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`1960 Citroen DS - Drive & Review - Motor Trend Calssic
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`Future Shock: Nothing as otherworldly radical had ever
`touched down on Planet Earth
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`(cid:5) (cid:6) (cid:7)
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`Fifty years ago, an alien spaceship–or so it must have seemed to the technologically
`
`deprived, woebegone inhabitants of postwar Europe–descended to earth and
`DRIVE: 1960 CITROEN DS
`landed in the ornate Belle Epoque Grand Palais near the Seine on the recently
`Gavin Green writers, Mark Bramley photographers - August 10, 2006
`renamed Avenue du General Eisenhower, France’s tribute to her recent liberation by
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`America. A genuine flying saucer wouldn’t have created greater excitement.
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`At a time when cars were crude, stylistically prosaic (at least in Europe: America was
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`just discovering extravagant spaceship-style fins), and still suffering from a postwar
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`rations-and-restrictions hangover, the Citroen DS–it was called the Deesse
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`(Goddess), which summed up its ethereal qualities–was a glimpse of a braver,
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`brighter future. Nothing as radical as this had ever been seen on four wheels; it was
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`a profound technological leap and unlike any car built before.
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`Apart from the space-age styling, the DS featured self-leveling hydropneumatic
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`suspension, high-pressure hydraulically controlled power steering, front disc brakes
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`(the first mass-produced road car so adorned), a hydraulically controlled auto-clutch
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`manual transmission, elegant single-spoke steering wheel, and, in later versions,
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`self-leveling headlamps and directional headlamps that swiveled with the steering.
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`Less celebrated, but no less noteworthy, the DS was the first car to make widespread
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`use of cabin plastics (and did so better than more than a few “moderns”).
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`The most striking thing about a DS is that it looks more modern than many 2006
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`cars. Okay, panel fit is 1950s/1960s approximate, not Lexus-perfect; the paint job
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`seems hand-sprayed by Frenchmen who’ve had too much wine for lunch; and the
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`surfacing lacks the symmetrical perfection of modern stampings. But no 2006 model
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`is this avant-garde. The nose has a low and long feminine elegance, the headlamps
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`are high and set in the leading edges of the fenders (as on the E-Type Jaguar, more
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`than five years later), the windshield is steeply curved, the glass area is deep (and the
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`windows frameless), and the tail pert yet abrupt. The sharply raked rear hides a
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`luggage area far more commodious than seems possible. The trunk is vast, much to
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`the joy of photographer Bramley and his bags of Canon gear.
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`The profile tapers like a teardrop–the rear track is eight inches narrower than the
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`front. The Cd is only 0.38, poor by wind-tunnel-obsessed modern standards, but
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`sharp and air-cleaving by 1955 levels. Of the mass makers, only Saab, an aircraft
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`company, had a similar discernible interest in high-speed airflow. Further upmarket,
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`Bristol, Bentley, and Bugatti also had shown airplane-like teardrop shapes; so, less
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`successfully, did the 1934 Chrysler Airflow. But none was as dramatic or as effective
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`as the Citroen’s.
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`The styling of the DS is the work of Italian artist-turned-car-designer Flaminio
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`Bertoni, not to be confused with the Bertone of Italian sports-car fame. His portfolio
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`also includes the 2CV and the DS’s predecessor, the prewar Traction Avant (another
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`contender for car of the century).
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`DECADES LATER, we park on a small side street in a chocolate-box village in southern
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`England, an hour’s drive south of London, to wait for the future. When James Diehl’s
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`1960 ID–the lower priced, entry-level version of the DS–arrives, we’re not the only
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`people looking. Every pedestrian turns his head to check out this Star Wars toy in a
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`playroom full of ordinary wooden blocks. And it’s not just the styling that provokes
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`wonder: The hydropneumatic suspension means the car squats, like a dog at rest,
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`when the engine is turned off. When it restarts, it rises off its haunches, ready for
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`action.
