Spring 1933, in the Citroën offices on Quai de Javel in Paris. One Saturday morning, André Citroën paces nervously. For months, all the bodywork projects presented to him for his future automotive revolution have disappointed him. It has to be beautiful, it has to be modern, it has to make an impression . But here, nothing. Only classics, only déjà vu.

And that's when Flaminio Bertoni, the young 30-year-old Italian designer who's only recently started working at Citroën, comes in. The guy looks at his boss and says, "Give me the weekend, I'll make you something." André Citroën shrugs, skeptical , but hey, what does he have to lose?

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What Citroën doesn't know is that that weekend will change the history of the automobile. Bertoni locks himself in his workshop with a lump of Plastiline and works non-stop. No pencil, no ruler, no compass. Just his hands and his genius. He sculpts. All Saturday night, all Sunday. When he comes out on Monday morning, his eyes red with fatigue, he holds in his hands the model of what will become the Citroën Traction Avant .

I have to confess something: I've always been fascinated by those moments when history takes a turn. And right now, we're right in the middle of it. In one night, Bertoni invented the lines of the modern automobile. But wait, because the story of the Traction begins long before that magical night, and it's even crazier than you think.

André Citroën, the visionary who saw things too big

To understand the madness of the Traction Avant, you first have to understand its creator. André Citroën is the Steve Jobs of the 1930s automobile . The guy founded his brand in 1919 and within fifteen years, he had built it into the fourth largest car manufacturer in the world. Not bad for a former World War I shell manufacturer.

But André Citroën isn't just an industrialist. He's a visionary obsessed with innovation. He wants to revolutionize the automobile industry , whatever the cost. And that's going to cost him dearly. Very dearly.

In the early 1930s, Citroën sensed that the automotive market was about to change. Cars were beginning to become more democratic, but they were still archaic. Separate chassis, cable brakes, rear-wheel drive ... all of this was technology from the last century. He wanted to create the future.

The Fired Engineer Who Would Change History

And that's where André Lefèbvre comes in. This guy is the archetype of the misunderstood genius engineer. A graduate of the École Supérieure de l'Aéronautique, a competitive pilot, a brilliant mind ... but here's the thing: he works at Renault, and Louis Renault can't stand him.

Why? Because Lefèbvre had revolutionary ideas that were disturbing. He talked about front-wheel drive, monocoque bodies, independent suspensions. Crazy stuff for the time . Louis Renault, on the other hand, preferred traditional methods. So in December 1933, he fired Lefèbvre.

Big mistake. Three months later, André Citroën hired the engineer and gave him a mission: to create the car of tomorrow. And there, my friends, we are about to witness a festival of innovations.

You know what amazes me about this story? Lefèbvre was impressed by a racing car called the Tracta, which had shone at the 1927 24 Hours of Le Mans with its front-wheel drive. Six years later, he adapted this racing technology to make a production car . The guy was a visionary.

The race against time

August 1933. André Citroën validates Lefèbvre's first prototypes. He gives the green light for a completely crazy project : to release a revolutionary car in less than a year. To give you an idea, today, it takes 5 to 7 years to develop a new car. They give themselves 9 months.

And I remind you that we're not just talking about a restyling or an evolution. We're talking about revolutionizing the automobile . Front-wheel drive, monocoque bodywork, four-wheel hydraulic brakes, torsion bar suspension... They're inventing everything at the same time.

Imagine the stress in the offices on the Quai de Javel. Engineers are working day and night , Bertoni is refining his revolutionary lines, and André Citroën is pacing back and forth, wondering if he's ruining his company.

Because that's the thing. This car is going to cost a fortune to develop . The entire factory needs to be converted, workers trained in new techniques, and new machines invested in. André Citroën is betting everything on this project. Literally everything.

The Traction Avant was more than just a revolutionary car—it was a symbol of French ingenuity that would define its era. When it was launched in 1934, no one imagined it would become one of the most influential cars in automotive history.

And you know what? This Traction reminds me why I love miniature cars. Because holding a small 1/43 scale Traction in your hands is a bit like experiencing that entire revolutionary era all at once.

That's why I opened my shop BernardMiniatures.fr. I have more than 1,500 miniatures in stock, mostly 1/43 scale, with a nice selection of French cars from the 1930s to the 1990s. Well, I'm not a big site, so I often only have one or two pieces of each model, but that's also what makes it charming. I have Citroën of course, but also Renault, Peugeot, classic cars that have made their mark on history...

Delivery is free from 75€ in France, and I make sure to wrap everything well with bubble wrap because these little cars break easily.

Go take a look at bernardminiatures.fr if you're interested - and you'll see, I have some Traction miniatures that are really worth a look.

Now, let's talk a little more about this technical revolution that will revolutionize the automobile industry...

May 3, 1934: Birth of a revolution

May 3, 1934, Quai de Javel. The first customer takes delivery of his Traction Avant . Nine months after the start of studies, the impossible has become reality. André Citroën has met his crazy deadlines.

So what makes this car so revolutionary? Hold on tight, because the list goes on .

First, front-wheel drive. By 1934, almost all cars had rear-wheel drive. With front-wheel drive, the engine drove the steered wheels . The result: exceptional handling, especially in the rain or on slippery roads. No more tailspin, no more uncontrolled skidding.

