• Year of manufacture 
    1939
  • Car type 
    Other
  • Lot number 
    130
  • Drive 
    RHD
  • Condition 
    Used
  • Location
    France
  • Exterior colour 
    Black

Description

Estimate:
€150.000 - €160.000

  • Formerly of the Andre Trigano collection
  • Rare and attractive Citroën, with a rich history

A noteworthy vehicle for Citroën, the Traction Avant pioneered several automotive firsts. It was amongst the first vehicles to boast not only unibody construction, but also four-wheel independent suspension and front-wheel drive. With production straddling WWII, approximately 760,000 units were produced in a variety of different formats.

It has been said that the Traction 11 B cabriolet triggered Citroën authority Andre Trigano’s passion for the marque during WWII. Trigano’s family fled to the South of France when he was 14 and at the war’s end, he found himself in the presence of a Citroën Traction 11 CV cabriolet. In his own words: ‘It was registered in Belgium and had been abandoned in a hotel garage, where it remained. It was a magnificent car. . . .’

Years later, he spotted a very similar Traction 11 B cabriolet. He befriended the owner, a pharmacist named Magnol, who acquired this beautiful cabriolet new. Hidden away during the war, the car survived intact. Magnol designated Trigano the beneficiary of the convertible upon his death in 1978. Afterwards, the cabriolet was restored by Trigano’s team. The floors and sills were renewed, and mechanical elements restored. It was re-upholstered in red leather, the same colour as the dashboard, to match its red wheels. With a rich history, this stunning car awaits its next caretaker. To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/pa19.


RM Sotheby's
5 Heron Square
Richmond
TW9 1EL
United Kingdom
Contact Person Kontaktperson
Title 
Mr
First name 
Augustin
Last name 
Sabatie-Garat

Phone 
+44-2078517070