El Teide - Tenerife La Reina Negra 
Aquí su espacio para la promoción
de su empresa
Aquí su espacio para la promoción
de su empresa

THE YEARS 1980 – 1986: My College Time

I didn´t know anything about the Traction Avant.
In November 1980, I became the youngest member of
“Traction Avant Nederland”.
On Wednesday evenings, I went once per month to the
Traction Club of the region “The Hague”.
Mr. Theo van der Laan was the president of the club and his performance was very professional.
(Today, Mr.van der Laan has a unique collection of Traction Avants)

Mr. van der Laan and his son also visited La Reina Negra at my father's nursery.
His first reaction after looking at the car : “ I have never seen a Traction in such a good original condition “
My father on the contrary had a different point of view :
“Why don´t you throw that car in the brook, my son ?! But one thing must be said.
Thanks to the flexibility of my father and his brother Gerrit Bos , La Reina Negra was standing at the nursery in Boskoop for almost 6 years !
Thanks anyway for that !

With the help of mechanic Mr. Slootjes , the engine finally ran on the 7th of December 1982.
The car now needed to be driven back to Boskoop.
But having no doors, brake lights … it was asking for trouble with the police.
I took the risk and avoided the police but not the rain !!
My first reaction behind the steering wheel :
What fantastic roadholding !!!
On the journey I was accompanied by my sister , her friend , my brother and my mum.
They all had a lovely shower (…..) during the journey !

La empresa de mi padre en Boskoop
My father's company in Boskoop

La Reina Negra en el garaje de mi padre
La Reina Negra in my father's garage at the nursery, 1981

Frank Bos y su hermano Gerrit Bos
From left: my father Frank Bos and his brother Gerrit Bos

Dick Bos
Me, Corstiaan, in December 1982

Dick Bos
My brother Dick Bos, 10th of December 1982
Mi hermana Caroline frente nuestra casa en Reeuwijk
My sister Caroline in front of our house in Reeuwijk, August 1984


My friend Dick Vrijenhoek

Mercatus College 1982
1st from right: Wim Roodenburg
3rd from right: Corstiaan Bos, Mercatus College, Oranjeboomstraat Rotterdam, 1982

Viaje de sopa de guisantes
The vegetable soup trip of the region "The Hague"

Mercatus College 1986
1st from left, Corstiaan Bos, Mercatus College, Spinozaweg Rotterdam, 1986

It was quite obvious that I had to learn more about restoration. In 1983 , La Reina was ready for the road ,
at least I thought so ….
My uncle couln´t find the paperwork for the car , it had been lost during the removal.
I had to apply for a new licence plate number .
Traffic police gave it the number JT-14-YV.
The licence plate number 10-46-RX issued in 1971 had to be cancelled.

At school the students all talked about “the guy with the black car”
In December 1983 La Reina Negra joined for the first time a meeting of the Traction Avant Club “The Hague”.
Every year , the Club organised a winter trip called “The Vegetablesoup trip” I participated with my friends from college. Everybody wanted to know how fast the car could go…… At 130 km/h (almost max. speed) it started to smoke inside ..To avoid being poisoned we had to open the roof and the windows !! This was not a good idea driving so fast ; besides a student doesn´t have the money to restore an engine…..

During the weekends I went sometimes with my friends from school in La Reina Negra to Amsterdam. We had quite some fun , especially when we were dressed like a bunch of gangsters ! On the 3rd of October 1984 , I went dressed like a woman , to the birthday party of my very good friend Dick Vrijenhoek. Exactly one week later I walked into the same livingroom to give condolance to the family on the loss of their son and brother Dick Vrijenhoek. Everything went dark and I didn´t touch and drive La Reina Negra for many months.

My friend , Wim Roodenburg came from Berkel and Roodenrijs. We were in the same class and one day he noticed on my desk a drawing of a Traction. “Hey Cors , my brother also has a Traction. Well that´s great , I replied. Later on it was discovered that his brother didn´t suffer at all from a Citro-virus….. The car was left in a glass house and was starting to rust everywere. Anyway his brother made it up to me by marrying at a later stage in La Reina Negra. The photo´s of that wedding were used later for publicity brochures in Paris.

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