1930's Citroën

Following on from the last pic, I mentioned the successor, the Citroën Grande Lux, (I posted a photo some time ago):
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which was not so very different, but the Traction Avant was what took Citroën into the big time !

This TA is probably from the forties/fifties, although they didn't change much over the years. There was no need - it was such an advanced design when it was launched in 1934, that it wasn't superceded until the even more avant garde Citroën DS came along in 1955. Front wheel drive, monocoque body, radial ply tyres, torsion bar suspension, - they weren't the first in any of them, but TA's were arguably the first to get it all together in a single model!

They were mainly built in the Citroën factory in Paris, but were also assembled in Belgium and Denmark, and right hand drive versions were built at Citroën's English factory in Slough, Bucks. I drove one occasionally in the early sixties, and they were comfortable, confidence inspiring cars, and though not particularly fast, they could cover the ground at a respectable pace, due to the excellent road holding and brakes, and the fuel consumption was very modest, by the standards of the day.

1958 Fed 2C, f2.8/50mm Industar26M lens, x2 yellow filter. Polypan F@100 in homemade D76H 1+1, 10mins @21C