1939 CITROEN Traction 15 Cabriolet 2.9

Vehicle Overview

This is one of the rarest versions of the Citroen Traction Avant. Its history began shortly before WWII tore the world apart: the TA 15/6 Cabriolet.

Even though some people were concerned about a war with Nazi Germany, others were just relaxed and hopeful that it won’t happen. Thus, they continued with their lavish lives and looked for special vehicles. Therefore, when the Michelin family ordered a particular car from Citroen, the French automaker felt obliged to answer the request. After all, Michelin was the one that saved the carmaker before the launch of the Traction Avant in 1935. Nevertheless, the tire manufacturer still owned a big chunk of shares in Citroen.

Based on the same platform as the regular Citroen TA convertible from 1935, the TA 15 featured a modified bodywork. First, the carmaker added a set of tumble seats, squeezed between the cabin and the trunk, accessible from the outside. Next, these seats were covered by a lid that transformed into the backseat of that folding bench. Finally, behind them, Citroen installed the spare wheel on the trunk’s lid.

Under the hood, the carmaker installed the latest iteration of the inline-six powerplant with a 2.9-liter displacement. That turned to the right instead of the left as on the previous units. Power went to the front wheels via a front-mounted four-speed manual.

Immediately, the automaker received other special requests for 15/6 convertibles. It is unclear if three or four bodyworks were built in 1939, but only one was completed: the one for Michelin. After the war, two of them were also finalized, while the fourth one (if it ever existed) had disappeared.