The revolutionary Citroën DS(famously called the Goddess) continues to captivate classic car enthusiasts. It was named the most beautiful car of all time by Classic & Sports Car magazine in 2009. The vehicle, with its aerodynamic design and cutting-edge technology, was way ahead of its time when introduced in 1955. “DS" was a pun on the French word "déesse" which means Goddess.
“The streamlined sedan seemed like it was flown in from outer space when it debuted at the Paris auto show in 1955,” Jens Meiners wrote in the February 2009 issue of Car And Driver.
Citroën DS Named Product of The Century Ahead Of Apple Macintosh
In 1999, a jury of representatives from the world of design named the Citroën DS “product of the century” placing it ahead of the Apple Macintosh computer, the Boeing 747 and the Biro ball point pen. Its range of innovative technologies included power steering and disk brakes and the use of aerodynamics to reduce fuel consumption. Its new technologies made other cars on the market seem outdated. During 20 years of production, Citroën manufactured 1,456,115 DS vehicles.
The Citroën DS Helped De Gaulle Survive Assassination Attempt
The car was also credited with foiling an assassination attempt on French President Charles De Gualle in 1962. President De Gaulle was riding in his black Citroën DS in a Paris suburb when he was ambushed by a hail of machine gun fire. The car went into a front-wheel skid. De Gaulle’s chauffeur accelerated out of the skid to safety despite two tires shot out. De Gaulle kept his head down and was unharmed. His DS was riddled with 13 bullets. The French car manufacturer PSA Peugeot Citroën , in a recount of the incident, wrote: “The qualities of the DS also mattered, with the vehicle remaining stable while accelerating on a rain-soaked poorly-surfaced road with two flat tyres.”
Peugeot-Citroën’s Revival of DS Fails To Honor Original
Despite the car’s illustrious history, PSA has yet to revive the Citroën DS in the true spirit of the original. PSA revamped the iconic DS in name only in 2010 with production of a line of mid-size and upscale cars. The new Citroën DS autos bare no resemblance to the sleek, ultra-cool original. While the first DS name was a pun on the word Goddess, the revamped moniker stands for Different Spirit. Meanwhile, other car makers have successfully produced revamped versions of classic models such as the Volkswagen Beetle, the Fiat 500 and the Mini by BMW. They all closely resemble their original designs.
Many car enthusiasts believe that the launch of the recent DS-inspired line had more to do with revamping the French car manufacturer’s brand image than resurrecting the iconic classic. Die-hard fans of the original DS continue to hope that PSA will take a bold risk and remake the legendary car in a manner that truly honors its beauty and uniqueness.
Sources:
PSA Peugeot Citroen Magazine: Jan 29, 2007 “The “DS” saves the president’s life!”
Meiners, Jens Car And Driver February 2009 “The Citroën DS Returns!" (As a Funky Sub Brand)
Citroenet http://www.citroenet.org.uk/
Gary Raynaldo - I am a writer with more than 25 years of working experience as a journalist and editor for several newspapers and wire services in the ...
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