Description Appealing French built 11BL variant that was hidden away for 20+ years; running and driving following a sympathetic overhaul including a rebuilt engine; wonderfully solid and original example Andre Citroen came from a different mould.

He was the gifted but enigmatic engineer who founded what was soon to become Europe’s largest car manufacturer in 1919.

Wilfully ambitious, he was so far ahead of his time that he went bust in 1934 only to be rescued by the mighty Michelin tyre company before tragically dying a year later.

What pushed him and his firm over the edge was the extraordinary Traction Avant which positively bristled with new-fangled innovations.

Launched in 1934 it was not only the world’s first mass-produced front-wheel drive car, but also one of the first to feature a welded steel monocoque body, rack-and-pinion steering, hydraulic brakes, synchromesh transmission and independently sprung front suspension.

It was of course a sensation.

By the late 1930s, the...