1956 Citroen Traction Avant For Sale By Owner
So here’s an original first unibody front-wheel-drive car in the world, a solid example offered for sale on craigslist for $13,000 in Cecil County, Maryland. Own a piece of world motoring history, the 1956 Citroen Traction Avant featured here is said to be a dry, slightly rusty example.The French are trying to make a lighter and more agile vehicle, then born the Traction Avant's structure was a welded unitary body with chassis, most other cars of the era were based on a separate frame (chassis and body separate), but today most car construction followed the French.
It's a Traction Avant 11B version fitted with a conventional 1,911cc inline-4 engine mated with a three-speed manual transmission, at sixty-seven years of age, this 11B still runs and drives well with about 6680 miles on it, as the odometer reveals (10,750 km). Awesome!
While the floors look solid the interior shows wear and tear, interior work is a must, reupholstery is a priority, and black or tan would be nice and match the black exterior. No words on the issues with the dashboard instruments, we hope they're all still working. If not, hopefully, it can be repaired.
The body was fairly solid, but it doesn’t rust-free at the moment and the interior must be renovated. The good is the car can be driven as is, so you're not far from former glory. It looks promising as a restoration candidate. So what do you think of this French gem?
Detail by owner
Own a piece of motoring history. Offered for sale is a 1956 Citroen Traction Avant. Debuting in 1933, the Traction Avant was the first successful front wheel drive unibody car. Its stunning good looks are paired with four-wheel independent suspension that gave a ride quality better than any mass-produced car on the road at its introduction, and still better than most other cars in 1956. This is the 11B version with a 1,911cc engine and three speed manual transmission. The car is mechanically sound and runs well. It shows 10,750 km (about 6680 mi) on the odometer. The vehicle was purchased by the current owners in 2020 and driven occasionally. An electric fuel pump was installed bypassing the manual fuel pump. It has a new exhaust system, put on in September 2020. In total, some $6000 has been spent on maintenance and upgrades. The body is in fair condition: the paint has weathered but is presentable, and there appears to be only surface rust to the undercarriage. The interior of the car shows signs of wear. New upholstery was acquired ($2K) and is included with your purchase. With its classic looks and more modern ride, this car can be driven as is or would make an excellent restoration candidate.
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