It’s 60 years since the jaw-droppingly futuristic Citroen DS was unveiled to the public at the 1955 Paris Motor Show. Developed to replace another car that was ahead of its time, the Traction Avant, the DS boasted technology that is still being hailed by car firms as ‘advanced’.
There’s no question that the DS had a head start in the looks department. Its streamlined shape was a world apart from the boxy efforts of Citroen’s rivals, and there’s still something exotic about a car with rear wheel spats.
The DS could never be described as a car focusing on style over substance, though. Developed over nearly two decades in secret, Citroen’s flagship motor surprised everyone when it first appeared. Its aerodynamic shape, hydro-pneumatic self-levelling suspension, powered brakes, a trick semi-automatic gearbox and headlights that followed the driver’s steering input all put the car head and shoulders above the competition, so much so that the DS didn’t really have any competition.
It was an expensive car and there were cheaper and less complex alternatives on the market at the time, yet this price point put the big Citroen on a level footing with more conservative models offering a fraction of the French car’s grace and ingenuity.
Updates over the years saw the introduction of the vast estate variant, known as the Safari, plus an elegant convertible and super-luxury Pallas model. Given the car’s distinctive styling, it proved hard to make big design changes, and Citroen ultimately focused on tweaking the car’s nose and introducing enclosed headlights.
It might be a cliché but the driving experience has been likened to that of a magic carpet. Yes, the car does pitch and roll, but it’s measured and, thanks to the trick suspension, level running is the norm regardless of load. The finger-light steering and powerful brakes required a sensitive touch, but helped to promote a laid back and predictably French approach to motoring.
It might be a cliché but the driving experience has been likened to that of a magic carpet
It didn’t stop adventurous types from racing and rallying the car, with the DS a particular favourite for gruelling endurance rallies despite its mechanical complexity. And its reputation for being tougher than its sweeping curves suggested was famously tested when, in 1962, France’s president Charles De Gaulle survived an assassination attempt.
Ambushed by terrorists, De Gaulle’s car sustained heavy gunfire, but it still managed to deliver the president and his wife to their destination unharmed. Some of De Gaulle’s security detail died in the ambush, but the car’s trick suspension was credited with keeping the car on an even keel and saving the president’s life. Run flat tyres be damned – this particular DS kept going despite not having the full complement of wheels touching the ground.
Slough, UK, was home to the DS’s construction for a few years. It wasn’t until 1965 that production was taken home to Paris. The earliest Brit-built cars contained the legendary Lucas electrical components, while subtle changes to trim and cabin materials also make it easier to differentiate the cars built in the UK from their French equivalents.
The DS spawned a ‘high performance’ coupé, the SM, and production stopped in 1975. Its successor, the CX, was a more mainstream proposition despite its equally streamlined and low-slung appearance.
Fact file
Dates manufactured
1955-1975
Popular colours
Green, silver, blue
Cost at the time
Approximately €3,000
Value today
€15,000 for a fine second-hand model