Aulnay sous bois, France
The Citroën Traction, presented in April 1934, is celebrating its 90th anniversary. Although it was officially called “Citroën 7A” at its launch, it was soon renamed Traction and the name stuck. This name obviously refers to its front-wheel drive, whereas almost all cars of this era were rear-wheel drive (front engines, rear-wheel drive). While there have been several front-wheel drive models befor the Citroën 7 (Alvis, Cord, Tracta, etc.), Citroën is the first to produce such a car in large volume. What’s more, the Traction is not coming only with an original mechanical architecture, it brings an original body line, modern, aerodynamic, recognizable, with a monocoque structure.
More than 750,000 units of the Traction were produced until 1957, as saloon, convertible, coupé, cabriolet, commercial or family car. and will receive 4 and 6-cylinder in-line engines (the famous 15-6), not to mention the myth of 22 V8s, which remained in the prototype stage, of which no authentic example has survived. The Citroën Conservatory is therefore putting the Traction in the spotlight for its 90th anniversary. In the entrance hall, a Type 7A sits next to a Citroën Type A, symbolically the first Citroën to be produced and the last model developed under the direction of André Citroën (the firm was taken over by Michelin in 1935). On the other hand, 8 Traction are on display as soon as you enter the main hall. It should also be noted that the club “La Traction Universelle” is preparing a large international gathering for the month of May on the Charade circuit (near Clermont-Ferrand, France), which will bring together 1000 Traction for 4 days of celebration (from 9 to 12 May 2024). Detailed program and information…
Photos Automobile-Museum, no right to reproduce without express permission
The Conservatory’s permanent exhibition has also been enriched with 3 concepts, the presentation of concepts and show cars being one of the strong points of the place. CXPERIENCE was presented at the 2016 Paris Motor Show, with a silhouette and aerodynamic lines defining codes for a high-end sedan. In 2019, Ami One Concept was a proposal for a small, affordable electric city car, which will become the commercially successful AMI production model. Finally, a C4 Picasso, which served as a prototype and technology demonstrator for an autonomous vehicle, completes these innovations.
Photos of the Citroën Conservatory, no reproduction rights without the express permission of the museum.