Citroën · 1934–1956

Citroën Traction Avant

The Citroën Traction Avant (French pronunciation: [tʁaksjɔnaˈvɑ̃]) is the world's first mass-produced, semi-monocoque bodied, front-wheel drive car. A range of mostly four-door saloons and executive cars, as well as longer wheelbased "Commerciale", and three row seating "Familiale" models, were produced with four- and six-cylinder engines, by French carmaker Citroën from 1934 to 1957. With some 760,000 units built, the Traction Avants were the first front-wheel drives made in such (six-figure) quantity. Whilst front-wheel drive and four-wheel independent suspension had been established in production cars by Auto Union, and subsequently by others a few years prior – the Traction Avant pioneered integrating these into a mass-production car with a crash resistant, largely unitary, monocoque body. Additionally, the car was also an early adopter of rack and pinion steering. Although the car's name ("Traction Avant" literally means "front traction") emphasized its front-wheel drive power delivery, the car stood out at least as much by its much lower profile and stance – made possible by the absence of a separate vehicle frame or chassis under the car's mostly unitary body – sharply distinguishing it visually from its taller contemporaries.

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Predecessor: Citroën Rosalie

All Citroën Traction Avant data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

Specifications

name: Citroën Traction Avant
aka: Citroën 7 , Citroën 11 , Citroën 15/6 , Citroën Light Twelve (UK), Citroën Light 15 (UK), Citroën Big Fifteen (UK) , Citroën Big Six (UK)
Manufacturer: Citroën
Production: 7: 1934–1941, 11: 1934–1957, 15/6: 1938–1956
Assembly: France: Paris, Belgium: Forest, Germany: Cologne, United Kingdom: Slough, Denmark: Copenhagen
Predecessor: Citroën Rosalie, Citroën C4 & C6
Successor: Citroën DS
Transmission: 3-speed manual, column/dash shift
Class: Executive car (E)
Layout: FMF layout
Related: Citroën H Van
Body style: 4-door saloon, 2-door saloon, 2-door convertible, 5-door hatchback
Engine: 1.3 / 1.5 / 1.6 / 1.9 L I4, 2.9 L I6
Wheelbase: 2910 mm 7 & 11 légère (light), 3090 mm 11CV normale & 15/6, 3270 mm11CV longue & 15/6 limousine
Length: 4450 -
Width: 1620 -
Height: 1520 -
Kerb weight: 1025 -
Designer: Flaminio Bertoni, André Lefèbvre
sp: uk