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`We say hello to Diehl–we’ve not met before–and pore over the car. The Citroen ID
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`was aimed at those who wanted To Boldly Go but could barely afford to. Citroen had
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`made an astute marketing move by making the DS Jaguar-priced and the ID de-
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`contented (minus the roof trim, carpets, armrests, reclining seats, and with cheaper
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`door trim) to cut the price and broaden the appeal.
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`This ID’s a lovely blue-green and fitted with a translucent roof to make the bright
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`cabin even lighter. Pushbutton aluminum door handles open the light doors. The
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`cloth upholstery is a virulent shade of 1960s flower-power ochre, and the seat is soft,
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`wide, low-backed, and comfortable. You sink into it, as in a favorite armchair, and
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`you sit upright and straight-backed. The steering is by a big, white-plastic-rimmed
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`single-spoke wheel, delicately limbed and elegant. Because the single spoke is so
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`fine, there’s no obstruction of the simple instrumentation: a long sweeping
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`speedometer (which runs out of numbers at 100 mph, a fair reflection of the DS’s
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`top speed of just under 90 mph) and art-deco-style square fuel gauge and clock
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`under the speedo.
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`A row of buttons and knobs runs the length of the fascia on an alloy strip, including
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`the choke (remember those?), ignition, starter button (fiery red), and the clockwork-
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`timed turn-signals that self-cancel in about 15 seconds after a discernible tick-tick
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`countdown. More upmarket DSs, as opposed to this basic ID, had more elaborate
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`dashboards.
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`Time to drive. The ID does without the DS’s hydraulically controlled steering, braking,
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`and transmission, which means a simple and less expensive hydraulic system. The
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`front Michelin X radials resist your heft as you steer the car out onto the highway
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`and work the conventional manual with four-on-the-column and a normal clutch
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`pedal.
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`“The gearchange is fairly poor,” says Diehl, displaying no nervousness from the
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`passenger seat.
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`The semi-auto DS used a delicate wand mounted atop the steering column for gear
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`selection. The manual ID version of the DS has a white, plastic-knobbed alloy
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`gearshift, sprouting from the left of the steering column. We’ve driven many DSs
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`before, both these early 1.9-liter versions and later 2.1-and 2.3-liter cars–they all feel
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`underpowered.
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`The original plan was to fit the DS with a bold and advanced air-cooled flat-six.
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`Citroën engine chief Walter Becchia–another Italian–had a reputation for innovative
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`yet practical designs. His previous engines included the light and robust 2CV air-
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`cooled flat-twin that stayed in production for more than 40 years. Ultimately,
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`however, Citroën management opted for an updated version of the old Traction
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`Avant engine, and, hence, it became the DS’s sole mechanical weakness. The 1.9-liter
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`four in the ID is a detuned version of the 75-horsepower DS that delivered 66 horses.
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`There’s no rev counter, but the engine gets strained near maximum power so you
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`find yourself sailing along on its low-end torque, changing gears frequently.
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`It’s the suspension that makes up for the Citroën’s antiquated performance.
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`Whereas previous cars felt like mechanical carts, the DS feels like a magic carpet that
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`allows you to hover over road irregularities. Its otherwordly ride is obvious after just
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`a few hundred yards in Diehl’s car. Bumps in the road disappear, not so much
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`cushioned as obliterated. An eerie series of faint sighs and grunts, which come from
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`the hydraulic system, accompany these wheel gymnastics.
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`Before you get the impression that soft ride equals soft suspension–and have visions
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`of a 50-year-old Parisian version of a Lincoln Town Car–think again. The handling is
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`brilliant. The front drive, wide track, relatively light weight, and hydraulically
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`controlled suspension deliver flat, precise handling. The suspension system is all the
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`more praiseworthy when considering its age. Four air mattresses, one per wheel, act
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`as the springs, delivering a subtlety unheard of in any modern car (only a Rolls-Royce
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`Phantom comes close).
