Someone Was Crazy Enough to Drop a V8 Into a Citroen Traction Avant

Wait, what? Yes, I'm talking about the iconic executive car that Citroën built from 1934 to 1956. A revolutionary vehicle that pioneered the mass-produced monocoque body and rack-and-pinion steering, it was known under various names and offered with a range of small-displacement four-cylinder engines and a 2.9-liter inline-six.

While stylish and innovative, the Traction Avant wasn't very powerful. The four-cylinder engine delivered as low as 34 horsepower, while the inline-six mill came with 76 horsepower on tap. I always thought that the Traction Avant had some hot-rod potential, but one owner took things to a more extreme level by fitting a 5.0-liter V8 under the hood.

The engine in question is an Oldsmobile unit. Based on its displacement, it should be part of the Rocket series that the brand introduced back in 1949. However, this is a later version of that unit, used across Oldsmobile's lineup in the 1980s. It was also shared with a handful of Buick, Pontiac, and even some Cadillac models back in the day.

The engine was rated at 140 or 180 horsepower in its heyday—not exactly hot-rod numbers, but definitely an improvement over the stock Traction Avant. But the V8 under the hood isn't the only crazy thing about this car. The swap required some heavy modifications and the Traction Avant is now 21.6 inches (548.6 mm) longer than stock.

It also sports a different grille, likely taken from some American car from the era, and I'm pretty sure that the headlamps are bigger. The front bumper is also a bit too massive for a standard Traction Avant. Onto the sides, we can see spare wheels mounted on each side of the hood, yet another feature inspired by 1930s American-made cars.

There are more upgrades to talk about under the skin, starting with a reinforced frame. Stopping power comes from a 1957 Chevrolet, as do suspension components and the differential. The interior also features all sorts of modifications, like a wooden dashboard, a more modern steering wheel, and a radio.

This Traction Avant is truly unique, and you can have it for $23,500. Hard to say whether that's expensive or cheap given the heavy mods, but you can bet on getting a V8-powered one-off for that amount. And you're getting a lot of car, too. Measuring 18 feet (5.5 meters) in length, this thing is longer than the latest-generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class.