"The Citroën Traction Avant was manufactured from 1934 to 1957. The Traction Avant, French for 'front-wheel drive', was designed by André Lefèbvre and Flaminio Bertoni in late 1933. While not the first produced front-wheel drive car, it was the world's first front-wheel drive steel monocoque production car and successfully pioneered front-wheel drive on the European mass car market. This method of construction was viewed with great suspicion in many quarters, with doubts about its strength, an unusual type of crash test was conceived taking the form of driving the car off a cliff to demonstrate its strength. Left hand drive versions were built in Paris, Belgium and Denmark, right hand drive cars were built in Slough, England. The Slough version was called the Light 15 and the long wheelbase the Big 15. This confusing terminology referred to the British fiscal tax rating of the time which was higher than the French. Models assembled in Slough had to be 51% UK parts to make them exempt from import duty, to protect the British vehicle manufacturers from foreign competition. The Slough built cars used 12 Volt Lucas electrics, headlights, dynamo and starter motor with Jaeger instruments and a walnut dashboard.
First registered on 5th November 1946 to an owner in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, this car was built in the first year of Slough production and retains its original number plate. This is also the more desirable specification Citroën Light with the added benefit of being a ‘small boot’ car. The car presents well in black with contrasting trim and a good woodwork dash and is reported by the vendor to run and drive very well. Our vendor is only for sale due to his collection getting slightly too large and needing to free up some room. Supplied with its UK V5C registration document and the original buff logbook, this car has been well maintained and during his ownership and has been fitted with seat belts. These right hand drive, Slough built, small boot cars are the most desirable Light 15’s and are versatile and immensely enjoyable classics.
Guide Price £6,000 - £10,000
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