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`In the DS, the hydraulic system, driven by an engine-mounted pump, provides
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`damping (built in, not bolted on as in most cars), self-leveling, variable ride height,
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`assisted jacking (to change a wheel, simply raise the suspension to its full height,
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`insert a jack stand, then lower the suspension again), and controls the brakes,
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`steering, and gearchange. Hydraulics, of course, were used on braking systems in
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`cars long before the DS, but the DS took their implementation to a whole new level
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`of automotive sophistication. Clearances of between one and three microns
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`–necessary for the hydraulic system to work properly–were familiar in the
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`aeronautical industry, but unique in motoring. Indeed, when Rolls-Royce introduced
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`self-leveling on the Silver Shadow in 1965, it borrowed Citroën technology for the
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`simple reason that Rolls could do no better.
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`So we meander down the leafy lanes of Surrey in England’s green and pleasant
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`southeast corner, luxuriating in soft armchairs, sitting comfortably upright, with
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`generous headroom in the front and rear. The lack of a front-center console further
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`liberates front-end space–amazing how much room a big, chunky, and largely
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`useless console steals. Rear legroom is excellent, way more than any equivalent-size
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`modern sedan. This is mostly due to the car’s long wheelbase. At 123 inches, it’s 15
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`inches more than that of a Ford Taurus–which is seven inches longer overall.
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`Drive a more upmarket DS, fitted with powered-assisted steering and brakes, and
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`the experience becomes even more unusual. The steering is light and direct; there’s
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`no natural feel. Some may criticize this; others will commend the entire lack of
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`muscular heft as a sure sign of the DS’s civility. In the DS, there’s no conventional
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`brake pedal; instead you use a mushroomlike button, similar to an old foot-operated
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`headlamp dimmer switch, which progressively opens a valve to apply the brakes. As
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`with the steering, the engine-driven high-pressure hydraulic system does all the
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`work; the pedal serves only to deliver instructions.
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`The absence of a conventionally hinged pedal is a major safety boon: Pedals can
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`inflict horrendous foot injuries in severe impacts. Yet, to the uninitiated, it also
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`makes moderating braking pressure difficult. The first time you use the brakes, you’ll
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`invariably apply too much pressure (rear-end crashes on just-registered DSs were
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`depressingly common, as new owners braked too hard and following drivers braked
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`too late). But, again, with practice, this novel and ingenious alternative works well.
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`Such idiosyncrasy is one reason the DS never took off in America. It had an
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`enthusiastic following among progressive car-loving Europhiles, but its performance
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`was too feeble, styling too quirky, and technology too daunting to connect with Mr.
`
`and Mrs. Mainstream USA. When the DS was facelifted and improved in 1967,
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`arguably reaching its mechanical and stylistic apogee, sales increased.
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`Unfortunately, the unusual glass cowling headlamps, the defining feature of the
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`post-1967 DS, were deemed illegal for the USA (but not Canada), so the new
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`sharklike nose never looked as good in the U.S., a further deterrent to sales. DS sales
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`in the States totaled about 3000 cars in the years they were imported (1957 to 1972).
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`Production ceased in 1975, with 1.35 million DS sedans built in total, 92,000 Safaris
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`(the roomy station-wagon version), and 1300 quirky Décapotable convertibles.
`
`But let’s return to England’s green and pleasant land and James Diehl’s DS. We sit in
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`the back, toward the end of our test, legs extended to enjoy the almost limolike
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`room. Pull down the center armrest, as softly padded as your sofa cushion, and
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`snuggle deeper into that seat. It’s hard to imagine any car, anywhere in the world,
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`that serves up such comfort, especially on poor roads.
