COBI Citroen Traction Avant 11CV 1938 - Executive Edition Set 24336

COBI's Citroën Traction Avant 11CV Executive Edition is a 1:12 model built from 2,120 blocks, 37 cm long, produced under Citroën licence. The steering wheel turns the front wheels, the doors open on hinges, the bonnet tilts to show a brick-built engine, the boot opens, and the interior is modelled throughout. A black display stand and a nameplate are included.

The car that destroyed its own company

The Traction Avant of 1934 had front-wheel drive, a monocoque body with no separate chassis, and independent torsion-bar suspension. Every one of those is standard on the car in your driveway. In 1934 no mass-produced car had all three.

André Citroën bet the company on it. He rebuilt the entire Quai de Javel factory for the new production method, spent an amount that no accountant had approved, and pushed the car into production before the development was finished. Early cars had gearbox and suspension failures, warranty claims mounted, and Citroën could not pay its suppliers.

Michelin, the largest creditor, took control of the company in December 1934. André Citroën died of stomach cancer seven months later, aged 57, having lost the firm that carried his name.

The car went on to be built until 1957, sold three quarters of a million, and is generally reckoned one of the most influential designs in automotive history. He was right about all of it except the timing.

What the 1:12 scale means

At 37 centimetres this is a large object with a working steering linkage and a modelled engine bay — closer to a scale model than a toy, and it needs a shelf decided on in advance.

In the COBI range

Set 24337 is the same car in the standard edition without the display stand. The smaller 1:35 Tractions are sets 2263, 2265, 2266 and 2267.

Specifications

Pieces: 2,120 · Scale: 1:12 · Licensed by Citroën · Display stand and nameplate
Model length: 37 cm (14.6 in)