Wednesday, May 11, 2005
1953 Citroen 11 B
Shows/events • Weekly Cruise Nights
BY BRIAN BEAULIEU
Journal Staff Writer
You don't see many Citroens -- not that many crossed the
Atlantic, and no French cars are imported now -- but there is nothing
Peter Yasigian of Cumberland would rather drive. "It's a great handling
car," he says.
His 1953 11 B was way ahead of its time, considering that it was
made from 1934 to 1957 with very few changes, a total production of
about 850,000. It has front-wheel drive, torsion bar suspension on all
four wheels, a wide-track stance, rack and pinion steering and unibody
construction, among other advances.
For the Yasigians, it's a real family car. His wife, Debbie, and
children pitched in to help get it in shape a year ago when his
daughter wanted to take it to her senior prom. The car sat in the
garage since 1992 and mice had gotten to the upholstery. Fortunately,
new restoration parts are readily available.
Also replaced were the brake hoses and linings, the master cylinder,
and the carburetor was rebuilt. "We redid everything, A to Z," Yasigian
says.
Yasigian bought the car from someone he knew in Washington, D.C. He
is a native of Egypt, and Citroen was the car of choice for his family
there. Although it isn't fast, the car has a low center of gravity that
Yasigian says enabled it to outmaneuver any car in the '50s and '60s,
and even a '70s BMW owned by a friend.
A pediatrician, Yasigian babies the car, and last summer put only
200 miles on it. There's still some work to be done, including cleaning
up the engine compartment and replacing a headlight.
Engine/transmission: Inline 4-cylinder; three-speed manual.
Color: Gray.
Mileage: 150,000.
Plate: KY 890.
Can be seen: Main Street, Woonsocket, on Wednesdays.
Condition: Ongoing restoration.
If you have a classic car you wish to be considered for this feature, please
e-mail bbeaulie@projo.com with
details.
Shows/events •
Weekly Cruise
Nights
Cruise nights that are not held weekly are listed by date
in our shows/events listing.
MAY
Thursday, May 12 -- Regional High School, Route 106, South Easton,
Mass., 6-9.
Friday, May 13 -- St. Mary's Church, Dartmouth Street, Dartmouth, Mass., 5-9.
Saturday and Sunday, May 14 and 15 -- Swap meet and car show, Tweeter Center
grounds, Routes 140 and 495, Mansfield, Mass. 6 a.m.-dusk Saturday, 6 a.m.-6
p.m. Sunday.
Sunday, May 15 -- All-makes show, St. Angelo Buick-Pontiac-GMC, 500 Taunton
Ave., East Providence, 8-4. Postponed from May 1.
Sunday, May 15 -- J.B. Francis School, 325 Miantonomo Drive, Warwick, 9-3.
Sunday, May 15 -- Cadillac day, Museum of Transportation, Newton Street, Brookline,
Mass., 9-3.
May 17 -- Brooks Pharmacy plaza, Washington Street, Canton, Mass., 5-dusk.
May 18 -- American Legion post, Route 79, south of Route 140, Berkley, Mass.,
5-dusk.
May 20 -- Shawmut Diner, Hathaway Road, Exit 3 off Route 140, New Bedford,
Mass., 5-9.
May 21 -- Market Place Plaza, 1160 Stafford Rd., Tiverton, 4-dusk.
May 21 -- Kruse auction, Topsfield Fair grounds, 200 Boston St., Topsfield,
Mass., 10 a.m.
May 22 -- Judged show, Topsfield Fair grounds, 200 Boston St., Topsfield,
Mass., 10 a.m.
May 22 -- Italian car day, Museum of Transportation, Newton Street, Brookline,
Mass., 9-3. May 28 -- Elks Lodge, Route 152, Attleboro, Mass., 4-9.
May 29 -- Bristol Stomp rally, driving events, Elks Lodge, Route 152, Attleboro,
Mass., 9-3.
May 29 -- Riverside show, Fred's Service Center, 3730 Pawtucket Ave., East
Providence, 9-2:30.
May 30 -- Johnston Memorial Park, Route 6, Johnston, 9-3.
JUNE
June 3 -- Mattapoisett wharf, Mattapoisett, Mass., 5-9.
June 4-5 -- Concours d'Elegance, Roger Sherman Baldwin Park, 100 Arch St.,
Greenwich, Conn., 10-5. American cars on Saturday, European cars on Sunday.