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`In many ways, the DS is a better car to sit and ride in than it is to drive. That’s not a
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`criticism; after all, aren’t cars designed to transport people in comfort? That was the
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`prime motivation of the DS: to deliver comfortable, safe, and brisk travel on France’s
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`frequently rough and broken roads. The technology was a natural, no-compromise
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`(a phrase much used in the modern car industry, but rarely exercised) corollary of
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`this philosophy. So the world’s most idiosyncratic and iconoclastic automobile is also
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`one of the most rigorously logical. The shame is that rival auto bosses didn’t
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`comprehend it. Had they, they’d be making better cars today.
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`Our Take
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`Then: “The simplest way to characterize the DS is to say that it’s the first
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`technological, as opposed to mechanistic, car ever to go into production. It can be
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`said to mark the beginning of a new age in automobile design, the first real break
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`with the 18th-century tradition of clockwork concepts for machine design.” Robert
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`Cumberford, Motor Trend, 1969
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`Now: The most iconoclastic, idiosyncratic, advanced, and bizarre mass-produced car
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`ever launched. Still feels special today, although it’s slow.
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`Ask The Man Who Owns One
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`James Diehl has owned his ID for eight years and spent “seven-and-a-bit years”
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`restoring it. It was originally sold to a British diplomat who took it to Kenya, where it
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`spent four years taming rough African roads. Back in the U.K., the car fell into
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`disrepair before James bought it as “a bag of bits.”
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`Why I Like It: “It was so futuristic when it came out. An absolute revolution. It still
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`looks modern today. I can look at it over and over and not get bored. You can also
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`use it everyday. It’s a good car for long freeway journeys.”
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`Why It’s Collectible: It’s the most advanced car ever made. Nothing, before or since,
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`has represented such a leap ahead.
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`Restoring/Maintaining: A more modern five-bearing engine replaced the old three-
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`bearing four-cylinder engine in 1966. Better to go for the newer engine. The best DS,
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`says James, is the DS21 (2175 cc). Rust can be a problem, and check those hydraulics.
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`Expect To Pay: Concours ready $12,000; solid driver $6000; tired runner $3000.
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`Join The Club: Citroën Club of America; www.citroen-ca.com/
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`A Citroën Scrapbook
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`The Ds Was Far More Than Just A Family Sedan
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`Décapotable
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`The elegant two-door DS convertible (Decapotable) was designed and built by
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`coachbuilder Henri Chapron. All body panels aft of the front fenders were new, and
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`it was a 2+2 rather than a full four- or five-seater.
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` 18 PHOTOS
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`Safari wagon
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`The idea of a DS wagon went back to 1955, but sales didn’t begin until 1960. Side-
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`facing foldable seats in the rear allowed the Safari to accommodate up to eight
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`people.
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`Citroën SM
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`The SM was the DS supercar, and Motor Trend’s Car of the Year in 1972. Based on
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`the DS’s platform, the 135-mph SM used a Maserati 2.7-liter V-6. The design, by new
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`Citroen styling boss Robert Opron, was sensational, especially those six headlamps
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`under the glass canopy. Production ceased in 1975.
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` 18 PHOTOS
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`MotorSport
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`The DS proved particularly adept at rallying, and the rougher the better. A DS won
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`the 1966 Monte Carlo Rally–although only after the “winning” Mini Cooper S was
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`disqualified–and won the 1969 Moroccan Rally and the same year’s Tour of Portugal.
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`Presidential Limo
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`Citroën–like Cadillacs and Lincolns in America–have long been symbolic of French
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`presidents. The most famous French leader to ride in the back of a DS– black,
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`naturally–was Charles de Gaulle.
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` 18 PHOTOS
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`Quadlamps
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`The sharklike nose of the 1967-onward model is probably the definitive DS visage.
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`The fenders are smoother, and four faired-in headlamps improve the aero lines. The
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`SM’s swivelling headlamps under glass arrived on the DS. They could swivel with the
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`direction of the steering to provide around the corner illumination.
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`Share this article in:
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`BY GAVIN GREEN
`
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`0 COMMENTS
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