1955 Citroen Traction Avant 15/6 Hydraulic

1955 Citroen 15/6 Hydraulic. This is a real survivor with 16,171 Kilometers which equals 10,048 miles. Equipped with the original 2.9 liter 6 cylinder engine, 3 speed manual transmission, front wheel drive, and hydraulic load leveling suspension at the rear wheels. This car was purchased by Thompson Corporation in Cleveland to study Citroen's ground breaking hydro-pneumatic suspension. It was stored for a few years in Cleveland and eventually made its way to Harrah's collection in Reno Nevada. When the Harrah's collection was mostly sold off in the late 1980s this Citroen was sold to a collector in Florida. I saw it for sale shortly after this sale, but I could not afford it. A year later, I saw it for sale again and I bought it in 1990. True to the terms of sale, it arrived in totally original condition right down to the 35 year old tires. Interestingly, the car never had a final coat of paint. It was ordered in "shipping primer" like Challenger Motors in California ordered their cars. This arrangement allowed the final customers to have the color of their choice. My wife and I chose the grey / maroon color scheme and the car was painted in 1991. This is still the paint it wears. Over the next 32 years, maintenance was performed on a regular basis. The tires have been changed twice, the battery a few times, the brake fluid many times, and the coolant has been flushed. The brake cylinders have been rebuilt, the radiator has been replaced, several hoses have been replaced, the height adjuster has been rebuilt, and the muffler has been replaced. The front drive axles have been replaced with updated modern drive axles as provided by Brad Nauss. These drive axles make for smooth acceleration especially when accelerating on a curve. Otherwise, the engine, transmission, suspension, clutch and everything has never been disturbed. The originality of this car is legendary. Driving this time capsule is amazing. It is powerful, comfortable, and has the manners of a modern car. It is stable and predictable. It always starts and runs as it should. It has been a stalwart of the Rallye Collection for all these years, and I am sure there is someone out there that will appreciate this car as we have.