1973 Citroen D Super 5 Sedan

Description

Unconventional, futuristic and so very French, Citroën's DS was launched in 1955 as a replacement for the venerable Traction Avant and remained in production for the best part of three decades, during which time the rest of the world slowly caught up. A technically and stylistically advanced design, the DS boasted an unparalleled ride and road holding thanks to the hydropneumatic self-levelling suspension system, with hydraulics also controlling the brakes, clutch, transmission and power steering. Powered by a relatively small capacity four-cylinder engine, the Citroën relied on superior aerodynamics to provide a high cruising speed and decent acceleration - the unmistakable streamlined shape of the DS was actually penned by an Italian, Flaminio Bertoni and still looks remarkably fresh today. One criticism levelled at the DS was the cost - it was an expensive car to build and priced accordingly, so a simplified, cheaper alternative, the ID19, was launched just two years later, in 1957. The DS range underwent several major revisions, becoming the DS21 with the addition of a 2175cc engine, eventually with fuel injection added. In 1973 this was replaced by the more powerful DS23, but a new model, the D 5 Super filled the gap left by the deletion of the DS21. The Super 5 was to be a short-lived model, with all DS production coming to an end on April 24th, 1975 when the 1,330,775th example rolled off the line. Regarded as one of the most influential automobiles of all time (it was placed third after the Model T Ford and Mini in a poll conducted in 1999), Citroën's DS/ID series is steadily gaining recognition as the numbers of surviving examples dwindles with each passing year.