Citroen Traction Avant 15 Six '51 1951
General description :
First registration on December 31, 1951 – despite this, it is a 1952 model Features of the 1952 version: Trunk that covers the spare wheel and wipers at the bottom of the new dashboard The Citroën Traction Avant was nicknamed ‘Queen of the road’, and we can say that that is deserved, although it wasn’t sunshine and roses in the beginning. This pre- and post-war classic set the tone for decades of ‘Citroën innovation’, let that be a term in itself, leaving traces even in the 21st century. The whole story began in the mid-interbellum, early 1934. Citroën was in a financially difficult position and the Citroën Traction Avant had to provide sufficient revenue (in Autumn 1934 Michelin bought Citroën after bankruptcy). Premature and unfinished, the Traction Avant was released as ‘well begun is half done’, although a good beginning seemed to have different meanings. Countless problems, poor design and a lazy attempt to keep Citroën alive. The automatic transmission was the biggest source of problems, which was eventually replaced by a 3-speed manual transmission. After a crisis period, Citroën (which was led by Michelin) decided to start from scratch again: all problems got solved and the Traction Avant was actually improved and revised based on those problems, co-creation as never seen before. Co-creation that turned out to be setting tones in later decades. The Traction Avant was the first commercial vehicle with a frame made of one single part (monocoque unibody), which provides less weight and better fuel economy with a consumption of approx. 10 litres per 100 kilometres. It was also the first commercial vehicle that was front-wheel driven, a fact that didn’t come coincidental because ‘traction avant’ means ‘front-wheel drive’ in French. Also highly innovative were hydraulic brakes and overhead valves, which ensure that compression remains at level and ensures that the engine ignites fuel at the same speed. The Traction Avant came in various versions as Citroën wanted to sell to a wide range of customers. On engine level, the 7CV, 11CV and 15CV and were released with 32 or 36 hp, 46; 56 or 60 hp and 77 hp, respectively. The 7-series was only produced until 1939 and the 15-series was introduced in 1938. The production of the 11-series and the 15-series was completely stopped during World War II, after the war, the production was resumed gradually. In terms of bodywork, there was also a distinction made, with the four-door ‘Légère’ as the base. In addition to the ‘Légère’, there was also the wider four-door named ‘Normale’, a roadster and a coupé named ‘Faux Cabriolet’. 15-Six The 15-Six was released in 1939 and had been produced until 1956. This vehicle was available as a default ‘Berline’ with the same dimensions as the ‘Normale’. The 15-Six featured a unique 2867cc in-line-six cylinder engine, which inspired Citroën in the designing of the C6. Over the years, the 15-Six underwent both mechanical and aesthetic changes. Mechanically, it changed in response to the constant fluctuation of gasoline quality. The biggest aesthetic change was made in 1952, the spare wheel which got covered in the trunk instead of a tailor-made wheel cover. Technical information: Body work Length (cm): 476 (1209 inch) Width (cm): 179 (455 inch) Height (cm): 156 (396 inch) Wheelbase (cm): 291 (739 inch) Weight (kg): 1325 (2921 lbs) Mechanics Engine: in-line-six 2867cc front-engine Valve gear: 12 Fuel system: 3 Solex carburettors Gear box: 3-speed manual Transmission: FWD (first production car ever with FWD) Left steered power: 77 hp (57 kW) at 3800 t/m torque: 194 Nm at 2000 t/m Top speed: 135 km/h (84 mph)
1951 Citroen Traction Avant 15 Six '51 is listed for sale on ClassicDigest in Aalter by Oldtimerfarm for €32950.
Car Facts
Car type : Car Make : Citroen Model : Traction Avant Model Version : 15 Six '51 Engine size : 0.0 Model Year : 1951 Location : Aalter Vehicle Registration : Undefined
32950 €
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About Citroen
French industrialist André Citroën had been building arms for the French army during WWI by the end of the war he was left with great industrial facilities but no product for the post war market. In 1919 he founded Citroen that became the first mass-production car company outside the USA[3] and a pioneer of the modern marketing as well as factory backed services network. Mind you, even Eiffel Tower served as a billboard for Citroën from 1925 to 1934 -Mon Dieu, monsier!
Soon Citroën earned a reputation for innovation and revolutionary engineering. Staying true to their slogan "Créative Technologie" Citroën has many "firsts" under their belt:
Europe’s first all-steel-bodied car, the B10 In 1934.
The world's first mass-produced front-wheel drive car,Traction Avant, (also one of the first cars to feature a monocoque-type body)
The world's first hydropneumatic self-levelling suspension system, introduced with the revolutionary Citroën DS / ID models in 1955, as well as the first production car with disc brakes.
Swiveling headlights in 1967, and finally variable assist power steering in 1970
With Citroën purchasing Maserati in 1968 a door opened for a high speed GT-model that would compete with Ferrari, Aston Martin et. al, when introduced Citroen SM was the world's fastest fwd-car.