Elegant lines in Art Deco style. Drivetrain with front wheel drive from Citroën 11 CV. In 1939, this model was marketed as the most beautiful French car.
When you take pictures of old cars, as I do, it happens that you come across car brands you have never seen before. The burgundy red car in the pictures took part in the Citroën exhibition Lemonade 2024 in the French village of Sainte-Marie-la-Mer. My first thought was that the style resembled Delahaye. But it was obvious that there was a Citroën drivetrain in it, as it said SuperTraction at the back of the car. Also, it had the same gear transmission as the Citroën.
Rosengart SuperTraction
Rosengart SuperTraction
Lucien Rosengart (1881-1976) was a central figure in French industry. He set himself up as an engineer and businessman, and started the car factory Automobiles L. Rosengart in 1927, which later became Societé Industrielle de l'Ouest Parisien (SIOP). The first cars were license-produced variants of the Austin Seven that were styled to make them more attractive to the French. In the early 1930s, Rosengart got his eyes open to cars with front wheel drive and started a collaboration with German Eagle. At the time, Rosengart had a good connection with André Citroën. Perhaps it was Rosengart who inspired Citroën to choose front-wheel drive? Citroën's front wheel system must be remarkably similar to Adler's solution.
In 1938, the LR539 SuperTraction was launched. It was a luxurious car – almost 5 meters long with elegant lines. Engine, gearbox and drivetrain were taken from the Citroën Traction Avant. Citroën's 1,9-litre inline-four with 58 hp, 3-speed gearbox and front-wheel drive gave good driving characteristics at the time. The model was produced in two variants – 2-door cabriolet and coupe with fixed roof, but not with 4 doors. Lucien Rosengart had been strictly instructed by André Citroën not to build cars with 4 doors because they could compete with Citroën's own CV 11 Traction Avant. Nevertheless, at least one great 4-door version was built for the boss himself. Several may have been built, but only one remains.
About 1000 cars were built before the war. After the war, Rosengart was no longer supplied with engines from Citroën. The solution was V8 engines from Mercury/Ford, and SuperTraction changed its name to SuperTrahuit. The car's fine lines were retained, but the front received a more mainstream design. The domestic market for cars like this was almost dead. The company had hoped to join a government export program, but got the thumbs down, probably because the SuperTrahuit had American engines.
No one knows for sure how many of the fine SuperTraction cars are left. Some sources estimate 100, while others believe it is fewer. Nevertheless, cars occasionally come up for sale. The images of the two-tone car are taken from an active sales advertisement. The car has undergone a nut-and-bolt restoration and is for sale for €128.000. Then you get an extremely rare car where there are still wear parts available to buy. You can also boast of being able to own France's (perhaps) most beautiful car.
In retrospect, it can be said that Rosengart SuperTraction was only a brief "hitchhiker" in the automotive industry. The company's volume models were always based on the Austin Seven, even after production of the SuperTraction and SuperTrauhuit ceased. Then they introduced several new small cars (microcars) with modern bodies - but still based on the Austin Seven engine from the 1920s. The last Rosengart was called Arietta before the doors were closed in 1952 – later attempted to reopen before bankruptcy in 1955.
Pictures
1939 Rosengart SuperTraction. The car was covered in a thin layer of pollen, which can be seen in the pictures.
See
