Description
Citroën Traction 7 Roadster 1. 9 56 bhp Manual gearbox 1938 The Traction cabriolet offered here is a rare piece. Although its history cannot be entirely verified due to the war, certain clues allow us to establish its origins. For example, several components belonging to the vehicle, manufactured in Germany, were found near the location of its discovery. The cabriolet itself was, and still is, equipped with door handles and window winder cranks manufactured in Cologne. This vehicle is known to two renowned Citroën historians, authors of several works on the marque. One of them was, until his retirement, press attaché for Citroën in Germany. The current owner discovered this roadster cabriolet in June 1992 under a pile of scrap metal in East Berlin, then in the GDR until 3 October 1990. This Traction enthusiast had received a tip from a friend and, after lengthy searches, finally found the car in a completely dilapidated state, fit only for scrapping. He had a narrow escape, as the machinery and containers for scrap metal and bulky waste were already in operation. In record time, the car and numerous pre-war components were saved from destruction. Before undertaking the restoration, the new owner conducted thorough research. After all, the car had to be rebuilt as faithfully as possible. This Traction enthusiast benefited from invaluable assistance from the two Citroën historians mentioned earlier, whom he met during this process. Many Traction Cabriolet owners, in Germany and abroad, also provided him with invaluable help. The car was probably used on the Eastern Front during the war and miraculously survived the Wehrmacht's retreat to German territory. After the war, the car was registered in the Soviet occupation zone (the first letters of the registration plate, ST, stand for "Soviet Zone of Thuringia"). The second plate, valid until the founding of the GDR, is still present. Fortunately, the newly created GDR showed no interest in this old car. The roadster was therefore not "purchased" by the State. In the GDR, an official certificate was worth its weight in gold, as it was essential for private use or the sale of a vehicle. This refusal to purchase probably saved its life. Such a certificate, unfortunately for another Traction model, is in the owner's collection. Until 1969, the car was used privately on a daily basis in the GDR, then finally abandoned after its deregistration. A Citroën enthusiast, residing in the GDR, then transported the car, completely out of service, to his field in East Berlin. He had gathered all the Tractions he could find in the East. He was apparently quite well known in East Berlin as a supplier of spare parts. Among all the abandoned Tractions was a convertible saloon, a "Poller", manufactured in Cologne. This car, too, was saved from the scrapyard by a Traction enthusiast. It still forms part of his collection, in its original condition, never used. Documents dating from 1992 still exist. The identity of the car's original owner in 1938 remains unknown. All research, even with Citroën, proved fruitless in clarifying this period of its history. The vehicle itself exhibits unique characteristics, specific to cars registered in Cologne-Poll between the end of production in Cologne in 1935 and the start of the war in 1939. The purchaser of this jewel of automotive history may perhaps embark on a search for other fragments of its history. The enthusiast who discovered and acquired the car in 1992 meticulously restored it as close to the original as possible. Practically every component was subject to thorough research. Small fragments of the original "Excelsior Red" paint, a deep and intense red with a slight brownish or dark violet tint depending on the light, were found on the bodywork. Even the tiniest fragments of the original blue interior were recovered and analysed. The current colour scheme therefore corresponds largely to the 1938 factory palette. Technically, the car has been restored to its original condition as faithfully as possible. The engine block is a revised pre-war block, dating from before March 1939. For optimal reliability, the engine is currently equipped with a Performance cylinder head, model from March 1939 onwards, invisible from the outside. The models sold in France at the time were called "Citroën 11 BL Roadster-Cabriolet", whilst the cars registered in Germany at Cologne-Poll were called "Citroën 7 Front 1. 9 litre Roadster-Cabriolet". This, or rather the fact that many owners in Germany...
