Thread: Traction Avant ...

Not generally recognised, that this vehicle was the first successful vehicle with integral construction, as well as the first really successful front wheel drive car, starting in 1932. Successful is a relative term - it sent the company broke, although it was rescued by Michelin.

Although it remained a leading design for over twenty years, it did have a few problems - heavy steering, only three gears, large turning circle, as well as some of the problems common to cars of that era, such as poor visibility and indifferent brakes.

But for many these were outweighed by its handling and roadholding, as well as being fairly economical to run. Came in a variety of versions, with four or six cylinders, even a few supercharged.

John