History
The DS19 was introduced in 1955 and was such a futuristic looking car. It was so stylish and aerodynamic that it would be many years before other mass produced cars caught up. Many thousands of orders were taken on the first day of its appearance at the 1955 Paris Motor Show.
It was a big improvement as far as safety and comfort were concerned. Citroen were building in safety features many years before other manufacturers considered it a priority. The fuel tank was situated inside the strong chassis, the spare wheel was placed under the front of the large bonnet and there was a single spoke steering wheel designed to collapse away from the driver in an impact. The visibility was very good due to the thin pillars and large, curved windows with frameless glass used in the doors. There were similarities in the basic construction of the 2CV and DS in that all body panels were bolted onto a strong chassis, making it easy to repair. There was plenty of headroom inside, just like the 2CV, following Pierre Boulanger's desire for the car to be tall enough for a driver wearing a hat to enter.
Beneath the remarkable surface of the DS there was a lot of remarkable technology and the use of plastic was pioneering. Inside there were directional ventilation shutters, never before seen in a production car, and a pressure sensitive rubber button on the floor rather than a conventional brake pedal. There was a completely flat floor as the gear selection lever was fixed above the steering wheel and the handbrake was applied with a pedal located next to the clutch pedal. The roof was made of fibreglass and the huge single panel bonnet was made of aluminiuim. High-level indicators above the rear window were very bright and clearly visible.
The suspension utilised spheres filled with compressed nitrogen and hydraulic fluid enabling the car to be suspended on a cushion of air. This, together with the soft seating and thick carpets, gave it the smoothest and most comfortable ride of any car. The large, flat underside of the car added to aerodynamic efficiency and further eliminated road noise. The suspension was independent all round and self-levelling no matter what the load. It could be raised or lowered by a lever to suit the driving conditions and also came in useful for "self jacking" when a tyre needed changing. The rear track was narrower than the front, for stability, and on the first models the wheels were fixed on using a single bolt in the centre of each wheel.
The hydraulics enabled the use of hydraulic semi-automatic gearchange, powered in-board front disc brakes and powered steering. The brakes also had a valve to control the amount of pressure applied to front and rear wheels, ensuring it was distributed according to the amount of people or luggage in the car. The suspension suited the high capacity load carrying "estate" version which was later unveiled.
The ID19 was launched in 1956. It was a basic and cheaper version of the DS with no power assisted steering or braking and a manual gearbox, although specifications of the ID varied depending on the country in which it was sold. Generally, in the UK the main differences between the ID and DS models, apart from the manual 4 speed gearbox, were in trim levels. Trim was either plastic covered seating and door panels on the ID Luxe or cloth on the ID Confort. (The ID19 became the DSpecial and ID20 the DSuper in 1969).
In 1958 the ID was available in "estate" form when the ID Break and ID Familiale were revealed. The seating arrangements could be changed according to the number of passengers or load. Over the years estates were available in various specifications and were marketed as DS estates from the early 1970's. In the UK the Break was called the Safari and had 7 seats with two fold-flat "occasional" seats in the rear and a fold-flat rear bench seat. The Familiale had 9 seats with three fold-flat centre seats. With its huge capacity, the estate was also sold as an ambulance in France. At the top end of the range, the DS Pallas was launched in 1964. The Pallas offered even more luxury and refinement, including additional soundproofing. The DS was then available in Pallas specification throughout production.
The DS Prestige was unveiled in 1958 and was built to order and customer specification as a luxury limosine. All kinds of extras were available, such as telephone, drinks cabinet and television. There was a glass partition which could be closed to provide privacy to the rear seat passengers and an intercom was provided in order to communicate with the chauffeur.
Citroen introduced the DS Cabriolet in 1960. It was a two door convertible version built to order and available in both DS and ID specification. There had been plans to produce a cabriolet from the start but independent coach-builder Henri Chapron had first built a convertible DS in 1958. Therefore the Chapron models available through Citroen were called the Usine Cabriolets and, like the Prestige, were available until 1974 in limited production.
In 1956 the first DS owners probably regretted buying the car as it was plagued with reliability problems, mostly due to the complicated fluid suspension and incompatible rubber seals. Many Citroen dealers were taking back new cars for repair but were not familiar with them and there were many frustrated owners during the first few years. Prior to 1966 red LHS fluid was used, after which green LHM was the improved suspension fluid.
