VIVE LA DIFFERENCE! Pure style, this D series Citroen is as unique and elegant today as it was in 1967 when it rolled off the assembly line. There followed famous names come _ to mind: the classic Cords and Ruxtons from America; and such fwd cars from Europe as the DKW Frontantrieb (first shown at the 1931 Berlin Automobile Show). We must also not forget the lovely Adler Trumpf. Adier introduced their new fwd cars in the early 30’s and used many of the automobile techniques borrowed from the American, E.G. Budd. It was partly due to a prototype made by Budd and his colleague, Joseph Ledwinka, that one of the world’s most advanced cars was developed. This prototype was an all steel bodied fwd car. It was shown to Andre Citroen on one of his trips to America in 1931. Citroen was a great admirer of Henry Ford, and had used many of Ford's Preserv-a-shine Call now for a Free Estimate ED SD SINE AND ED Rey Se GREE RED SEED ED ED SUE SRE SENT GS RES GRD SD GREET GOURD SS ED SEES GREE UE SEEN EUR GEEENE SED See many attempts to built a good solid fwd car that was to be produced in numbers. Many ota new idea ideas when building his car manufacturing plants in France. When Citroen saw the prototype he commented that it fit the image he had planned for his next car. On Citroen’s return to Paris he instructed his designers to give him a new concept. What he wanted was a fwd, monocoque bodied (no chassis), car automatic transmission, power steering, minimum 30 mpg, comfort and safety. ‘The car was designed and much time and money wasted in seeking answers to the problems that the Patron’s futuristic car idea brought about. It was done — well, almost. The Traction Avant was unleashed onto the French market in 1934. It did not get its automatic transmission or its power stearing (ask any Frenchman over 35 years of age, and he will tell you that they were great cars for building muscles) but it did feature many interesting items not commonly found on cars at TIDY CAR Associate dealer Tom Turner featuring Never wax your car again This coupon is worth 15% off limit one per customer 986-2178 that time, and certainly not — all on thé same car. It had an overhead valve engine, removable cylinder liners, torsion bar suspension with independent front wheel suspension, a monocoque body, and a_ two-piece steering column, a good safety feature. And finally, of course, it had front wheel drive. It was to be the world’s first mass-produced fwd car. The Traction Avant became a legend. It was in production | from March 3, 1934 until the last one rolled off the line in July, 1957. Its days were numbered after the 1955 Paris Auto- show, however, when the Citroen Company first show- ed an astonished world their new D series cars. 3 These carried on in the fwd tradition, as have all Citroens since 1934, This Super car had a slender streamline shape, a unique suspension system, and disc brakes on the front wheels. meater change mnemonic mmr nme tele This was the first time that disc brakes with power assistance had been used, other than on racing cars. The suspension was some- thing else, being a hydraulic system that self-levelled, and where the height of the car _ could be adjusted to accom- modate surfaces. different road During the years many features were added to this. series of cars, not the least of which was the introduction of turning headlights in 1967. This was done by having the low beams fixed in the _ normal manner, but the high beams swivelled with the wheels. There were 1.3 million of these fine cars made by the time production stopped at the old Quai De Javel plant in downtown Paris on April 24, 1975. Citroen had built many new factories throughout Europe, and a new one at Aulnay was created as the birthplace for their Space ship CX model, which followed the D series. The new CX was iike all Citroens, different! Many car manufacturers © have now gone the fwd route. For example, today’s Honda owes its basic concept to the many people I have mention- ed in this article, and also to Sir Alex Issigonis, (whose Mini introduced in 1959 set: new world = standards for small cars) and the Saab --Motor Company; but perhaps particularly to the Citroen Motor Company, with their small 2 CV model launched in 1949 and still going strong. aye © aye ~ Page 75, February 14, 1979 - North Shore News FREE! Pressure fest & cooling system. analysis! GROUT MOTORS (1975) LTD. 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