Designed as a 4-door saloon and executive car the Citroen Traction Avant is one of those beautifully sculptured pieces of French art. Production of the Traction began in 1934 with the 7, 11, and 15/6 but production would soon be interrupted by the Second World War. As the world emerged from their darkest days Citroen would fire their productions across Europe back into life, for the UK market the cars were built in a factory in Slough.

Throughout its production life, it is estimated that just over three-quarters of a million units were made, with 25,000 of these being manufactured in the Slough factory. A brilliant benefit of a UK car is the sunroof, this was only offered to the UK market and was a £10 optional extra.

The Traction Avant would pioneer the use of mass-produced, crash-resistant monocoque body. Providing incredible safety, the Traction would be able to compete on the market until it was retired in 1957. This car is one of the last to leave the UK factory in Slough and with a well-documented past, it is a great example of French car design. 

The history that this car comes with is amazing, with the original brown logbook present it is easy to plot this car's whereabouts throughout its almost 70-year life.

It left the Slough factory towards the end of 1954 and would be first registered for use on the UK roads on the 1st of October 1954, it would head only an hour up the road from the factory to the first owner in Ongar, Essex. It would stay with its first owner for a considerable length of time, moving on to its second owner 13 years later in 1967.

This time it would fly the nest of the home counties and move to Oxford. When you look in the original brown logbook we can see that the next three owners would all have the same surname, it is more than likely that this car was passed between generations between 1968 and 1975 where it would go to Northampton where it would stay until the previous owner picked it up towards the end of 1988.

The previous owner would keep hold of this car as part of a 10-car collection and during 1988-2021 it would only cover 8,000 miles. It was well cared for throughout this period and when it came up for sale in 2021 the current owner would purchase it at the start of summer. Using it for a while they enjoyed this car as it should clocking up a few miles. When their dream of a convertible version of the traction Light 15 came up for sale recently they decided to jump on the deal and as a result, this car is now up for sale. It has been looked after properly over the past 70 years and is looking for another loving owner to write the next chapter of its life.

One of the best parts of this car is the amount of paperwork that will come with it. Stored neatly in its folder the available history includes an original brown logbook, a green continuation logbook, and a modern V5. There is also a mountain of MOT documents, there are a bundle of old-style A5 certificates that date back well into the car’s history and a lot of modern MOTs even though it does not legally require one.

One beautifully simple addition to the history file is an assortment of some of the tax discs that this car has had since January 1969, with over 25 in the file it is a great little addition that shows that the previous owners have well and truly cared for this car throughout its past.

Along with these assorted pieces of more legal paperwork, there are small pieces of original literature one of them is beautifully titled ‘instruction book for the super modern Citroen twelve’, alongside this booklet is an information leaflet for the Clayton heater that is fitted under the dashboard and the electric fuel pump that has been fitted to replace the aging manual system. There is also a repair manual that has been printed out.

There are also a few assorted invoices that reference some work that has been done throughout the car's more modern life. Including the most recent invoice for a modern alternator to replace the barely adequate magneto.
It is important to note that this car has never been through a restoration, most of the exterior panels and interior parts are factory fitted and original to the car. The next owner can have some fun piecing together the car's history through the available paperwork.

The interior of this Citroen harks back to a pre-war period of car design that will sadly never be seen again. With a great synergy between the original red leather seats and wooden dash, it is a glorious place to sit and take in the views. Those original seats are in great condition with no tips, tears, or stains, they are also believed to be the same leather that it left the factory within 1954 a testament to how well looked after it has been.

The wooden dash is in good condition, but it does show a few signs of wear, totally normal for a 70-year-old car though. The best part of the interior is the oddly placed gear stick, unlike cars of the time where it is found on the floor, the French decided that they had to be different and place it on the dash. They would keep this weird configuration for the famous 2CV that would follow. Carrying on along the dashboard we are met with an enormous steering two-spoke steering wheel, there are a couple of cracks on the wheel but these are not to be a deal-breaker when the rest of the interior is in such great condition.

