The Beginning
This is not a history or even a brief history of the car of the century, it is a mini synopsis to "Forward" my site.
There are enough books to get all the information you want.
Go to the links page for more information
With the odd exception, in the the 1950s cars in europe looked like this:
This was Rovers contribution to luxury motoring next to what came before in the Citroen line
Then in 1955 came the Citroen DS
To get some idea of its impact on the world look at the cars in the background.
This is the London Motor show of that year..
To say it was a shock would be an understament
It was nt JUST the styling though,
it had a hydraulic gearbox, self levelling suspension & disc brakes.
It was positively Space age.
Even Citroen thought so, as depicted in this early advert.
They did stretch the imagination a little bit though
Some cars had some of these
The DS had all of them
*1*.Large diameter front disc brakes which do not fade or distort.
*2*.Full power operated braking system.
*3*.Disc pad warning light on the dashboard.
*4*.Twin circuit braking system.
*5*.Parking and emergency brake operating separate disc pads.
*6*.Featherlight pedal pressure.
*7*.Brake pressure automatically distributed between front and rear according to load.
*8*.Special air ducts to keep brakes cool.
*9*.Twin headlamp system.
*10*.Long range quartz iodine driving lights.
*11*.Driving lights linked to steering for directional control.
*12*.Self-levelling headlamps.
*13*.Specially contoured seats to prevent driving fatigue.
*14*.Sunvisor adjustable to shade front door windows.
*15*.Safety design door handles.
*16*.Panoramic screen with slim pillars.
*17*.Calibrated braking distance chart on speedometer.
*18*.A single spoke steering wheel for a clear view of the instruments and warning lights.
*19*.Gear selection by finger-tip control.
*20*.Demisting duct for side windows.
*21*.Two position mirror. Anti-dazzle setting for night driving, normal for day.
*22*.Combined two speed windscreen wiper and electric screenwasher controlled on the steering column.
*23*.Electrically heated rear window for constant clear view.
*24*.Frameless side-windows for increased visibility.
*25*.A wide front track for high cornering stability.
*26*.Weight concentrated on front wheels for maximum adhesion.
*27*.The automatic height correctors maintain a constant ground clearance whatever the load being carried.
*28*.Air-cushion suspension provides perfect road-holding and extreme comfort with
built-in shock absorbers for efficiency and reliability.
*29*.The extra long wheelbase gives the ultimate in stability and roadholding.
*30*.Rack and pinion steering for precision control.
*31*.Steering power assisted to reduce fatigue.
*32*.Michelin XAS radial-ply tyres are standard fitting.
*33*.Front wheel drive like all Citroën cars since 1934.
*34*.Safety single spoke steering wheel collapses sideways under impact.
35.Rigid rear and side chassis members of great strength for maximum
passenger protection.
*36*.The extra weight of the chassis platform lowers the centre of gravity.
*37*.Both engine and boot compartments are specially designed to absorb
shock on impact.
*38*.The spare wheel is mounted in the front protection zone to act as buffer on collision.
*39*.The perfect aerodynamic shape offers maximum high speed stability.
*40*.Fuel tank placed forward of the rear wheels, protected from collision and in its own compartment.
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