Citroën Traction Avant Barn Find Looks Haunting, In Desperate Need Of Restoration

Barn finds are often quite appealing for petrolheads, especially if a weird story is involved or if the model in question was a big deal for the automotive industry. The latter is the case with the pictured Citroën, a Traction Avant 11B from 1949 which was discovered in Melderslo, Netherlands, and is currently up for grabs on Catawiki.

The Citroën Traction Avant was produced between 1934 and 1957, with around 760,000 units leaving the factory. Even though it wasn’t as popular as its successor, the iconic DS, it was still quite ahead of its time. Most importantly it was the first mass-production model featuring a monocoque body, while it came with independent suspension, hydraulic brakes in all four wheels, and a front-wheel-drive layout (thus the Traction Avant name).

See Also: One of Fifteen Citroen Traction Avant Coupes Yours for $250,000

The pictured example is a Traction Avant 11B from 1949 and it looks like a ghost of its former self. While it comes complete with the unibody chassis, low-slung body, interior, and the 2.0-liter four-cylinder 8-valve engine hiding under the long bonnet, everything looks in a bad shape. The body is full of rust with pieces falling, the headlights and taillights are missing, while mold has grown in the once-comfortable seats and the interior upholstery.

From its poor state, we can tell that this Citroën spend most of its life abandoned in a humid place, patiently waiting for someone to save it. The good thing is that the odometer reads 41,524 km (25,801 miles) and that it comes with French registration and all of the original paperwork. The seller suggests it “rolls well” despite the flat tires and the rusty underpinnings. However, it is still a project car and it will require a huge amount of work in order to make it presentable.

Last summer, a restored 1949 Traction Avant was auctioned by Bonhams for €16,100 ($18,435). This means that a model in such a poor condition is not expected to fetch much, with Catawiki estimating around €2,750 – 3,050 ($3,150 – 3,500).

We don’t know if restoring a car in such a bad shape makes sense financially, but for anyone brave enough to undertake this rescue mission the auction ends on November 20.