1951 Citroën Traction Avant

‘SXS 935’ is a wonderfully original and lightly patinated Citroën Traction Avant that was built in Paris in 1951.

Fitted with the 1,951cc engine, it’s been used properly over the decades to transport its previous owner, a doctor, from the south of France to Paris and back a couple of times a year, a journey its long-wheelbase chassis would have made even more comfortable than usual.

The seller bought it from Chateau Berne in 2022 along with two other cars from the same collection. He’s found it “very reliable” but acknowledges that it does need some gentle TLC to enable it to fulfil its considerable potential.

Because the Citroën really does present very well indeed, which is quite the compliment for a black car because no other colour highlights flaws and imperfections so ruthlessly, so the fact we can’t see any significant dents or dinks in the panels speaks volumes.

Being a French car there are yellow bulbs in the headlamps, of course, plus a magnificent pair of supplementary driving lamps at bumper level.

Other nice touches include an opening windscreen that pivots at the top, a thoughtful piece of design that’s joined by rear-hinging front doors, something Rolls-Royce recently readopted for some of its models as it makes for a more elegant entry and exit.

It’s got louvres on either side of the centre-hinged bonnet too, and these run straight and true. The spare wheel is mounted on the boot lid underneath an integrated metal cover too, the grille features a charming Confederation Des Syndicats Medicaux badge – and have you ever seen a more elegantly mounted French plate?

Of course, the most noticeable design flourish is the Citroën ‘chevron’ logo on the imposing radiator grille. Picked out in silver, no-one is going to mistake the marque you’re driving.

Nor the era of the car you’re in thanks to those sweeping front wings and natty-but-minimal bumpers.

The painted steel wheels are in a decent condition. Lacking dinks and damage, they would benefit from a lick of paint. Maybe some Autosol on the chrome hubcaps, too.

And you’ll need new tyres as well. The 165-400 Michelin X tyres – what else would you fit to a car like this? – might be the correct make but they’re old and perished, so you’ll need to fit new ones.

Nonetheless, we will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly.

As for work to do, the bodywork has clearly been touched-up in places, most noticeably around the bonnet. The chromework is dull and pitted too, but there are no serious dents, so the extent these running-repairs and the general wear ‘n’ tear will bother you depends on your attitude towards an honest patina.

Rust appears to be minimal, but what there is will need sorting sooner rather than later while it’s still a cosmetic problem than a structural one.
 

The interior is shabby-chic, which is fine because it leaves you free to either maintain it as it is, performing repairs only as they crop up, or to refit it completely without having to worry about losing its history and hard-won patina.

Modern seat covers protect the underlying fabric and while we haven’t removed them to see what’s underneath, given the stains and wear to the rest of the cabin – the headlining is stained and the carpets are not the originals, for example – your safest bet would be to budget for complete refurbishment

That said, the door cards look pretty good though, as do the elegant Jaeger instruments, even if the smaller supplementary ones look like later additions.

There’s a decent rubber mat on the floor too, and if the embossing is to be trusted it’s a genuine Citroën item. The pedal rubbers too have the chevron on them.

As a long-wheelbase car the legroom in the rear is epic. There’s excellent headroom too, so if your children play in a basketball team, they’ll appreciate their new team transport.

The boot is just as cavernous, and the external spare wheel, which frees up even more space, is fitted with a Michelin X tyre, just like all the rest. 
 

As you can see in the video, the four-cylinder engine starts and idles readily enough but it needs a boost to turn over, so it’s probably time to fit a new battery because the alternator looks recent.

It runs well enough, but when you rev the engine and pull away it tends to cut out, so you’ll need to arrange for it to be trailered away, something we could help with if necessary. However, the seller tells us that he’s found it to be “very reliable” in the past.

The engine bay is grubby but looks to be complete; we spotted the jack and chassis plates under there, which is reassuring as to its originality.

The underside looks pretty solid too. Sure, there’s some flaking paint and the odd patch of surface rust but, again, it looks like it’s probably more unsightly than invasive.

However, we did spot the odd drop of oil under there, so that’ll need investigating but as it’s only a dewdrop or two it’s probably a job for Future You.

More pressing are the damaged and missing rubber boots, which will need sorting as a priority to prevent them deteriorating any further. 
 

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and the history file contains a V5 in the seller’s name, a letter from the Citroën car Club authenticating the build date, the invoice from when the seller bought it in February 2022, and a Certificat Provisoire d’Immatriculation.

The Citroën doesn’t have a current MoT certificate, and while it is exempt by virtue of its age, we would strongly encourage the new owner to have it MoT’d at the earliest opportunity. The cost of an MoT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic vehicle, and it gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner (and any subsequent purchasers) but might also be invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies… 
 

This Citroën Traction Avant offers its new owner a range of options, from a rolling restoration that’ll make it safe and reliable while retaining its shabby-chic charm, all the way to a complete strip-down and bare metal respray followed by a concours-quality refit.

If it were ours, we’d get it MoT’d and back on the road before running it for a while to see what’s urgent and what’s merely desirable – but beware, cars like this have a habit of getting under your skin and can easily become lifelong companions…

Either way, it looks solid and straightforward enough that any competent DIYer could probably do most of the work themselves, which could make this a very cost-effective way to get into the design and engineering icon you didn’t think you could afford anymore.

Not that you’re going to need to dig very deep to buy it in the first place as our estimate is only between £4,000 and £5,000, but as it’s being offered with no reserve, it’s going to sell from the very first bid, no matter how derisory that might be.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.