Commercial success

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We are no Traction Avant experts here. And with the model having been in production for such a long time (1934-1957) it’s not too easy for us to date this one. All we are sure of is that this is one of the Commerciale variants, with its large top-hinged rear doors turning the Citroën into the world’s first hatchback, according to some.

Citroën

The Commerciale was of course a simple solution that enabled Citroën to offer an existing model with no room for passengers and a clever door as a commercial vehicle. And they were eager to promote it as Columbus’ Egg in their brochure with a series of pictures showing people making good use of their Tractions. The baker could carry five 100kg bags of flour, the milkman eighteen 20-litre churns, the butcher six 50kg sheep or two 100kg calves. And the brewer quite a few of his crated bottles!

We don’t know if this photograph is a Citroën publicity picture or not. The car is very shiny, which may well point in that direction. It’s a great picture nevertheless. We think the banner in the background is for Gruber Beers, which was supposedly based in Strasbourg. That does fit in with the half-timbered premises. But when you zoom in on the crates, it seems the Citroën is actually loaded with cider from ‘Cidrerie Past’ rather than beer.

Words Jeroen Booij. Picture from the archive.

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