Citroen Traction Avant
Citroen Traction Avant Tyres Explained
“ … my 1938 cv7 Rides great but they are by far the most expensive tires I've ever bought! But totally worth it because it's a lot of black paint on my car :) ”
Citroen Traction Tyres
The Citroen Traction Avant fits a range of Michelin tyres depending on the model:
- 165 SR 400 Michelin X or 130/140 x 40 Michelin SCSS for a Citroen Traction Avant 7A, 7B, 7 Sport & 7C.
- These tyres are best suited to Michelin 16E innertubes.
- 165R400 Michelin or 150/160x40 Michelin SCSS for a Citroen Traction Avant 11B, 11BC, 11D, 11 Légère, 11BL, 11 Normale, & Light 15.
- We can also now offer a 165SR400 Michelin X Whitewall tyre for the Traction Avant.
- These white wall Michelins are also on special offer in sets such as this Set of 5 165R400 Michelin X White Wall.
- Longstone suggests the 185 R 400 Michelin X for a Citroen Traction Avant 15/6 (known as a Big 6 in the UK), Big 15 & 22 Horsepower.
- The later hydraulic 6 cylinder cars fitted 185 R 400 Michelin X.
- The 150/160x40 Michelin SCSS and the 185 R 400 Michelin X are best suited to a Michelin 16F innertube.
Citroen Traction Avant Recommended Tyres
Other Options for Citroen Traction Avant Tyres
History of the Citroen Traction Avant
The Citroen Traction Avant, often known as the Light 15, was initially displayed to the public on April 18, 1934. This ground-breaking vehicle included a slew of firsts, including monocoque structure, front-wheel drive, all-around torsion bar suspension, and hydraulic brakes. The Citroen Traction Avant 7A, with 32 horsepower was swiftly followed by the 7B with 35 horsepower and 7 Sport boasting a whopping 46 horsepower.
Radial Traction Avant Tyres
From about 1949 Citroen offered the new Michelin X tyres in the size 165 SR 400, and 185 R 400 for the big 15 from 1953.
During its lifetime the Citroen Traction Avant was available as a 4 door saloon, faux cabriolet, roadster, commerciale (with possibly the first production hatchback), coupe and familiale (with 8 seats!). The high development costs of the Citroen Traction Avant (Light 15) were directly responsible for the death of André Citroën and its consequent takeover by Michelin who owned Citroën until 1974. The iconic Citroen Traction Avant (Light 15) which wowed the world with its tenacious handling, magnificent comfort and advanced styling (so good even W.O.Bentley owned one!) ceased production in 1957.
Cross Ply Citroen Traction Avant Tyres
In 1935 the Citroen Traction (Light 15) 7C was launched with 36 bhp replacing the Citroen Traction Avant (Light 15) 7B. The 7 Sport was replaced by the 11 Légère (light) during this year. 1935 also saw the introduction of the Light 15 11CV which was wider and longer than the Light 15 7C and was fitted with a 1.9-litre engine. The Citroen Traction Avant (Light 15) 7 series came with either 130/140x40 Michelin SCSS or 150/160x40 Michelin SCSS tyres.
1938 saw the biggest change to the Traction Avant family with the introduction of the 15 Six or Big 15. This car came with a 2.8 litre 6 cylinder engine which necessitated a longer bonnet with cooling grilles fitted. This year also saw the fitment of the Michelin Pilote wheels with 165 SR 400 Michelin X tyres. This entailed widening the wheel arches by 5cm.