These models, despite being huge cars with complicated hydraulics, were very successful rally cars beginning when the 1959 Monte Carlo rally was won by an ID19. Only very slight modifications were made to lighten the body panels and the DS rally drivers were not as tired as their competitors in less comfortable cars. Many other rally successes followed and the DS did particularly well on rough terrain with its unique suspension.
The DS was manufactured in the UK from 1956 and, like the British 2CV, many parts such as lights, bumpers and various items of electrical equipment were British-made. Sales were fairly steady and the DS was produced in Britain for a further ten years. When it was decided to close the British Citroen factory in 1966, the right hand drive DS continued to be available in UK showrooms as imports had commenced from the Paris factory.
There were lots of small changes over the years, for example the DS had the option of a manual gearbox from 1963. All the options and trim specifications can become very complicated to explain! In 1968 the entire range of D-Series Citroens received a facelift. The car was given twin headlights that were in new glass covered housings. The driving lights followed the direction of the steering wheel to give greater visibility and the headlamps were now self-levelling. Beginning with a 1911cc engine, progressively larger engines were offered over the years up to a fuel injected 2347cc engine. The arrival of the CX and the arranged Peugeot takeover in 1974 meant the end for the D-Series Citroens. Production ceased in 1975.
Once a common sight in France they are now rare. Outside France the D-Series never sold in large numbers and for that reason driving one today still results in gasps of amazement from people who can't believe their eyes!
Summary
1955
In October 1955 the DS19 was unveiled to the public with the 1911cc engine from the Traction Avant and production began several weeks later.
1956
Citroen began the production of the British DS in the UK and it had 12 volt electrics.
1957
The simplified and cheaper ID19 was manufactured from 1957.
1959
Longer rear wings were fitted to all models and the ID had corrugated aluminium trim on the B and C posts. Production of the estate versions began with either 7 seats or 9 seats.
1960
Like the British DS, all cars now had 12 volt electrics.
1961
DS dashboard was changed and the brake button was made larger. All models now had a steel bootlid instead of aluminium and the ID had a finger grip added to the boot lid lock. Self parking wipers were introduced and headlining material was cloth instead of vinyl.
1962
The front of the car was altered slightly and improved soundproofing was added.
1963
Cars with manual transmission instead of semi-automatic were available, front doors had door pockets and a map pocket was added to the ID. The ID became available with power steering.
1964
The luxury Pallas model was introduced. Additional driving lamps were introduced in 1964.
1965
A new 1985cc engine was introduced and the DS21 was available with a 2175cc engine. Twin exhausts appeared in 1965 too. Wheels were now fixed to the hubs with five studs instead of three.
1966
The British Citroen factory closed.
1967
The dynamo was replaced by an alternator. The front of the car received a major facelift. The Pallas had directional headlamps and self levelling driving lamps fitted but this was optional on all other DS models. All D models exported to the UK from France had Pallas wheel trims and directional and self levelling lights as standard.
1966
Improved green LHM fluid was used from now on.
1968
The DS 20 replaced the DS19. Front seats were restyled with higher backs and the heated rear window became an option. A front centre arm rest also became available.
1969
The DS21 became the first French car to be fitted with electronic fuel injection and was launched at the time the one millionth DS was produced. The ID19 was replaced by the DSpecial and the ID20 was replaced by the DSuper.
1970
The dashboard was altered to incorporate three round dials instead of one large regtangular dial.
1971
The five speed gearbox was available. The exterior door handles were changed and recessed into the doors, there was a new type of soft, padded steering wheel.
1972
The DS23 replaced the DS21 and was also available with electronic fuel injection. The DSuper 5 was introduced and had a 5 speed manual gearbox. The DS was available with tinted glass and metallic paint. Power steering was standard.
1975
Production of all D models ended.
If you've decided you're going to buy one, don't
get carried away with a DS that has recently been
resprayed. All
of the panels unbolt easily. It is the structure beneath that
is of more importance. If the DS's frame is rusty it could
cost
over £2,000 to fix it, so major structural repairs are not
usually worthwhile. The most important area to check is where
the rear
suspension spheres are attached to the frame because
if this area is rusty, the spheres can fall off!
If you are tall you may find that rear
visibility is let down by a combination of rear view mirror mounted
on
the dashboard and low rear window. Even though it has very
light power steering, it is such a large car that manoeuvring
should be carried out
carefully - many a DS has at some time had
paint scraped off the doors as it was being parked. Moving the
car in and out of a space in a small
car park can be quite an
adventure.