View Poll Results: Your experience with this car is....
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Ever seen or driven one?
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 65,402
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From: Smalltown
Originally Posted by Starbrd,Aug 24 2008, 01:51 PM
My parents had a Citroen 11L Traction Avant. It was the first car that I was able to play with. It was a terrific car. Extremely stable. I was T-boned by a car running a stop sign and the only damage to my body was a cracked rib or two. The car was repaired by pulling and straightening the body. If you look closely you can see soem evidence of that above the door post.
The car had a number of firsts when it came out in 1934: front wheel drive, unit body, torsion bar suspension front and rear, rubber engine mounts and had the shift lever in the dash. It was steadily improved until production ceased in 1957.
The girl in the picture was my first really serious girl friend. The picture was taken in the summer of 1952 while I was home from college.
The car had a number of firsts when it came out in 1934: front wheel drive, unit body, torsion bar suspension front and rear, rubber engine mounts and had the shift lever in the dash. It was steadily improved until production ceased in 1957.
The girl in the picture was my first really serious girl friend. The picture was taken in the summer of 1952 while I was home from college.
Nice clear pic too.
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 2,897
Likes: 1
From: Cherry Hill, NJ
I used to see lots of 2CVs in Ireland, along with FIAT 500s and 600s, minis, and other small cars of that era.
I never drove a 2CV, but have been in many other Citroens. I love the air suspension on those cars.
A friend of the family had a series of DS cars (still has one as a daily driver) and fell victim to a scam once. Someone placed an ad in the Irish Times claiming to be a movie company who needed a few purple Citroen DS cars for a movie. They said they would pay a good price for them. Our friend had his painted before he found out it was a joke, so he drove the purple monster for quite a few years afterwards.
I never drove a 2CV, but have been in many other Citroens. I love the air suspension on those cars.
A friend of the family had a series of DS cars (still has one as a daily driver) and fell victim to a scam once. Someone placed an ad in the Irish Times claiming to be a movie company who needed a few purple Citroen DS cars for a movie. They said they would pay a good price for them. Our friend had his painted before he found out it was a joke, so he drove the purple monster for quite a few years afterwards.
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,102
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From: Greenville, SC
My French colleague is a Citroen nut. He owns a really nice, almost original DS-19, the first car to have headlights that followed the steering -- all done by cables! It also has a semi-automatic manual gearbox. When you shift gears, the car does the clutching and throttle management. The most amazing thing is that the suspension, power brakes, and power steering all operate off the central hydraulic system.
His latest ride, full boat C6. V-6 biturbo diesel. Of course, it carries a BMW 7-series price tag
His latest ride, full boat C6. V-6 biturbo diesel. Of course, it carries a BMW 7-series price tag
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,102
Likes: 0
From: Greenville, SC
I've always been impressed by the self-leveling and on-board jacking system on the old DS models. You told the suspendsion to go to max ride height, then lowered four posts from under the car. Then tell it to go to min ride height and . . . voila . . . the posts act like jack stands and lifet the wheels off the ground.The sad thing is that since Peugeot bought out Citroen maybe ten years ago, most of the models now use conventional springs and shocks instead of the air-oleo spring/dampers of the old cars.
Now, if only the legendary frailty of French cars could be erased.
Former Moderator
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 20,371
Likes: 1
From: never never land
Being a younger guy, I gained most of my knowledge about the European cars not available in the US from playing the Gran Turismo video games.
As well as Citroen, Peugeot also makes some great cars. I used to watch WRC, so I always was looking the cars up.
I always loved this one...
As well as Citroen, Peugeot also makes some great cars. I used to watch WRC, so I always was looking the cars up.
I always loved this one...
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