Over 12,748,930 euros exchanged hands at the Artcurial Le Mans Classic auction on July 7, but zero of that went toward the lone Citroën that was up for sale. A 1937 Traction 11BL Cabriolet remained unsold with estimates just 105,000 – 125,000 €. Even the ask was down by 20,000 € from what we thought would be an active bidding situation.
Imported from Germany by its previous owner the car had been completely restored in 2012 in Germany. The listing claimed that it was in perfect condition and had only 2,000 km added on since the work was done. The engine benefited from a complete overhaul including the gearbox. Brakes were redone and the exhaust replaced. In order to improve its usability, the previous owner fitted a 12V electrical circuit, along with an alternator. The interior was carefully refurbished in red leather upholstery, carpets and the mounting of a Quillery steering wheel, as well as a Becker Mexico radio. It came with a big history file including a certificate of authenticity.
So, why didn’t it sell? Perhaps the lack of interest was that it was stated the windshield is fixed and not foldable and the rear seats had been removed in favor of increased loading volume. Still, for this price if one wanted the windsheild to fold and the rumble seat back, for a few thousand euros more, that could probably be accomplished.
Photos © Dirk de Jager