Citroën’s 7C Traction Avant – the name translates to “Front-Wheel Drive” – was decades ahead of its time when it was launched in 1934.

The model stayed in production for an unprecedented 23 years. In 1957, it was finally supplanted by the Citroën DS model that had been introduced two years earlier. By that time, 760,000 Tractions had been built; of those, 69,500 examples were 7C models, such as the car offered here.

Many regard the Traction Avant as one of the most important automobiles of the 20th century, on a shortlist that includes the Model T, the Mini, the Beetle, and of course the DS. The list of technical innovations in the Traction Avant is long: monocoque body, an all-independent torsionbar suspension, hydraulic brakes, synchromesh transmission, and a fourcylinder, overhead-valve engine. All this at a time when virtually everyone else was still employing a separate chassis, cart springs, side-valve engines, and mechanical brakes.

A Traction Avant is a perfect choice in any collection with a focus on automobile history. Chassis 95800 is a restored example and an early survivor of this iconic model. This Citroën was purchased by the consignor in Europe and has since resided in his extensive collection of French automobiles.