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| On the road Eternal DS By G. Rouzeau Born in 1955, the DS is today celebrating its fiftieth anniversary. Its aerodynamic design and innovative technology shattered the existing standards of the automotive world.
When the DS was unveiled on 6th October 1955 at the Paris Motor Show, it was a shock. No more cube-shaped soapboxes and nice curves! Its bold design and cutting-edge technology caused instant upheaval in the motoring world. Suddenly new standards in safety and comfort were the order of the day!
This masterpiece was the fruit of the collaboration between an engineer, André Lefebvre, and an artist/sculptor/designer, Flaminio Bertoni, famous creator of the 2CV. Under their skilled hands, the DS managed to combine design and technique like no other car before it. Although the shape of the DS designed by Bertoni originates from sculpture (you will note its extraordinary plasticity at first sight), it also obeys the laws of aerodynamics. Indeed, didn't André Lefebvre start out with aeronautics manufacturer Bonvoisin? Every detail, from the front air intake to the rear indicators, was scrupulously designed to constitute a vehicle that would go faster and use less fuel than any other car with the same level of power output. André Lefebvre also drew inspiration from aeroplanes when he designed an aluminium bonnet and roof panel which are forced upwards in the event of an accident!
Emphasis was placed on safety and comfort: the windscreen pillars were narrowed to offer a panoramic view, which has not dated in the least; the single-spoke steering wheel was designed to collapse in the event of an impact, instead of embedding itself in the driver's chest. As for comfort, the famous hydropneumatic suspension gave the DS a standard that was unknown at that time. With this system, the traditional mechanical springs were replaced by two fluids: a liquid (mineral oil) and a gas (nitrogen). The non-compressible liquid forms the link between the moving mechanical suspension system and the gas (which acts as a spring). This well-being was further enhanced by a thick layer of soft carpet on the floor, to filter out noise.
The dashboard designed by Bertoni - for the first time moulded in one piece (as standard) - introduced design to the Citroën passenger cell with great panache, inaugurating a discipline that was to have a fine future ahead of it : ergonomics. All of the materials and elements present in the car offered the level of finish that inspired Roland Barthes in his "Mythology" devoted to the "goddess" (DS is a French pun on the word goddess). In it, the author of Degré zéro de l'écriture (Writing Degree Zero) talks of Citroën's star car as "a world where [elements] are juxtaposed and hold together by sole virtue of their wondrous shape". Goodbye sloppy welding and crude rivets, the hallmark of the bangers of old... Emblem of power and car of the stars
As soon as it was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show, the DS immediately became an emblem of power and friend to the stars. General de Gaulle chose to travel by DS, very much appreciating the legroom available for his long legs. The DS in turn took good care of the President; it was thanks to its impeccable stability, even with two flat tyres, that the President managed to survive the assassination attempt at Petit Clamart*... Between artists and the DS, it was a love story that got off to a flying start. Indeed, the second order taken at the motor show (there were 12,000 the first day) was from none other than the actress Gina Lollobrigida who, it is rumoured, particularly appreciated the car's streamlined shape. The DS subsequently became a regular sight at the Cannes Film Festival, in the company of stars from Elizabeth Taylor to Orson Welles, and fashionable writers such as Françoise Sagan.
Film directors also became infatuated with this car, which was to make countless on-screen appearances, from La Peau douce (The Soft Skin, François Truffaut, 1964) to Fantomas se déchaîne (Fantomas Strikes Back, André Hunebelle, 1965), from Le Clan des siciliens (The Sicilian Clan, Henri Verneuil, 1969) to Les Samouraï (The Samurai, Jean-Pierre Melville, 1967), and from Vivement dimanche (Confidentially Yours, François Truffaut, 1983) to Les Valseuses (Going Places, Bertrand Blier, 1974), in which an enthusiastic Gérard Depardieu praises the delights of hydraulic suspension to a sceptical Patrick Dewaere. The fact that the DS pursued its movie career in a science-fiction film like Gattaca (Andrew Nicol, 1997) is proof enough of the timeless nature of this outstanding vehicle, which continues to embody modernity in the automotive sector... * On 22nd August 1962, right in the middle of France's war with Algeria, a commando unit from the OAS terrorist group opened fire on General de Gaulle.
 A spin in a grey 1969 DS 21 Pallas
It's in dazzling sunshine, north of Paris, that a 1969 DS 21 Pallas is handed to me on a plate by Jean-Claude Lannes, director of the Conservatoire du patrimoine Citroën (Citroën Heritage Centre). A symbol of modernity in its time, the DS nevertheless takes one back to another way of driving... I slip into the magnificent leather interior for a quick lesson before hitting the road. First you have to put the ignition key in, without turning it in the lock, to simply switch the car on. A flimsy gear lever on the dashboard behind the steering wheel is used to start up the engine, by flicking it to the left. Our DS, which has clocked up only 45,000 km (27,962 miles), leaps into action. All the hydraulic parts become pressurised and the car rises up first from the rear, then from the front, to reach its road position. This stage is absolutely essential, at the risk of spreading the DS' innards over the road. Owners at that time were duly warned, notably by the technical manual, which is still in its place in our old DS Pallas.
The handbrake located down below to the left is released with the aid of a push-button, while keeping your foot on the strange button (nicknamed "mushroom") that serves as a brake. There is no clutch pedal on this hydraulic gearbox: we put it directly into gear and our vessel gently takes off. Hissing, sighing, swaying, slight lurching: the DS hugs the tarmac like a ship a calm sea, the green of the market gardens of Val d'Oise now and then bringing to mind the blue of the Mediterranean. In a rush of nostalgia, I could almost believe myself on the Nationale 7 road on the way to Le Lavandou, at the time when Louis de Funès was topping the bill in Hibernatus... In fact, as Jean-Claude Lannes explains, you have to adopt a resolutely relaxed and flowing style of driving. Indeed, the slightest touch of the steering wheel makes you swerve. After driving it for an hour, you soon get an idea of the extraordinary revolution that the vehicle caused in the motoring habits of that time. While the Traction required forceful driving to dominate an old-style machine with its cogs and gearwheels, the mechanics of the DS, transcended by its hydraulic fluids, require only a gentle touch and precision. All in all, a precious lesson in driving...
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