Description
1936 - Citroën Traction 7C
Chassis no. 87478
Vintage French registration
Vehicle sold without technical inspection
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One of the oldest Tactions still in existence, the grail for many traction enthusiasts...
Presented in April 1934, Citroën's first Traction Avant was a 'Petite Voiture' (small car) catalogued to complement the 8, 10 and 15 Rosalie ranges. It was a 7 HP, 1, 303 cm3 engine. However, it lacked a bit of oomph, so it was replaced by the 7B, a 9 CV with a 1, 529 cm3 engine. In the meantime, an 11 CV had arrived in the catalog, and a third generation of 7s was born, the 7C, whose 9 CV 1, 628 cm3 engine was standardized with that of the 11s, with an identical 78x100 bore/ stroke.
This time, the 7C had something definitive about it: its 36 hp engine gave it good dynamics, and it easily topped the 100 km/ h mark. Citroën presented it at the October 1934 Motor Show, along with roadster and faux-cabriolet versions; while the very first 7Cs resembled the 7Bs, they were soon to be differentiated from the previous series by a fully tiled roof, and horns mounted behind small grilles pierced in the front fenders (instead of external horns screwed to the bumper). Better built and, above all, with a reinforced body, the 7C is equipped with a second-generation floating engine that is more pleasant, as it is significantly less 'buoyant', in conjunction with the installation of Glaenzer-Spicer cardan shafts and Spicer hydraulic shock absorbers.
Fortunately for users, a year later at the October 1935 Motor Show, Citroën presented the 7 (and 11) with an opening trunk rear panel. Rack-and-pinion steering completed the package in the spring of 1936; now a homogeneous, brilliant car, the 7C became extremely popular and remained in production until 1940.
The car illustrating these pages is a very rare 1936 model, of which very few survived... Even if the engine seems blocked and some parts (notably the zamac handles) are deteriorated, it is most likely one of the oldest Traction 7Cs in original condition in existence...
The car is accompanied by its 1936 service manual, its 1963 registration document and a copy of a 1966 insurance certificate, which appears to be its last year of use. Its future owner will have to offer it a mechanical restoration and maintain its sublime patina, which is what makes it so interesting... To be continued.
