Citroën DS: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 07:44, 17 November 2006

Revision as of 19:38, 20 November 2006

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While the DS was a hit in Europe, it seemed rather odd in the [[United States|US]]. Ostensibly a luxurious car, it did not have the basic features that buyers of that era expected to find on such a vehicle - fully [[automatic transmission]], [[air conditioning]], [[power windows]] and a reasonably powerful engine. The DS price point was similar to the contemporary [[Cadillac]] luxury car. Also, people at the time wanted only the newest models, which changed every year, like [[haute couture|fashion]], yet the DS appeared vaguely derivative of the 1950 [[Hudson Motor Car#1946 - 1954|Hudson Hornet]] step-down design.

Outdated US legislation also banned someone of the car's more advanced features, such as the LHM [[hydropneumatic|hydraulic mineral fluid]] and the aerodynamic [[headlamps]], both now common in US automobiles. Ultimately, 38,000 units were sold. The first year of the aerodynamic glass over the DS' headlights and the self-leveling feature connected to the suspension, along with driving lights turned by the steering, was also the first year these features were outlawed in the US.

==Design variations==