Lot Ended
Description
Sympathetically restored about
12 years ago and only 13,000 miles since; various subtle upgrades; runs
like a Swiss watch; huge history file; driven 30 miles to the sale; one of the
nicest we have seen
Launched in 1934, the Traction Avant was an extraordinary car
which positively bristled with innovations. Not only the world’s first
mass-produced front-wheel drive car, it was also one of the first to feature a
welded steel monocoque body, rack-and-pinion steering, hydraulic brakes,
synchromesh transmission and independently sprung front
suspension.
Considerably stronger, lighter and lower slung than
conventional designs of its era, the Traction Avant initially used a 1.3-litre
32bhp engine, which delivered 62mph and 28mpg economy with exemplary handling
and stability.
Only available in black, the updated 11B was launched in
1937, now with a 1.9-litre engine producing 46bhp which raised the top speed to
nigh on 70mph. It also had a longer wheelbase and a wider track, a lighter and
more sporty 11BL version also being offered (the ‘L’ standing for ‘Legere’).
Production resumed after WW2 and lasted until 1957, when the Traction was
replaced by the equally revolutionary DS after 760,000 examples had been sold,
making it a huge success for Citroen.
This gorgeous 11BL Legere comes with a Citroen ‘Diplome de
Collectionneur’ confirming that it left the Paris factory in December 1952.
It was imported to the UK in October 1985 and was used around London for the
next 15 years, moving to Kent in 2000. From 2012 – 2020 it was owned by a Mr
Faulkner of Northumberland who spent much time and money on the car to bring it
up to the standard you see here.
Clearly a Citroen fanatic, he documented
his time with the car on a dedicated website, much of which is reproduced in
paper form in the history file and the rest on a USB stick. The full extent of
the work is far too detailed to list in full here, but is amply documented in
many hundreds of invoices and photos on file.
The car was
already in good order when he acquired it, structurally sound but with dull
paintwork, so the doors, wings, boot, bonnet and glass were all removed and the
car was treated to some minor bodywork repairs followed by a full repaint in
RAL9005 Gloss Black. New door hinges were fitted, along with new door and window
rubbers and extra sound deadening material was installed. It also got new lights
and indicators all round and new stainless steel door
mirrors.
The interior was
also mainly good, the seats had already been retrimmed in tan leather and the
matching leather door cards were also good but had buckled so the back boards
were renewed and the handles were all replaced. The original headlining was in
good shape but the carpets were shot so these were renewed and new inertia reel
seat belts were fitted in the front. The white Quillery Viraflex
sprung steering wheel is a rare option, a tactile delight which sets the
cabin off beautifully.
Mechanically the car was also in decent shape, the
engine had been converted to run on unleaded fuel and it had received a new
timing chain and sprockets, electronic ignition, new clutch plus much else
besides. The drive shafts had also been uprated to CV type instead of the
original Harvey Spicer type.
The whole braking system was fully rebuilt and uprated with servo
assistance, as was the suspension with new shock absorbers all round and new
bushes. The steering rack was also rebuilt, the wheel bearings were all replaced
and a stainless steel exhaust was fitted. The wiring loom was renewed, the car
was converted from 6v to 12v and the dynamo was replaced by a 75 amp alternator.
A new set of quality Michelin 165x400 tyres were fitted, including the
spare.
The car was then used throughout the summer of 2013, clocking up
some 1,700 miles, but it had developed an oil leak so over the winter it was
sent to Traction specialist James Geddes of Morpeth who soon diagnosed worn
white metal bearings.
This resulted in a full engine rebuild with new
pistons, liners, reground crank etc. The original white metal bearings were all
upgraded with modern shell bearings and uprated 11D con rods were also fitted
along with an uprated oil pump (50psi instead of 30psi), the cost for this lot
coming to some £2,600.
The Solex 32 PBIC carb was also fully rebuilt and
it got Powerspark electronic ignition and an uprated 4-core radiator. Additional
oil pressure and water temperature gauges were also fitted to the left of the
steering wheel to forewarn of any potential problems in the future (standard
Tractions do not have these).
Back on the road in early 2014, the engine was carefully run in
for 1,200 miles and in September of that year it completed a 1,000 mile tour
around France as part of the Traction Avant 80th Anniversary
Rally.
In regular use for the next few years, it then had another major
bout of expenditure in 2018 including a new crown wheel and pinion supplied by
Jose Franssen of Belgium who has supplied many parts for the car over the years.
The gearbox was also fully rebuilt by Mark Harding of Devon with new bearings,
pinions etc. which cost £690, another £985 being spent with James Geddes to
refit the ‘box into the car along with a new clutch, flywheel etc.
Geddes
also rebuilt the cylinder head in 2019 after an exhaust valve got damaged, with
new valves, springs, rocker shaft etc. at a cost of £1,188. The fuel lines, pump
and filter were also replaced to make them safe with today’s ethanol
fuel.
Mr Faulkner finally
sold the car in October 2020 and the next owner continued to look after it well,
including a major £1,250 service by Citroen specialist Andrew Galt of Salisbury
in May 2021 since when the car has only covered a few hundred miles. It seems
from the MOT history that the car has only done around 21,000kms (13,000 miles)
since the engine rebuild in the winter of 2013.
Our vendor acquired the car from Brightwells earlier
this year and has loved owning and driving it, adding some 600kms to the speedo
and also giving it an oil change. It is only reluctantly being sold due
to a recent shoulder injury which means that he can no longer comfortably
drive it.
There are some useful spares in the boot along with an indoor
car cover plus a packet of Gauloises cigarettes and a string of very Gallic fake
onions! An original instruction book and copy maintenance manual are also
present along with many Traction club newsletters and Traction-related magazines
plus a huge amount of technical information on the USB stick.
Highly
effective, even in today’s traffic, the Traction Avant was so far ahead of its
time that it still makes an ideal everyday classic, despite being over
70 years old. There is a thriving owner’s club and parts and expertise are in
plentiful supply from the many specialists who cater for the model.
As
you can see the in the photos, this particular Traction looks absolutely
gorgeous, both inside and out, and the underside looks equally good. The
paintwork still gleams and the only real blemish we noted was some slight
bubbling at the bottom corners of the driver-side doors. Starting instantly and
running incredibly smoothly as we have moved it around on site, with healthy oil
pressure, the engine is so quiet you can barely hear it running from inside the
car.
Meticulously maintained and
uprated over the last dozen years, with a vast history file, it was driven some
30 miles to the sale and looks stupendous value at the modest guide price
suggested.
For more information contact James on 07970 309907 or
email [email protected]