Susan and Simon of the local Days on the Claise blog drove their vintage Citroën Traction Avant to Saint-Aignan Friday evening, on their way to a Saturday event over near Vierzon. They asked us if they could park Célestine in our driveway, which they prefer to leaving her out in public overnight.
I think Célestine is about 60 years old. Simon or Susan might tell us if I'm mistaken. I hope I'm not being indiscreet about the lady's age... The last Traction car rolled off the assembly line in 1957, apparently. The famous Citroën DS (déesse or goddess) was its successor. My Citroën C4 is only a distant descendant.
Susan and Simon run a business called Loire Valley Time Travel. They design custom tours for people who want to spend a day, or a few days, being driven around French château country in a classic car to see the sights.
I was afraid that the Traction wouldn't fit through our front gate, but I shouldn't have worried. Simon backed the car right in — no muss and no fuss. Célestine is not as wide or as long as she looks in photos.
During the night, Bertie the black cat jumped up on Célestine and walked around on her roof. Luckily, the car was under a cover, as you can see in the first photo above, so the paw prints didn't mar the car's shiny black paint.
That is one remarkable looking car. It gives me a different view, seeing her in your yard -- plus, views of your yard I'm not used to. And... Bertie! All good things :)
ReplyDeleteGreat photos :-) Thanks for the loan of your driveway.
ReplyDeleteOooo! Nice...
ReplyDeleteLike the Goddess, the Traction Avant is a design classic...
they got all the lines right... even under the cover she looks right!!
There are two British pre-war/just post war designs a Riley and a Rover that have similar "lines"...
but they just don't have that majesty that a car like Célestine has in spades!
I have seen them together in the same "age" class at a classic car event in the UK....
and it was the TA that you couldn't get a clear picture of for all the people admiring her...
and ignoring her Brit counterparts!!
Love the last image, especially!
I took the photos of Célestine with the Lumix TZ60. The second one is not at all sharp though. I was lucky with the fourth one — perfect light, I think.
DeleteI opened up this page in front of Paul. When the only picture we could see was under the cover, he said "Ah, une traction!". As soon as I scrolled down, he said "'56" and then the model, but I didn't catch what he said. Let us know if he guessed the year right. We've been married almost 44 years; from the beginning, I knew I'd married a car enthusiast, a Citroën fan. If he ever goes senile, I think the last memories he'll have are cars. This one is a beauty and in wonderful condition.
ReplyDeleteLe bon vieux temps du film noir !
ReplyDeleteVery smart!
ReplyDeleteSue and I have had past intimate relationships with Celestine. As a past Traction Avant owner (five in total), we have very fond memories of driving these wonderful cars and the smiles you collect from those in more modern marques.
ReplyDeleteLovely car. Big jump from the Celestine to the Godess though.
ReplyDeleteWhen you consider that the Traction was designed in the early 1930s, and the DS more than 20 years later... well.
Deleteand cats always notice when there's something new around to jump up on
ReplyDelete