1955 Citroen Traction Avant

You are bidding on a 1955 Citroen Traction Avant Series 11B located in Portland, regon. The vehicle has the desirable 11D engine, nd is the true French version of the Traction Avant (not the Traction Avant manufactured for Britain). This is a no reserve auction. The vehicle does not currently run but it is a great candidate for mechanical restoration as it has presentable paint and body work, nd an incredible original interior. It is very complete and entirely original from what I can tell. Auction also includes spare parts, anuals, nd some interesting badging and documentation.

Exterior:

Paint and body work are not perfect, ut the vehicle shows well in its thick black paint. While there are some scratches and dings the vehicle would make a great driver in its current condition. I tried to include photos of problem areas, hich include a ding in the right rear, nd some bubbling at the bottom of the doors. The vehicle includes four Marchal lamps and two optional horns common to the Citroen presidential limousines. Chrome is in great shape with only some minor pitting. There is some light surface rust on the undercarriage but nothing I would consider significant. The right (passenger side) front bumper mount is bent. There are some interesting badges on the grill.

Interior:

The original cloth interior was found underneath a set of professionally installed seat covers that I removed. I would imagine that an original Traction Avant interior is not easy to find. Even the original fabric code tags are present! I am missing the upper rear interior trim panels, ut these wouldn’t be too difficult to make. Both front seats are adjustable (slide forward/backward). The back seat has an impressive amount of leg room, ike being in a limousine. There is no carpet installed in the car. A wooden aftermarket steering wheel has been installed at some point in the past, he steering wheel was made in Paris and could use a coat of lacquer.

Mechanical:

While the vehicle does roll, t does not currently run. Odometer says 11,602 kilometers, ut I have no way of knowing if it has rolled-over. The engine is seized and cannot be turned by hand. The good news is that this engine (the 11D) is a wet-liner type engine, hat is, he cylinders are not bored into the block, hey are a replaceable part. I purchased this car at an estate, nd the previous owner let the vehicle sit for many years, uring which time the engine probably seized. I do not suspect the engine failed catastrophically because I did drain the oil, nd there were no metal debris, o that is good.

Also, he transmission housing has a crack/hole near the cross member, included a photo of this. My plan was to JB-Weld this closed. Alternatively, ou could have it welded up, r replace the transmission casing. The transmission does seem to be OK when rotating the wheels, o weird noises or feelings.

The exhaust system is missing from the manifold on down.

Other mechanical systems seem to be in decent condition, ut I have not driven the car and can’t attest to their actual condition in use.

Details:

If you’re interested, complete history of these cars can be found at Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citro%C3%ABn_Traction_Avant

Car is currently titled to me (Oregon title). The Oregon DMV converted 11602 km to 7209 miles stated on the title. They also incorrectly call it a 2 door.

While I believe the vehicle wouldn’t take much to become a great driver, ou could also buy this car for parts such as the interior, eadlamps, tc. but I will not part out the car.

I purchased this car as a project from the estate of the long-time owner (who purchased and correctly imported the car from Paris), ut I have a second child on the way and don’t really have time to work on cars these days.

No reserve auction. $250 deposit due within 24 hours of the auction end, ull payment expected within one week. For any payment method other than PayPal or cash, ’ll hold the title until your check clears my bank (you take the car). I’ll then mail you the title when the check is clear. This includes cashier’s checks.

Thanks for looking, nd let me know if you have any questions or comments.