Citroën DS: A Mid-Century Modern Goddess

The Citroën DS is a motor vehicle that signifies ‘50s luxury and a level of nobility that was unheard of in its period. It’s a car or truck that will always be in style, as is the circumstance with any great design.

The DS’s classy insect-like form was disclosed at the 1955 Paris Motor Display. Citroën cleverly named the vehicle as a participate in on the French term déesse, that means ‘goddess’. Its heavenly curves seduced the crowds, and Citroën had received almost 20,000 pre-orders for the DS by the end of its first day on screen.

Nine days afterwards, at the conclusion of the present, over 80,000 people had pre-purchased the car. That number may not feel outrageous in today’s world wide web browsing age, but in this extra straightforward period, it was unheard of.

A person thing is distinct: the Citroën DS could not be the speediest or the most expensive car or truck at any time produced, but it is anything unique.

The DS turned a image of French innovation, many thanks to state-of-the-art tech like its well known hydropneumatic suspension that included a self-leveling perform. The suspension could be decreased, supplying the vehicle a extra sleek and intense profile, or it could be lifted to make it possible for for a lot more ground clearance.

It also came with a modernized electrical power steering technique, a semi-automated gearbox and a light-weight fiberglass roof. A broader keep track of at the front lowered understeer.

All of these capabilities were being unheard of in 1955. For point of view, we didn’t have shade television and even the contemporary fridge was a luxury at this time.

Citroën’s tech record is dotted with improvements that designed it famous, and the DS is just one of the most seasoned of the automaker’s lineup.

Incredibly handful of autos have produced this sort of tremendous leaps in development in a solitary model, and for that motive, the DS remained in production for a staggering 20 decades. Almost 1.5-million automobiles had been generated in full, each individual of which is a beacon of French mid-century ingenuity, design and style and style.

Sara Ryan
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