The monocoque body: a hidden revolution

Then there's the monocoque body. That's truly genius . Traditionally, a car is a chassis on which a body is placed. Lefèbvre, on the other hand, does away with the chassis. The body becomes the structure itself.

Can you imagine the benefits? Lighter, stiffer, lower center of gravity . And most importantly, it allows for a flat floor inside. No more transmission tunnels eating up passenger footwell space.

To achieve this, Citroën uses a process patented by the American Budd. As a result, they are the first in the world to master this technique on a production car . Revolutionary, I tell you.

And then there are four-wheel hydraulic brakes. In 1934, most cars still had cable brakes. You press the pedal, it pulls on cables, and with a little luck, it brakes . With hydraulic brakes, it's more progressive, more efficient, more reliable.

Innovations that still set the standard

Torsion bar suspension is also revolutionary. Instead of conventional springs, Lefèbvre uses metal bars that twist . More compact, more efficient, more durable.

And the "floating" engine! The engine is suspended on flexible mounts to limit vibrations. Today, it's standard on all cars. In 1934, it was science fiction.

I could go on for hours. Independent wheels, gearbox in front of the engine ... Every detail of this car is an innovation. No wonder it has made history.

The tragedy of André Citroën

But here's the tragic paradox of this story. The Traction Avant will save the automobile... and kill its creator . At least, financially speaking.

Because all these innovations cost an arm and a leg. André Citroën invested huge sums in the development and conversion of his factories. And unfortunately, at first, the Traction had teething problems. Gearbox problems, loose transmission seals, broken torsion bars...

The first customers were not kind. They admired the performance and revolutionary style, but they were fed up with the breakdowns . Meanwhile, competitors sniggered, predicting Citroën's failure.

July 1934. André Citroën is at the end of his financial rope . He is forced to sell his company to Michelin to avoid bankruptcy. To make matters worse, the car designed to save him hastened his downfall.

A year later, on July 3, 1935, André Citroën died, penniless, without seeing the phenomenal success of his creation . It is one of the most poignant tragedies in automotive history. The visionary left just before his vision triumphed.

The mysterious Traction 22 V8

And let's talk about one of the most fascinating mysteries of French motoring: the Traction 22 V8 . In 1934, while engineers were refining the production version, a handful of examples of a high-performance version were produced.

A 3822 cm³ V8 engine, an insane amount of power for the time . About twenty examples were produced, no more. But when Michelin took over Citroën, the order came down: destroy all the elements of this overly expensive project.

The result: Even today, enthusiasts dream of discovering one of these legendary models hidden in a forgotten barn. Somewhere in France, perhaps a Traction V8 is waiting to be rediscovered. That's the kind of mystery that excites me.

The posthumous triumph

But anyway, back to our story. Because the Traction Avant would finally triumph over all its detractors . The teething problems were resolved, production improved, and the public began to understand the genius of this car.

In July 1934, 250 copies left the workshops on the Quai de Javel every day . The Citroën machine was running at full speed. And gradually, the Traction's reputation was built.

This car will go through History with a capital H. During the war, it became the car of the German Gestapo, then of the resistance . It is linked to the clichés of the Traction Gang, these legendary robbers of the 30s and 40s.

But it is also the car of the French Forces of the Interior, the unsung heroes who liberated France. An ambivalent car, a witness to all eras .

Exceptional longevity

And you know what? This revolutionary car would last 23 years in production . 23 years! From 1934 to 1957. Even after the presentation of the DS in 1955, which was supposed to replace it, production continued.

Around 760,000 units were built in total. A phenomenal commercial success for a car so revolutionary at the time.

And hold on to your hats: the last Traction Avant assembled in 1957 was sold by Mr. Dufour, a dealer in Saint-Malo ... the same man who had sold the first Familiale 23 years earlier in 1934! This anecdote perfectly illustrates the loyalty that this car has created.

The Eternal Legacy

Today, when you get into your modern car, you're driving in the direct legacy of the Traction Avant . Front-wheel drive, monocoque bodywork, independent suspension, hydraulic brakes... All these revolutionary elements from 1934 still equip our cars today.

That's the genius of André Lefèbvre and his team. They invented the modern automobile almost overnight . Ninety years later, we're still driving their innovations.

Flaminio Bertoni, with his revolutionary sculpting method, also left his mark on the history of automotive design. After the Traction, he designed the 2CV, the DS, the Ami 6 ... All icons. The guy was truly a genius.

And where does André Citroën fit in? He died too soon to see his dream fully realized . But his legacy lives on. This obsession with innovation, this desire to revolutionize rather than evolve, remains in Citroën's DNA today.

You know, I've always thought that the Traction Avant is the perfect story to understand the French automobile . This ability we had to be revolutionary, to take crazy risks, to invent the future.

Well, it sometimes ended badly for those who dared, like André Citroën. But without these slightly crazy visionaries, we might still be driving cars from the 19th century .

The next time you pass a Traction Avant on the street, take a second to realize that you are looking at the automobile that invented our era . This car, born from a night of genius by Bertoni and the brilliant mind of Lefèbvre, literally changed the world.

And that, my friends, is what we call a real revolution .