A few lovely creature comforts that have been fitted to this car include the Clayton heater under the dash, a 12v cigarette light style port, and also a USB port to help charge devices when you’re on the go. Along with these modern additions, there are a couple of factory-fitted options that eclipse the need for air conditioning.

The main option was the sunroof, when it was built in 1954 this was not only a £10 option but it was also only available on UK cars so it is a lovely feature to find. Should you not want to open the sunroof for ventilation that is okay as the windscreen also unscrews and opens about 15 degrees to let some fresh air in. Like we said it negates the need for air-conditioning when you are out and about.

Overall the interior condition of this car is excellent and ready for the next adventure. With the added sunroof and original red leather seats, it is a lovely car to sit in and watch the miles roll on by.

It is documented that this car left the Slough factory in a rather fetching metallic green, an odd choice when you take into consideration the red interior. At some point in 1976 it went through the body shop where they have changed the colour to this deep gloss black, and with the rims painted black too it looks extremely villainous.

Since the car was last painted in 1976 it has managed to stay in fairly good condition. If you stand roughly three feet away from the car it does look immaculate but when you get closer, you start to pick up on a few areas that may need a bit of work to areas such as the driver’s side front wheel arch where there is a slight gauge and on the boot lid where there is some cracking to the paint, once this work is complete it won’t be too far off being a Concours condition car.

To have survived this long however with only a few marks is great, wouldn’t we all like to get to 70 and only show a few rough patches. It is reported by the current owner that the bodywork, underside, and most importantly the arches are virtually rust-free, and it has been inspected recently.

There is a fairly recent invoice, dated 15/09/21 that does reference some bodywork that was carried out. Some of the itemised works include the following, removal of all four doors to repair loose paint and rust, repair/repaint the sunroof and doors, clean up paintwork where possible and required. This is another reason why it is in such good condition today.

A few little features on the exterior that are great include the twin headlight and fog light set up on the front set astride the huge grille. However, one of the best little features that we think has ever been fitted to a car, is the chrome boot scrapers that have been fitted at the end of the front bumpers. Gone are the days of traipsing mud onto the carpet of your classic car, simply run the bottom of your shoe across this and they’ll be clean again. A wonderful feature that you never see fitted to any car.

Overall the exterior condition of this car is good, it may not be Concours condition, but it is in a condition where you can use it anywhere and everywhere without worrying about dinging the paint, because, Afterall, what’s the point of having a car if you don’t use it.

When we start to talk about the mechanical aspects of the Traction Avant it can start to get confusing. In France, it was marketed as an 11L but in England, it was marketed as the Light Fifteen, this is due to the power rating system that both countries used. Ultimately 11CV equated to roughly 15HP at the time hence why the UK variants are known as the 15. The light fifteen would be the standard wheelbase whereas the big fifteen would incorporate a lengthened wheelbase.

With this being the Light 15 it is the shorter wheelbase, and it is fitted with the 1.9L four-cylinder engine that can propel it to just over 70mph making it usable on today's motorway system. This car is in great mechanical condition over its lifetime it has been through an engine and gearbox rebuild and still drives great today.

More recent modifications to this Citroen include a modern alternator to help keep the battery nicely charged up and an electronic distributor has also been fitted to help provide a more consistent spark. There has also been a new carburetor fitted recently along with an air filter to keep her running perfectly.

On the invoice that shows some recent bodywork there are also some mechanical works that have been completed these include the following, replace master cylinder and hoses, dismantle the brakes and set adjustment, bleed the brakes, and road-test. Another reason why the car feels so fun to drive today.

Overall the car is in great mechanical condition and ready for the next owner to jump in and use it whenever they wish. It’ll be a great little runner to add to the collection.

With a beautifully sculpted body, vibrant interior, and a great documented history this Citroen Traction Light 15 could be one of the most stylish examples of a classic car on the market today. Wherever you may take this car you will also garner a few adoring looks as you drive past in this beautiful car. This could possibly be one of the best examples out there currently and this is your opportunity to own a great piece of French design.