Citroen Traction Avant B11L 1950

Citroen Traction Avant B11L 1950 Traction Highlights • Featured in films including "Frankie Starlight" and Disney's "Miracle at Midnight" • Accompanied by a comprehensive service history • Equipped with rare Lambert Nivelles wheels and hubcaps • Numerous awards at classic car events in Ireland The Appeal Designed by André Lefèbvre and Flaminio Bertoni, the Traction Avant hit the market in 1934. It was immediately something very special - this was one of the company's first true innovators. The Avant's impact on the industry is hard to overstate - the car pioneered mass-market monocoque bodywork, independent suspension, and, of course, the mass-production of front-wheel drive. It wasn't so much that it invented these, of course - no, what the Traction Avant did was wrap them together into a uniquely appointed package. The Avant was accessible and attractive, with a sweeping, wide-stance, elegant profile that perfectly hit the increasingly fashion-oriented thirties zeitgeist. The resulting car was beyond successful - and still felt contemporary when the legendarily space-age DS followed it in 1957. This particular example is an original Paris-built car that has been in the same ownership for thirty-two years, having been purchased from Citroën specialist Steve Southgate in 1992. Since then, this beautiful example has seen plenty of work completed. It's garnered plenty of awards at multiple Irish car events and has even featured on-screen. It's not every day we see a car that's carried the likes of Mia Farrow (you'll see this in Disney's Miracle at Midnight) - and we're confident it's amongst the finest, most storied surviving examples on the market. History and Paperwork • Registered in 1950 • Original Parisian market car • Particularly notable for its Lambert Nivelles wheels and hubcaps • These were fitted at factory due to a strike at the Michelin wheel factory in 1950 • As a result alternatives were sourced from the Lambert Nivelles company in Belgium • Original French registration: 853 E 59 • Restored in 1976 • Imported circa 1992 to the UK, leaving a 16-year ownership • Purchased by the current owner in 1992 from Citroën specialist Steve Southgate • Appeared in 1995's Frankie Starlight • Appeared in TV movie, Miracle After Midnight, in 1998 - in which Mia Farrow was a passenger • NCT (MOT) exempt in Ireland • Numerous awards won at shows and rallies • Many invoices on file covering parts and work • Indicates 44,635km on a five-figure odometer The Condition • In May 1976, the car was fully sanded down and treated against corrosion, repainted with 3 coats of black & 2 of varnish • Beautifully presented long wheelbase bodywork with a dramatic, sweeping poise • Excellent condition for the car's venerable years  • Paintwork presents well with light signs of wear • Minor paint cracks on one lower wing, minor rust marks on one lower door