Andre Citroen founded the Citroen Company in 1919 and by the late 1920s, it had become Europe's largest car manufacturer. They earned a reputation for their build quality, revolutionary engineering, and innovation. The Citroen Traction Avant of the mid-1930s pioneered mass production, unitary body construction with no separate chassis, front-wheel drive, and a four-wheel independent suspension setup.
The new DS 19 was introduced in 1955 at the Paris Auto Salon. The car's popularity was immediate with over 80,000 cars being ordered before the show came to an end. They had a 1911cc engine with a 3-bearing crankshaft, hydraulic brake system, and a high-pressure oil-filled self-leveling suspension. They were aerodynamically efficient with a low-drag body and a front-engine, front-wheel-drive setup. They were also the first production car equipped with disc brakes.
The DS would be a competitive and popular vehicle during its production lifespan, with its peak production year being 1970. It was built from 1955 through 1975 with a total of 1,455,746 examples being built worldwide. It was sold in North America from 1956 to 1972, however, it didn't experience the same popularity in the United States as it did in France. Sales were slightly better in Canada. Slower sales in the U.S. are often attributed to its lack of an automatic transmission, no power windows, no air conditioning, and an underwhelming engine. Another drawback was the price and the lack of supplies and parts for the vehicle in the U.S. Approximately 38,000 units were sold in the North American market during the years it was offered.
The hydropneumatic suspension was developed in Citroen's Paul Mages. It included an automatic leveling and variable ground clearance system that allowed the DS to travel quickly on multiple road surfaces and in various road conditions. The Citroen DS was also equipped with power steering, inboard front brakes, and a semi-automatic transmission that required no clutch pedal, although the gears still had to be shifted by hand. The shift lever controlled a powered hydraulic shift mechanism. The roof was made of fiberglass.
French cars were affected by the tax horsepower system, which effectively kept the engines rather small. Despite this, the DS was rather successful in motorsports. Their reliability and ability to traverse poor road surfaces helped them win the Monte Carlo Rally in 1959. In 1962, Pauli Toivonen drove a DS19 to victory in the 1000 Lakes Rally. A DS won the 1966 Monte Carlo Rally again after the BMC Mini-Cooper team was disqualified due to rule infractions. In 1974, a DS won over 70 other cars in the London-Sahara-Munich World Cup Rally. Just 5 vehicles were able to finish the event.
The DS19 would continue to be built in its original guise until 1965. The four-door saloon was the work of Italian industrial designer and sculptor Flaminio Bertoni and French aeronautical engineer Andre Lefebvre. In 1960, a new convertible model was introduced called the 'Cabriolet de Serie', more commonly known as 'Cabriolet d'Usine'. Its coachwork was the work of Henri Chapron for the Citroen dealer network. Mostly due to their expensive price tag, just 1,365 examples were sold. They received the same engine and chassis arrangement as the saloon but required a special frame that was reinforced with side-members and a stronger rear suspension setup. Chapron also created other exclusive body styles on the DS platform, such as the Le Caddy and Le Dandy. Chapron also built the two-door Concorde Coupe with just 38 of these cars eventually being built. The Citroen Company offered its own high-end models, such as the Pallas and the Prestige.
In 1958, a station wagon version was introduced. It had a steel roof allowing a roof rack to be installed. The standard Break (as it was known in France) had two side-facing seats in the cargo area at the back. The Familiales had a rear seat positioned farther back in the cabin, with three folding seats between the front and rear squabs. The DS Pallas, named after the Greek goddess, was introduced in 1965 as a luxury upgrade. It was given optional leather upholstery, additional trim, and better noise insulation. Hector Bossaert offered a coupe version on a shortened DS chassis from 1959 through 1964. The front design remained unchanged but the back was given notchback styling.
The DS 21 was built between 1965 and 1972, before being superseded in 1973 by the DS 23. The DS 21 was powered by an enlarged 2175cc 109 horsepower engine. The Citroen factory offered a variety of body options for the DS 21, including a 2-door convertible, an estate car called the Safari, the luxury 'Pallas' model, and a 4-door saloon. Henri Chapron also offered his own versions using the DS 21.
by Dan Vaughan