French cars were known for elegance and forward-looking technology right from the car's infancy. One of the car brands that contributed to this was Citroën.
The story began in 1919 when André Citroën started his own car factory. With good experience from other industrial production and several study visits to other car manufacturers in the USA, everything fell into place and the first model was launched in 1919. It was very well received as it was both solid and well equipped and gave car buyers good value for money. New models were launched at the same time that Citroën, as one of the first car manufacturers, built out a large dealer network. The result was that the factory became France's largest car manufacturer already 10 years after its start. But the expansion came at a cost and new capital-strong owners had to step in to remedy the critical situation. It helped and the newly developed Traction Avant model could be put into production. The model was in production right up to 1957. In 1948, the new small model 2 CV came which became a favorite among those who wanted an affordable and uncomplicated car. The DS19 was a car which, when it arrived in 1955, was way ahead of its time. The Citroën Ami from 1960 was also a model with a somewhat special appearance.
But a little more about Traction Avant
Like the other car models from Citroën, it was known right from the start for its advanced and forward-looking solutions. After an all-too-quick launch in 1934, the model was plagued by childhood illnesses for a long time. But the model quickly became very popular. It had both modern technology and design. The driving characteristics were among the very best among the car models of the time. As the first series-produced family car with front-wheel drive, it naturally received a lot of attention from the media. In addition, it was also one of the first car models with a self-supporting body. Citroën launched several variants and had also planned an 8-cylinder model but it was only produced as prototypes. But a fast model with 6 cylinders came on the market in 1938. After the war, production started in 1946 but in limited numbers since cars for transport were prioritized. A major innovation in 1952 was a larger luggage compartment. But not many changes came and people realized that the production of this popular model was coming to an end. It happened in 1955.
Data model 11B Normal
Length: 465 cm
Width: 175 cm
Height: 150 cm
Top speed: 115 km/h
Engine: 1911 ccm, 56 hp
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Anders de Lange
Anders de Lange writes about car history. He has written about cars and car history for over 30 years, published his own books and written for the Norwegian car press.