CITROËN CELEBRATES 80 YEARS OF THE TRACTION AVANT

Above network advertisement, 1938. On launch at the 1938 Paris Motor Show, the “15 Six“ was presented as a safe and fast car. The performance of its six-cylinder engine was highlighted consistently.

Below some 50,602 units of the “15 Six“, all versions combined, were produced between 1938 and 1956. Here, a “15 Six H“ from 1954, featuring a rear axle equipped with the famous hydropneumatic suspension.

THE “15 SIX”
The new Traction Avant, the “15 Six“, launched in 1938, was equipped with an in-line six-cylinder engine with a capacity of 2,867 cm3 and developing 77 hp.
The engine was fitted on the “11 Normale“ monocoque, modified at the front end only. The “15 Six“ had a fiscal rating of 16 CV. It reached a top speed of 135 km/h, was able to travel consistently at an average 100 km/h and possessed outstanding roadholding – all of which made it a big hit. The car was known at the time as the “queen of the road”.
In June 1938, Citroën launched the “15 Six G“, the “G” standing for “gauche” (left), since the engine turned to the left, or counter-clockwise. The saloon was joined in March 1939 by a “Familiale“ model, with 8/9 seats and six side windows, and a “Limousine“, with 5 seats and six side windows. A handful of cabriolets were produced between 1939 and 1947. In September 1947, the engine turn was reversed to the right (clockwise), and the “15 Six G“ was renamed the “15 Six D“ - the “D” standing for “droite”(right).
In April 1954, a “15 Six“ model – the “15 Six H“ – was launched with hydropneumatic suspension on the rear axle, previewing the forthcoming DS.
Citroën produced 50,602 Traction Avant “15 Six“ units from 1938 to 1956.

Above In the 1950s, the “15 Six“ was fitted with special features that set it apart visually from the “11B“ and “11BL“, including large chrome-finished wheel embellishers and ribbed, rectilinear bumpers.
Below After the war, the “15 Six“ was the only Traction Avant to be fitted with a chrome-finished, rather than painted, grille, making its debut in summer 1948.

Above “15 Six, 1952“. With a top speed of 135 km/h, the ability to travel consistently at an average 100 km/h and outstanding roadholding, the “15 Six“ was quickly referred to as the “queen of the road”.
Below in 1949, AEAT was supplying convertible conversions of the “15 Six“, seen here, and the “11B“, which had the exact same roof and cabin dimensions.
The convertible roof consists of a hinged-frame cover that folds away into the prominent boot – a further conversion possibility offered by AEAT at the time.

THE COACHBUILDERS
The “11“ and “15 Six“ inspired a number of coachbuilders. In Switzerland, Walter Baumann, Bernarth, Beutler, Langenthal and Worblaufen converted them into outstanding cabriolets in the 1950s. In France, the main business of Anciens Etablissements Ansart et Teisseire (AEAT) from 1935 onward was converting Traction Avant cars into convertibles using its patented “La Décapotable” system and leather upholstery and matching carpet.

Above “15 Six“ converted into a pontoon-body coach in the workshops of the Swiss coachbuilder Beutler in the early 1950s.
Below “15 Six“ cabriolet converted by Langenthal in 1952. The overall shape recalls pre-war factory-built cabriolets.

THE “22”

At the 1934 Paris Motor Show, Citroën presented the prototype of a Traction Avant sports car with red body paint and the plaque “The 22 – Citroën 8-cylinder Traction Avant cabriolet”. The V8 front-wheel-drive model was billed as the safest and fastest car in the world. With a capacity of 3,822 cm3, the car developed real power of 100 hp and reached a top speed of 140 km/h. It featured consummate cabin trim and a distinctive exterior, with a longer bonnet, double bumper, headlamps built into the wings, the fairings of which encompassed the horns and “8” monogram. After the show, the “22“ disappeared without a trace and without giving rise to a production model. The legend of the “22“ is still alive today, with the model seen by enthusiasts as a sort of “grail” quest!

Above This life-size plaster model, photographed in the design office on rue du Théâtre, shows the work of the Italian stylist Flaminio Bertoni and his team on the “22“ project with its V8 engine.Note the subtle aesthetic differences between the right- and left-hand sides.
Below Paris Motor Show, October 1934. Citroën displayed the first version of its new Traction Avant model equipped with a V8 overhead valve engine.
Alongside a two-tone saloon and a black Familiale version was this magnificent blood-red cabriolet with beige upholstery. Unfortunately, the “22“ never made it to volume production.