June 4 -- Rock 'n' roll ramble, Heritage Gardens, 67 Grove St., Sandwich,
Mass., 10-2.
June 4 -- British car dyno day and car show, New England Dyno and Tuning,
7 Lenora St., Worcester, Mass., exit 10A off Mass. Pike, 8-5.
June 5 -- All-Pontiac show, Fiore Pontiac, Route 2, Warwick, 9-3.
June 5 -- Mopar show, Golfland, Manchester, Conn., 9-3.
June 5 -- French car day, Museum of Transportation, Newton Street, Brookline,
Mass., 9-3.
June 12 -- July Fourth committee show, Guiteras School, Route 114, Bristol,
9-3.
June 12 -- Corvette day, Museum of Transportation, Newton Street, Brookline,
Mass., 9-3.
June 17 -- British car rally, leaves from Gazebo at the Village Green, Route
116, North Scituate, to mystery location, 6-6:30
June 18 -- British cars, Heritage Gardens, 67 Grove St., Sandwich, Mass.,
10-2.
June 18 -- Camaro-Firebird day, Museum of Transportation, Newton Street, Brookline,
Mass., 9-3.
June 19 -- Corvette show, New England Institute of Technology, off Jefferson
Boulevard, Warwick, 9-3.
June 19 -- German car day, Museum of Transportation, Newton Street, Brookline,
Mass., 9-3.
June 25 -- Orphan car day (Packards, Studebakers, etc.) Museum of Transportation,
Newton Street, Brookline, Mass., 9-3.
June 26 -- Forever Ford show, Goddard State Park, 345 Ives Rd., Warwick, 8
a.m.-2:30 p.m.
June 26 -- Smith's Castle, 55 Richard Smith Drive, off Route 1, North Kingstown,
10-3.
June 26 -- All-Chevy show, Diamond Hill State Park, Route 114, Cumberland,
9-3.
June 26 -- British car day, Museum of Transportation, Newton Street, Brookline,
Mass., 9-3.
WEEKLY CRUISE NIGHTS
Sundays
Sam's Club, Route 6, Seekonk, Mass., 5-dusk.
Mondays
Burger King-Krispy Creme lot, Sockanosset and Pontiac Avenue, Cranston, 6-9,
begins May 16.
Seekonk Speedway, Route 6, Seekonk, Mass., 6-dusk.
Towne Pizza, Plum Corner, off Route 105, Rochester, Mass., 5-9.
Motorcycles, Chan's Restaurant, 267 Main St., Woonsocket, 5:30-8:30.
Tuesdays
A&W, Route 44, Smithfield, 6-9.
Oakland Beach, Warwick, 5-9, begins May 24.
Jukebox Diner, Route 6, Somerset, Mass., 5-9.
Slater Park, Pawtucket, 5-9.
Patriot's Bar and Grille, Routes 140 and 126, Bellingham, Mass., 6-9.
Wednesdays
Warwick Mall, food court entrance, Route 2, Warwick, 6-9, begins May 18.
Denny's, Exit 7 off Route 95, Coventry, 6-9.
Main Street, Woonsocket, 5:30-8:30, begins June 1.
Thursdays
Scramblers diner, off Route 122, Woonsocket, 5-9.
Star Drive-In, exit 10 off Route 140, Taunton, Mass. 5-9.
TGI Fridays, Routes 117 and 2, Warwick, 5-dusk. .
Fridays
MacDonald's, Stop & Shop plaza, Route 122, Cumberland, 6-9.
Firestone tire store, Post Road, Route 1, Warwick, 6-9, begins May 20.
Gazebo at the Village Green, Route 116, North Scituate, 5-dusk. British cars
and others.
Milk Bottle restaurant, Route 138, Raynham, Mass., 5:30-7:30.
Saturdays
Carousel at Crescent Park Drive, Riverside, 5-8.
Cliquot cruise, Route 109, Millis, Mass. 6-9.
Gillette Corner, behind MacDonald's, Routes 10 and 202 Southwick, Mass., 6-9.
To list an event, e-mail information to Bbeaulie@projo.com, phone
(401) 277-7179, fax (401) 277-8175 or write to Brian Beaulieu, Journal Features
Department,
75 Fountain St., Providence, RI 02902.
