Citroën Traction Avant 7A
Citroën put front-wheel drive, a low body and unitary construction together in a family car that looked unlike almost anything else on the road.
1934 Citroen Traction Avant 7A.jpg · kitmasterbloke · CC BY 2.0
Research pending
A matching completed auction sale has not been verified for this exact year, body, trim, engine, transmission and market.
Joyride shows this gap instead of substituting an asking price, unsold bid or mismatched special vehicle.
More than a set of wheels.
Production of the first Traction Avant, the 7A, began on April 18, 1934. This page follows that short-lived French launch version with the 1,303 cc engine, not the larger 7B, 7C, 11 or six-cylinder 15 that followed. Its body and floor formed one load-carrying shell instead of sitting on a separate chassis, while the engine drove the front wheels. Those choices made the car low and roomy, but its rushed introduction also brought early reliability troubles that Citroën had to correct.
Look a little closer.
The name is delightfully literal: Traction Avant means front-wheel drive in French.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
A very short first chapter
The 7A was produced for only a few weeks before the 7B replaced it in June 1934. That makes exact identification important: the famous Traction family lasted for decades, but the 1,303 cc 7A is the small-engined starting point.
Source: L’Aventure Citroën · Traction Avant at 90 ↗Three ideas working together
Front-wheel drive was only one part of the design. A unitary body, torsion-bar independent front suspension and hydraulic brakes helped give the Traction its low stance and modern road behavior. The combination mattered more than any single invention.
Source: Citroënët · Traction Avant technical data ↗Where these facts come from
- L’Aventure Citroën · Traction Avant at 90
- Citroënët · Traction Avant technical data
- Cats Citroën Net · Traction Avant 7A history
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed September 29, 2026.