History of the Citroén DS
A brief history of the Citroen DS from a leaflet from the Design Museum, Butler's Wharf.

Some twenty years later Citroen ceased production of the Citroen DS. 1.4 million units had been sold and the Citroen DS, like its predecessor the Traction Avant, was acknowledged as one of the most remarkable and influential designs in automotive history.

Comparing the Citroen DS to rival saloon cars of the mid 1950s, this display (at the Design Museum) outlines the various elements which made the Citroen DS so advanced for its day, including its radical hydropneumatic suspension, disc brakes and semi-automatic transmission. It also outlines the various uses to which the car has been put: either as the official French government and diplomatic service vehicle, or as an ambulance.

Exhibited at the Milan Triennale (1957) and New York's Museum of Modern Art (1966), the car has now been ranked as a 'design classic'. This profile seeks to analyse why, despite certain mechanical deficiencies, the Citroen DS has inspired such fierce devotion amongst those who would not otherwise consider themselves to be car enthusiasts.
The Citroen DS hydropneumatic suspension still gives the most comfortable ride of any car - driving the Citroen DS is like riding a magic carpet.

Useful features include adjustable ride height for difficult terrain and the ability to change a wheel without using a jack. With its suspension lowered the Citroen DS cannot be clamped. Its other unique characteristics include hydraulic power steering, single spoked steering wheel and headlights that "see" round corners! Should you ever need to, a DS can safely be driven on three wheels. The rigidity of its construction, with "crumple zones" front and rear, its good all-round visibility and its massive braking power mean that the Citroen DS is still one of the safest cars on the road.

Citroen did not hold back on the interiors either, the armchair seats are sumptuous and give the sensation of relaxing in your living room. The elegant shark like shape of the Citroen DS upstages and causes today's mass produced cars to fade into insignificance.