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Citroën TA

Citroën Traction Avant

Citroën Traction Avant
With the Traction Avant, Citroën showed for the first time that it was more than a normal car manufacturer. The first front-wheel drive Citroën was a car that was way ahead of its time. Maybe a little too far at start.

Services for Citroën TA

Maintenance & Repair

CQS classics provides your beloved classic Citroën with a check-up or maintenance. We are experts in restoring and repairing your car to it’s original appearance.

Check-up

Next points will be overlooked by performing a check-up of your classic:

  • Level of liquids like break fluid and window fluid
  • Condition filters
  • Complete ignition circuit
  • Condition breaks
  • Suspension, steering and driving condition
  • Condition hydraulic circuit if present
  • Steering and suspension lubrication
  • Lighting, horn and windscreen wipers
  • Tire and tire pressure condition
  • Complete starter and charging circuit
  • Engine adjustment
  • Engine and gearbox mounts
  • Check-up of complete lower panel

Depending on the number of kilometers driven and the elapsed time since the previous maintenance, the above parts will be replaced when necessary. Of course, this is always done in consultation with the customer. We would like to ask you to make an appointment if your car needs maintenance.

After this check-up and any repairs, your car is technically ready for the road. If the car needs to be inspected, the only thing left for us to do is to adjust the lights and the hydrocarbon. Afterwards you can drive to the technical inspection yourself, or we can do this for you.

Welding

Rust is quite possibly the greatest enemy of any classic car and your Citroën DS is no different in this respect. Unfortunately desperate situations call for desperate measures. Sometimes minor welding is sufficient, such as welding a new inner panel or part of the underbody. But sometimes more radical interventions are necessary, such as the replacement of the sills or the entire underbody. The kind of job that is best left to professionals.

CQS Classics always uses the same method. Together with you, we take a critical look at the car, after which we send you a quote of the parts that need replacing/welding.

Then our experienced welders set to work. They use top-class parts and the right materials. And they take the original welds and spot welds into account. This is the only way you can avoid situations such as doors that no longer seamlessly close after a restoration.

CQS Classics can also give your car a thorough anti-rust treatment, ensuring it can withstand the test of time in all weather conditions.

Bodywork

CQS Classics has years of experience working with classic cars, especially post-war classic Citroëns. This means that CQS Classics can advise and assist you every step of the way, with minor or major bodywork.

Here is what CQS Classics can offer you:

  1. We have colour cards and the codes of all the original paints used by Citroën. That way you can be certain that your HY will be repainted in the right colour of your choice. You can also choose another, non-original Citroën colour.
  2. To avoid differences in colour during partial repaint jobs, we always start by checking a painted part, to determine the exact composition of the paint.
  3. We can also paint parts that you can then assemble yourself. E.g., parts that need replacing because of rust or damage.
  4. Naturally we only use top-class products to guarantee a top-notch result.

Are you interested in a free quote or do you want to review the different options with us? Contact us for an appointment. CQS Classics is at your service.

Partial Restoration

CQS Classics gives you the option to restore your Citroën TA to its original condition in various phases.

You can choose to bring your car to CQS Classics during the winter months. We take advantage of this ‘hibernation’ to perform the necessary repairs and restoration so that you can enjoy your old-timer again during the summer months.

How we proceed:

  1. You make an appointment and bring us your car.
  2. We look over your TA with you and discuss your wishes. After a thorough review by our specialists, we can assist you in a professional manner to determine the priorities.
  3. We draw up a phased plan in consultation with you, taking into account your budget and timing.

All work is done in consultation and in accordance with your wishes and specifications.

Total Restoration

CQS Classics restores your Citroën TA to its original glory during one comprehensive restoration, in accordance with your wishes.

We take care of every aspect of the car during this total restoration, including the mechanics, the electricity and the bodywork.

How we proceed:

  1. We make an appointment for a preliminary visual inspection. We prefer to do this in our own workshop, but we can also come to you if necessary.
  2. We examine your TA with you and listen to your wishes. We also advise you on what we think is necessary to restore your TA to mint condition.
  3. We prepare an indicative quote, which we discuss with you.
  4. After you have approved our quote, we draw up a restoration agreement, in which we summarise all the works, budgets and agreements.
  5. You can follow the restoration process with your personal link to our website while we work on your car.

Interested?

If you are interested in a quotation without obligation, or if you would like to go over the various possibilities with us, please do not hesitate to make an appointment.

Want to see more?

Are you curious about some of our projects?
Then check out our examples of Citroën TA on our portfolio page.

History

The testament of André Citroën

The Citroën 7CV was unveiled on 24 March 1934. In so doing, André Citroën decided to go against tradition, choosing not to launch the new car at the Paris Motor Show as was customary in those days. Perhaps the founder of the brand sensed that this would be his last car.

The 7CV ‘Traction Avant’ had everything that André Citroën had in mind. A spacious family car, with a smaller engine (1303 cc), which was interesting for tax reasons but which also outclassed the competition. While it may not have been the first front-wheel drive car, it was the most pioneering model on the market, with its quietly ‘floating’ engine (invented by Chrysler, from whom Citroën had acquired the rights) and its hydraulic brakes.

When the new Citroën was finally shown at the Paris Motor Show in October 1934, the company pulled out all the stops to convince the public of the car’s technological ingenuity. One car was sawn in two lengthwise to highlight its structure, while the engine had been disconnected from the bodywork in another car to demonstrate the principle. “Much like the horse draws the cart, the engine draws the 7CV”, was the explanation.

Unfortunately the company filed for bankruptcy soon after, leading to the takeover by Michelin in 1935. André Citroën, who was already very ill by then, was dismissed and died on 3 July 1935. He never got to witness the much-deserved success of his last creation.

Production of the Traction Avant continued until 1957, meaning it was produced concurrently with the DS. The 15H, the top-of-the-line model with the six-cylinder engine, had hydropneumatic rear suspension, ensuring the ride height remained the same regardless of the payload.

The Traction Avant was not just built in France. From 1934 until 1956, Citroën built 31,700 Tractions in its Vorst plant in Belgium. Cars that had a reputation for being more luxurious, with a nicer finish.

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