1952 Citroën 11BL Traction Avant
No Reserve

Registration No: DFP 506
Chassis No: EQ07818246120
MOT: Exempt

• A Paris built Traction imported into the United Kingdom in 1983
• Stalled restoration with much of the hard work already completed
• Engine overhauled and body shell sandblasted, restored and primed
• Supplied with the original warranty card and V5C document

PLEASE NOTE: This lot is accompanied by two engines including the original (one of which is already overhauled); original three-speed gearbox; four-speed gearbox; interior trim; glass; etc. It is believed to be a complete car.

Nearly every list of the most important automotive designs must surely include André Citroën's beloved Model 11 Traction Avant, which loosely translates to "Front-wheel drive". The Traction Avant was introduced in 1934, just one year before André Citroën's passing. The Model 11 BL was the smaller four-door sedan, with its front doors rear-hinged, so they would open "Suicide-style"; the rear doors opening conventionally. The Traction Avant was notable in that it placed its wheels at the extreme corners of the monocoque chassis, providing good stability and a comfortable ride. Its 1.9-litre overhead-valve four-cylinder engine, three-speed gearbox (mounted ahead of the engine), and torsion-bar front suspension were affixed to a separate steel subframe. Ubiquitous in Europe, and the favoured get-away car for countless French gangster movies of the period, latterly a six-cylinder model was developed. The Model 11 BL remained in production for 23 years, and by the time it was supplanted by the much more modern DS, an estimated 76,000 had been manufactured.

Chassis number ‘246120’ is a Paris-built 11 BL “Légère” Traction Avant, manufactured in 1952 and is understood to have been a resident of France until it was imported into the United Kingdom in 1983. Offered now as a stalled restoration project, the Traction Avant is understood to be a complete car which already has been partially restored, with much of the hard work completed. The body shell has been sandblasted, repaired as required, and primed, as well as the engine having been provided with a full overhaul. New stove enamelled wheels finished in Cream with new tubes and tyres have been supplied, as well as some other parts having been refurbished. Stalled now due to other projects having taken precedent, the Traction is on offer accompanied by a spare engine and gearbox, as well as the original warranty card and a current V5C Registration Document.

For more information, please contact:
Paul Cheetham
paul.cheetham@handh.co.uk
07538 667452