1949 Citroën Traction Avant 15/6

A dark green 1949 Citroën Traction Avant 15/6 with black fenders arriving at and leaving the 2022 San Marino Motor Classic at Lacy Park. Introduced in 1934, the Traction Avant was the first mass-produced front-wheel drive car with a semi-monocoque structure. The 15/6 was introduced in 1938 with a 2.9-liter six-cylinder engine producing around 77 horsepower. Around 760,000 Traction Avants were built before production ended in 1957.

This car's name may be confusing to some, since it should be a given that cars have decent traction and "Avant" is a term often associated with station wagons thanks to Audi. Actually, "Traction Avant" simply translates to "Front-Wheel Drive". Here in the States, we often associate French cars with quirky styling. But the Traction Avant was actually best known for its numerous innovative features including front-wheel drive and unibody construction which contributed to its low-slung profile. These features now characterize the majority of passenger cars on the road today. So next time you get into your daily commuter car, take a moment to think about the old French car that helped shape today's automotive world!

Would you add this Traction Avant to your classic car collection? Leave a comment on YouTube and let me know!