Citroen Traction Avant 11 BL

The Citroen Traction Avant was a landmark model for the French automaker, its influence can still be seen today.

Every auto manufacturer that has been around long enough has a few models in its back catalogue that helped shape its future. For Citroen, one such historically significant model is the 1930s Traction Avant.

The Traction Avant combined several cutting-edge technologies into one package and remained in production for over two decades. It also became the first production vehicle to offer hydropneumatic rear suspension; the precursor to the system that debuted in the DS in 1955.

When this ground-breaking car was introduced, features like front-wheel-drive, monocoque body construction and independent suspension were in their infancy. Lancia’s release of the Lambda in 1922, meant they were the first to offer unibody construction and all-round independent suspension. However, Citroen’s Traction Avant took these innovations and made them commercially viable in a mass-produced model for the first time