1956 Citroen Traction Avant
The Citroen "Traction Avant" ( translated literally, as "pulling forward")
is a European classic. Designed by Andre' Citroen in the '30's, the Traction Avant was the first commercially successful front-wheel-drive
vehicle. The vehicle was also one of the first to include a "shift-on-the-dash" system. The vehicle features
a small 4-cylinder flathead engine and "monobody" construction like the post-war VW. The Citroen
"Traction" autos were nearly identical from 1934 through 1957. Then in '57 the plant was re-tooled to
manufacture more modern cars. The owner is an amateur historian of World War II, who participates in period auto shows
and reenactments, thus his vehicle (a post-war model from 1956) is being portrayed as a wartime unit with blackout headlamps
and white patches for visibility during blackouts. Citroens were used heavily by the German Army, and they insisted
that the French continue to build them all through the war for German use. The cars were a favorite of the
Gestapo in France. A British model was built under license in England, featuring right-hand drive. The cars were
also used by the Japanese, who captured many of them in Indochina. After the war, the sleek, slightly sinister-looking Citroen
Traction was known as a "gangster car". The Citroen is featured in many period movies and is
heavily collected and restored throughout Europe.
Article courtesy
of the Citroen owner.
"I drove in with a car which was deteriorating, and drove out with a masterpiece. The team at Fifth
Dimension restored my 1956 Citroen to like-new condition with scrupulous attention to detail, authenticity, and reasonable
pricing. The folks at Fifth Dimension were enthusiastic, hard-working, easy to access, responsive to suggestions, and
genuinely concerned with producing a high-quality restoration. They went out of their way to obtain the proper parts,
and diligently researched the correct look for this vintage vehicle. In fact, the car now matches a research photo obtained
by their staff. I could not be happier and would recommend the service to anyone owning a vehicle of any era. If one
takes a look at the "before and after" images, it is hard to believe that they are the same vehicle.Simply outstanding!!"
