1937 Citroën 11 BL Traction Avant Sedan
Revolutionary engineering marked the 1937 Citroën 11 BL Traction Avant as one of automotive history’s most significant achievements. The name loosely translates to “front-wheel drive.”
This was the world’s first mass-produced, unitary (unibody) bodied, front-wheel drive car, introducing three groundbreaking features that remain standard today: unibody construction, four-wheel independent suspension, and front-wheel drive.
The distinctive four-door sedan featured an unusual door configuration with front doors opening rearward (suicide-style) while rear doors opened conventionally. The 11 BL “légère” variant had a shorter wheelbase and narrower track than the 11 “normale” model, which provided improved stability and passenger space.
Power came from a 1.9-liter overhead-valve four-cylinder engine producing 46 horsepower, paired with a three-speed manual transmission mounted ahead of the engine. The innovative torsion-bar front suspension and hydraulic drum brakes were advanced for the period.
By 1937, the model had gained tremendous popularity across Europe and became the preferred getaway vehicle in French gangster films.
Production continued for 23 years until 1957, with approximately 760,000 total units manufactured before the futuristic DS replaced this groundbreaking design.
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