Jacqueline Citroën’s Traction

We’ve understood that the lady on these photographs is the late Jacqueline Citroën, daughter of André Citroën, at a Concours D ’Elegance in Deauville in August 1934. She would have been 19 years at the time and the ‘Traction Avant’ had just been launched as the Citroën 7. We love the matching light outfit – shoes, dress, handbag, gloves and hat – they are all in colour with the car. Oh – and is that her dad standing on the passenger side of the car, gently smiling at what has to be the jury?

Not too much seems to be known about the Deauville event, although a similar Concours took place two months earlier, on 8 June 1934, in the Bois de Boulogne. Citroën jumped to the opportunity to show their new model at the time with no less than seven 7s in a wide number of varieties. There were saloons in burgundy, marine blue and white with matching leather upholsteries, two cabriolets in a very light grey and beige and a ‘faux cabriolet’ (that’s the coupé variant) in black. Citroën’s new model came home that day with the ‘Premier Grand Prix’, three ‘Prix d’Honneur’ awards as well as the ‘Prix Special pour l’Aérodynamique’.

But then they weren’t your average Traction Avants. These cars are believed to have been coach-built by the ‘Javel Atelier des Commandés Speciales’. Was that mister Chapron’s headquarter? We think so. We also wonder if the cars from Javel received just extensive paint jobs in exclusive colours plus luxury interiors, or could they actually supply coach-built bodies from Javel, too?

Words Jeroen Booij. Pictures from the archive.

Gepubliceerd:

vrijdag juni 12th, 2020

Grimmo

14 Juni 2020, 23:59

It would be a very poignant photo if André Citroen was in it - mingling with the judges on the right perhaps? For it would have been the last year he spent time with his family at the fashionable racing, yachting and gambling Deauville Summer Season, where his family had been regulars for many years. He had been a heavy gambler in its casino; finally, it is said, losing such a large sum from his personal fortune that he gave up gambling, in casinos, if not in business...

In March 1934, he had lost his company to the banks on instruction from the French Government, when he was “a million” in debt whilst developing the “7”. He retained only a minor role and was beginning to suffer ill health, but where better than Deauville, in front of a rich audience, for one last big publicity event to sell the adaptability of his company’s most innovative chassis underpinning Chapron specials?

Just weeks before in July 1934, a Yacco Oil Company-prepared 1500cc Citroen Rosalie had broken several endurance records at Montlhery. Citroen was in debt to Yacco but he still wagered several million francs against anyone beating the records by July 1935.... Sadly, André Citroen died at the start of that month aged 57, his company already in judicial liquidation and hundreds of “7s” parked at Javel unsold.

As to the 1934 Deauville car event, a “Concours d’Automobile”, organised by the Gaulois, was already a feature of the summer season on the terrace of the “Trouville-Deauville plage” by August 1904. That year car competitions included “Concours d’Adresse”, “Concours au Bouquet” and “Concours de Style”, the latter won by M. Leroy “with a superb automobile, which comprised all the most modern improvements and comforts imaginable”. All the smart set mingled with the serious “chauffeurs”, calling the motorcar “derniere chic”. It had become a Concours d’Elégance Automobile by the 1920s and continued throughout the 1930s under Le Figaro and post WWII.

And pale dresses were considered “de rigueur”, almost a uniform, for Deauville’s in-fashion summer ladies.

Lees verder

Larry A. Lewis

12 Juni 2020, 21:16

That is not Andre Citroen. Not sure who it is, but it's not Andre. I have many books with lots of pictures of him.

Lees verder

Jacqueline Citroën’s Traction

Reacties

Plaats een reactie, stel een vraag, geef uw mening, deel aanvullende informatie of start een discussie door de onderstaande velden in te vullen