The Citroen Traction Avant or simply TA among other names it had over the years, was one of the world’s first ever mass produced front-wheel drive cars. Actually, it was even more unique than that, having a kind of a mid-engined fwd layout, with the motor pushed back towards the middle of the car and the gearbox attached to the front, driving the wheels.
An ingenious solution at the time, it made the TA unique and popular; some 760,000 of them were built from 1934 to 1957, and this means it’s been 80 years since its launch, so it’s cause for celebration.
Several classic car rallies and events (concentrated in France) will be honoring the car throughout the year, so if you’re in the country this year and into Citroens, a quick Google search will probably promptly land you in a parking lot full of them and owners only too eager to tell you all about their history.
By Andrei Nedelea
PHOTO GALLERY
