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| Dr. Smith and his new Citroën 1960s Photo (c) Abbott P. Smith |
Abbott "Pete" Smith D.V.M. June 16, 1938 - February 22, 2010 |
“Ka-Chow! I wanted to give the folks a little sizzle.”
Citroën (French pronunciation: [sitʁɔɛn]) is a
French brand of automobiles owned by Stellantis. In 1934, the firm established
its reputation for innovative technology with the Traction Avant.
What is Traction Avant? In French it means “front traction” or
front-wheel-drive. A snazzy car, it was one of Pete’s favorites. This old
photo/slide of Pete was tucked away in an envelope by itself - Pete at the
Citroën dealer. Here’s an excerpt from Milliron: The Biography…
Pete was fascinated with
his Citroën. Jody’s brother, Gary, while in the US Navy drove a Citroën, and
Pete was impressed that the car could travel in deep snow. The car had five
levels of carriage hydraulics, lifting the car when necessary, settling down on
a street curb, or dodging flood waters. Parking the car at a Pennsylvania
Turnpike on a trip to visit Pete’s folks, Pete turned the ignition off and the
car began setting down as usual. “We were heading into a restaurant,” Jody
said, “when we heard someone yelling ‘give me my broom!’ A boy had been
sweeping the street in front of the restaurant and the Citroën was sitting on
the end of his broom. Pete went back to the car, started the engine, and lifted
the car off the broom. The boy just kept sweeping as if nothing had happened.”
Pete
liked the Citroën because it could easily travel 120 mph in any kind of
weather. “One time, he was on his way to a foaling case in Meigs County,” Jody remembers,
“and his Citroën had a flat tire, but the car automatically leveled itself and
Pete continued driving. When at his destination, Pete changed the tire. The car
was front-wheel-drive and got 30 miles per gallon.”
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