual transmissions with column shifter. The parking brake was located on the dash, and the only obstructions on the completely flat floor were the pedals.

The result of all of this innovation? Though the model sold well after introduction, development of the Traction Avant was incredibly expensive. Soaring costs forced Citroën to declare bankruptcy in 1934, the year of the Traction Avant’s debut.

Tire manufacturer Michelin picked up ownership of Citroën as its largest creditor. Under the Michelin umbrella, between 1934 and 1976, the company used Citroën as a research facility for their new radial tires and other automotive technologies. But the precedents set by the Traction Avant remained, and would shape the vast majority of passenger cars right into modern times.

Our subject today is a lovingly-restored example that’s available in Colorado via Craigslist. The seller is asking $36,000, which seems reasonable for the car that started just about everything.

H/t to FreedMike for today’s Rare Rides submission. Have a Rare Ride you want to submit? Email it to editors@ttac.com.

[Images via seller]