The Citroen DS: Odd, Revolutionary

A 1969 Citroen DS, USA spec.

The Citroen DS, designed by Italian sculptor Flaminio Bertoni, was groundbreaking in 1955. It was a luxury car with features never before seen on any car, such as hydropneumatic suspension, front power disc brakes, power steering and a clutchless manual transmission. With over 1.5 million units sold, the car was a roaring commercial success in Europe, and was produced until 1975. It looked very unusual at introduction, and was still ahead of its time when it was discontinued.

The DS was sold from 1956 - 1972 in America, but it lacked many of the luxury features expected on a car of its price, and the body stayed the same for the 16 years it was on sale. It was also slow, with a fuel efficient four cylinder engine, at a time when gas in America was cheap and V8 power was expected. With only 32,000 units sold, it was a commercial failure in America.

The DS name was a pun off of the word "Deesse" (Goddess) in French.

The car had a sophisticated hydraulic system, making use of hydraulics in ways that even cars today don't. Normal vehicles use hydraulics for brakes and power steering; the DS used hydraulics for the transmission and suspension as well. The hydraulic suspension provided a silky smooth ride and eliminated the need for a jack.