Rosengart LR 500 Supertraction cabriolet
French registration - Technically interesting - A seductive design - Same owner for last 20 years - No reserve Contrary to what is sometimes believed, the Citroën Traction Avant was not the first car to have front wheel drive. On this aspect, French carmaker Rosengart was a pioneer: in fact it was Lucien Rosengart who in 1933 introduced the first mass-produced front-wheel drive car in France, the LR 500, which was named Supertraction, a flattering nomenclature. The manufacturer had been impressed by the German car Adler Trumpf and had bought the manufacturing license to make the car in France. Transmission was none other than CV joints from Tracta, developed by the French engineer Jean-Albert Grégoire, who was making his own cars under the brand name of Tracta. He had proven the robustness of the design by performing well at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Supertraction was equipped with a four-cylinder 1650cc engine developing 45bhp, mated to a four-speed gearbox with column shift. Other than front-wheel drive, the Rosengart featured independent suspension at all four corners, and a rack and pinion steering system, which gave the car better dynamics and performance than many of its contemporaries. The lack of a transmission tunnel made the interior roomier. This Supertraction was purchased by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest in 1961, at the opening of the car museum at la Sarthe. The current owner purchased this car in 1993 during an auction at the Palais de Congress, with Hervé Poulain presiding, and it has been in the same hands for the last 20 years. Restored and in good working condition, it comes in a dark blue colour with light blue trim and wheels. The brown interior is in good condition, the dashboard with all instruments elegantly arranged on a metal plate. Interesting from a technical and an aesthetic point of view, this Supertraction offers all the amenities of an open body style and the charm of driving a car from before the war.
French registration - Technically interesting - A seductive design - Same owner for last 20 years - No reserve Contrary to what is sometimes believed, the Citroën Traction Avant was not the first car to have front wheel drive. On this aspect, French carmaker Rosengart was a pioneer: in fact it was Lucien Rosengart who in 1933 introduced the first mass-produced front-wheel drive car in France, the LR 500, which was named Supertraction, a flattering nomenclature. The manufacturer had been impressed by the German car Adler Trumpf and had bought the manufacturing license to make the car in France. Transmission was none other than CV joints from Tracta, developed by the French engineer Jean-Albert Grégoire, who was making his own cars under the brand name of Tracta. He had proven the robustness of the design by performing well at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Supertraction was equipped with a four-cylinder 1650cc engine developing 45bhp, mated to a four-speed gearbox with column shift. Other than front-wheel drive, the Rosengart featured independent suspension at all four corners, and a rack and pinion steering system, which gave the car better dynamics and performance than many of its contemporaries. The lack of a transmission tunnel made the interior roomier. This Supertraction was purchased by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest in 1961, at the opening of the car museum at la Sarthe. The current owner purchased this car in 1993 during an auction at the Palais de Congress, with Hervé Poulain presiding, and it has been in the same hands for the last 20 years. Restored and in good working condition, it comes in a dark blue colour with light blue trim and wheels. The brown interior is in good condition, the dashboard with all instruments elegantly arranged on a metal plate. Interesting from a technical and an aesthetic point of view, this Supertraction offers all the amenities of an open body style and the charm of driving a car from before the war.