Famous Citroën DS. Déesse. Goddess. The Pike. Flying Saucer.

Yes, those are all nicknames of famous DS, and that's just to name a few. It's hard to think of car that caused as much of sensation as DS did back in 1955 when it was first introduced. First and foremost, reason behind this was, well obviously, the design. Why, you may think. Well, cars at the time were nothing like DS - they were squared-looking and small on the inside. Most cars looked alike and did not atract any attention. And then comes DS, weird looking car from future. With it's curved lines and never seen hydraulic suspension.

Of course DS attracted attention with it's looks. And why would not it? It was beutiful. It was different.

Of course, DS was not only famous for it's unparalleled  futuristic design. DS was, from technical perspective, one of the most influential cars in the industry. And also, DS was famous for it's never seen technical inovations. Furthermore, DS set new standards in ride quality, handling, and braking— thanks to both being the first mass production car equipped with hydropneumatic suspension, as well as disc brakes. The 1967 series 3 also introduced directional headlights to a mass-produced car.



In conventional cars, hydraulics are only used in brakes and power steering. In the DS they were also used for the suspension, clutch, and transmission. The cheaper 1957 ID19 did have manual steering and a simplified power braking system. An engine-driven pump pressurizes the closed system to 17.2 MPa (2,490 psi).

At a time when few passenger vehicles had independent suspension on all wheels, the application of the hydraulic system to the car's suspension system to provide a self-leveling system was an innovative move. This suspension allowed the car to achieve sharp handling combined with very high ride quality, frequently compared to a "magic carpet".

As Citroen presented such technology basically out of nowhere, nobody actually knew how it worked. Workshop required manuals to be able to repair DS because technology was so different than anything before. 

Being produced more than 50 years ago (or 60, depending on the model), Citroen DS really was something remarkable. And some features like directional headlights are still to this day not a part of standard equipment in a modern car. And the fact the DS in the 60's had air conditioning with hydraulics that enabled impressive comfort and option to adjust height of a car is just - mindblowing. 

It is no wonder that Citroen DS is one of the most wanted cars by car collectors and one of the most visited cars in our garrage.