A getaway car for the middle class.(The Citroen 11)

Byline: ERIC TEGLER

When French crime novelist Georges Simenon put his famous protagonist, Chief Inspector Maigret, in a Citroen 11, he knew what he was doing. Popular with the police, criminals, and members of the French Resistance because of its spirited performance, the Citroen was the quintessential French sedan for 20 years.

The 11 traces its roots to the 1934 Type 7, a car that the financially strapped Citroen hoped would change its fortunes. The Type 7, whose name derived from the output of its 1303-cc four-cylinder engine (fiscal horsepower rating-7CV), failed to save Citroen from bankruptcy, but its basic design was a success. Among its innovative features were unibody construction, independently sprung front wheels, rubber engine mounts, hydraulic brakes and of course Traction Avant-front-wheel drive.

Type 7s were initially produced in a base body size called Legere, in sedan, cabriolet and faux cabriolet configurations. However, the 1934 Paris Motor Show saw the introduction of the larger-bodied Normale, which was 4.7 inches wider and 7.75 inches longer than the Legere. Fitted with a 1911-cc four-banger, the Normale was also referred to as the 11CV, in line with its increased power. Simplifying the name game, French motorists just called the cars Tractions. The basic shape of the sedan remained unchanged until production ended in 1957.

The Traction was truly modern, not only for its front-wheel drive, but also because its torsion-bar/trailing-arm suspension enabled it to sit some seven inches lower than its contemporaries. The low center of gravity made for superb road holding. In ...