

Traction Avant in French means "put the drive traction up front where all the weight is", loosely and elegantly translated. Most of us really dislike cars with uneven weight distribution, especially when it's intentional. But Citroen didn't do it to piss us off, they did it because they were on their game. Start digging a bit and the TA (no, not that kind of T/A) gets interesting pretty quickly.
The restoration of the car seems pretty well thought out, with lots of nice extras that improve the car's durability and usability, such as the spray-in sound deadening (note to self - look into this for next project) and forethought to heat treat intake and exhaust manifolds. This last step sounds OCD to me but perhaps they're prone to cracking and could use some grain restructuring. As for the interior - just look at it. From the deco speedometer to the totally guano-crazy dashboard shifter, the Frenchness is everywhere.
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Matt, a self-proclaimed bottom-feeder of the classic car market, spends half of his time buying cars, half of his time retrieving them, and the remaining third on keeping them on the road.
When Merde happens, press the red button...
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ReplyDeleteI would reach for the gear shift and open the windshield glass instead...
ReplyDeleteAnd don't forget that these were front mid-engined, as were the ID/DS series that followed. The engine sits completely within the wheelbase, like an AC Cobra. So that comment about weight distribution is not completely accurate.
ReplyDeleteYeah, that's a good point. They did try to move the weight back. I couldn't find any F/R numbers on it but let me know if you do.
DeleteI've always loved these, but I picture them in black, with a bunch of actors in Gestapo uniforms tumbling out the doors in some old occupied-France WWII movie.
ReplyDeleteMax Mosley and friends coming home from a party?
DeleteZing! Comment of the week!
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