My Favourite Things #2

There's really only one reason I want to watch The Day of the Jackal, and it isn't Edward Fox. In 1955 18 years of development culminated in Citroen's successor to the Traction Avant, the DS. The DS is simply unlike anything car ever made. Here's a picture:

The Prettiest of all things

I saw my first DS in a driveway in the Blue Mountains. The humidity had rusted the body- which was yellow anyway- and the tires had perished. The thing is, if the engine still worked and the suspension was all right, it would've driven without the tires. This was the first car in the world to have height adjustable hydropneumatic self-leveling suspension, which meant it didn't so much drive as glide. As is patently obvious, it was oddly yet iconically proportioned. The curves are simple yet striking, and the taper towards the back gives it an epic look to match the wallowing ride quality. The nose effortlessly combines the shape of a sixties Italian coupe (in 1955) with the separate fenders of the 30s, framed by double streamlined headlamps tailing into fender skirts.

This was one of the first cars with something approaching sequential shift. The clutch was hydraulically controlled, meaning you only had to ease up on the throttle to change gear using the column shift mounted next to the single spoke steering wheel. It was one of the first production cars to use electronic fuel injection, and the first to have front disc brakes. So your new BMW M3 has a carbon fibre roof to keep the centre of mass down? Well the DS had a fibreglass roof to do the same thing. In 1955. Until 1976.

The DS stayed in production for 21 years, undergoing very few changes, mostly a tiny bit of restyling, a few new gearboxes, and a gradual increase in engine power, since the DS was initially chronically underpowered. One thing it did gain was turning head lamps that allowed the driver to see around corners.

I was once told that engineering is a balance of many variables, and the DS is surely one of the most balanced machines of all time. The body styling is iconic without being garish, and aerodynamic to boot, and the technology is truly innovative without being gadgety. Its been called one of the most influential cars of the 20th century, yet nothing has ever come close in terms of individuality, and the DS remains ahead of its time even today.

If I were going to buy one (and I seriously hope to), I'd be aiming for the DS23 with the fuel injection and 5-speed manual, although that's mostly for the power. An earlier engine had hemispherical heads, and being able to say you have a hemi in a car like this offers tempting bragging rights. Swivelling headlights under streamlined glass is a must, and I'd go for an unassuming colour like beige or grey, although deep blue is also tempting. Although the yellow one I first saw is still rusting away in the Mountains...

One final thing. DS is pronounced déesse, which is the French word for Goddess. Oh my, its even got a pun for a name.

You can see some very pretty pictures here. be sure to checkout the detail photos too.