1948 Citroën Light 15 – Auction Car of the Week
August 28, 2022
We don’t know what it is about the legendary Citroën Traction Avant, but there’s just something about it. It looks how a classic car should look. If you asked someone to sketch their interpretation of a classic vehicle, it would more often than not look like this. It’s a timeless shape; those big arches, the long nose, the shape of the body. It’s perfect. Yet, ironically, the Traction Avant wasn’t a stereotypical car in comparison to its contemporaries. In fact, in true Citroën fashion, it was years ahead of the rest. Which brings us to the 1948 Citroën Light 15 we have chosen as this week’s auction car of choice. A rolling enigma, wrapped in a coat of French intrigue, with a giddy dollop of brilliance on the side.
View the auction for this 1948 Citroën Light 15 here
The Traction Avant looked the way it did as that was common for the time, by which we mean the mid 1930s. Engine out front, people behind, and a boot behind that. Very traditional. Citroën was clever. It knew its new car was going to be leaps and bounds ahead of the rest, but didn’t want it to look so wild that it would scare people away. Look closer though, and you see how different it actually was. For starters, look at how low the body is. Cars of that period were taller as a general rule, because they were made up of a body sat atop a ladder chassis. Not the Traction Avant. It was in fact a unibody, meaning the strength was in the body, so no need for a separate chassis to slide under it.
Gaze upon this Light 15 version and let us tell you more about what made it so special. For starters, the name. Traction Avant. It literally means forward traction, as in front-wheel drive. People falsely celebrate the Traction Avant for being the first. It wasn’t, the Germans had in fact made strides with the front-wheel drive platform. However, in the case of the Citroën is was clever, it housed the engine on a front clip, or front chassis section, which again meant the engine could be low. It was also designed to be pushed under the body in the event of a crash, making it incredibly safe for the time. Then of course, there was the inclusion of rack-and-pinion steering, which helped make the Traction Avant a joy to drive. It was sleek, it was bristling with clever design, it was luxurious with its wood and Connolly leather-trimmed cabin. The French adored it, and we wanted it. But… we couldn’t.
It was expensive to import cars into the UK. Remember, we’re pre-union here. Citroën knew there was a big market here though, so came up with a workaround. It had a number of cars built in Slough. Key parts were brought over from France, but everything else was UK sourced so as to avoid taxation issues. The cars were built in right-hand drive, and sold as UK vehicles. It was a gamble for Citroën to undertake such a plan, but it paid off. And that leads us to the 1948 Citroën Light 15 we have here. It’s one of those Slough-built cars. And it is, quite frankly, glorious.
Traditionally black, this 1948 car stands out by being a more bold, more inviting white in colour. A Light 15, that means it’s the shorter wheelbase, four-cylinder version. This car, despite being built here in the UK, was actually shipped to New Zealand, before coming back home in 1993. It’s had three owners here in the UK, and each one has left it wanting for nothing. The engine was rebuilt in 1999 and again in 2018, the gearbox in 1999 and 2011. The brakes have been rebuilt, new tyres, there’s a full photographic history file, ample invoices showing the regular upkeep and much more. It’s been cherished.
The cabin is awash with red leather, wood, deep carpets and all of it is in excellent order. It’s every bit the executive car it was in 1948. Spacious, comfortable and light, it’s a welcoming place in which to find yourself. Outside, the body is in excellent condition with only the occasional chip having been touched in here and there. The chrome gleams, the glass is excellent, there is no rust to observe and, well, it’s just wonderful. This is the one you want, trust us.
Bidding for this 1948 Citroën Light 15 is going to be fierce, but it’ll be worth your time to be in the fight. Turnkey and ready to go, this is one of the finest UK-Built versions of this car out there. And one that you can, thanks to the space, the handling, the build quality and the work of the previous owners, jump in and drive anywhere. And you’ll want to. Just look at it. How could you ever bring yourself to put the keys down?
