The Citroën Traction Avant is a legendary car in France which still has many fans. In 2024, it celebrates its 90th anniversary. Nady Benoist, a car collector in Deux-Sèvres, is one of the lucky ones who owns them.
Méhari, 2CV, 4L… So many legendary cars have traveled the roads of France. The Citroën Traction Avant is also part of this list of cars that have captured the hearts of many French people. Today, the ‘Traction’ has become a collector’s car.
In the town of Mazières-sur-Béronne (Deux-Sèvres), Nady Benoist has a passion inherited from his father, that of classic cars. “It’s a Traction from 1938, and more precisely a Traction 11BL. The saddlery has been redonet the painting dates from 1994“, she explains with joy. The 11 HP engine has been refurbished, and the former secretary never hesitates to get her hands dirty. Finally, “a little bit, but not big mechanics either“, she adds.
Nady Benoist owns several collector cars.
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© Cyril Paquier – France Télévisions
To hit the road, everything must be perfect. In the coming days, Nady will leave for Clermont-Ferrand to celebrate the 90th anniversary of this legendary car. “It symbolizes heritage. We must continue to ensure that this traction continues and that we continue to see them everywhere on the roads, before seeing them only in museums.“.
The Citroën Traction Avant left the Citroën factories in 1934. With its front-wheel drive which gave it its name, it would revolutionize the automobile industry. Hydraulic brakes, suspension, the French army will adopt it, before the Gestapo seizes it during the Second World War. A few months later, she would become the icon of the Resistance in Europe.
760,000 copies later, production of this car stopped in 1957. Today, it continues to delight enthusiasts, like Nady. “I say that a collector must have ‘Traction’… That not moving. look, it holds up !“
Today, around 10,000 ‘Traction’ are said to be sitting in garages in France.
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© Drone France Télévisions
Before the big departure, Nady Benoist does a final cleaning and checks that there are no problems on the road. “I hope it doesn’t rain, she exclaims. But when you leave for several days, every morning, it’s a ritual. We check the water, we check the oil and then we make our car clean again what”. There would remain around 10,000 ‘Traction Avant’ in France, half of which would still be in circulation.
