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Car Craft 4: Citroën DS (Paperback)

French Design Classic

Colour Books Military > Modelling Photographic Books Transport > Cars

By Lance Cole
Imprint: Pen & Sword Military
Series: Car Craft
Pages: 64
ISBN: 9781526789853
Published: 30th June 2021

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Launched in 1955 yet looking like a sci-fi design proposal for a future then undreamed of, Flaminio Bertoni's ellipsoid sculpture with wheels that was the Citroën DS stunned the world.

There was a near riot at the 1955 Paris Motor Show launch of the car, orders flooded in for this, the new 'big Citroën' (a Voiture a Grande Diffusion or VGD) as the car that replaced the legendary Traction Avant range.

The term 'DS' stems from two Citroën parts of nomenclature - the type of engine used as the 11D, (D) and the special hemispherical design of the cylinder head as 'Culasse Special' (S): DS out of 'Deesse' or Goddess, was a more popular myth of ' DS' origination, but an erroneous one.

But it was not just the car's aerodynamically advanced body shape (Cd. 0.37) that framed the genius of the DS: hydro pneumatic self-levelling suspension, advanced plastics and synthetics for the construction of the roof and dashboard/fascia, and amazing road holding and cabin comfort were some of this car's highlights.

Only the lack of an advanced new engine was deemed a missed opportunity. In fact Citroën had created a new engine for the car but lacked the resources to produce it in time for 1955.

DS was a major moment in the history of car design, one so advanced that it would take other auto manufacturers years to embrace. Yet DS in its 'aero' design was the precursor to today’s low drag cars of curved form.

Manufactured worldwide, used by presidents, leaders, diplomats, farmers and many types of people, the DS redefined Citroën, its engineering and design language, and its brand, for decades to come.

Prone to rust, not the safest car in the world, and always lacking a smoother powerplant, the DS still became an icon of car design.

Reshaped with a new nose and faired-in headlamps in 1967, DS remained in production until 1975.

Across its life DS spawned an estate car variant as the 'Safari', a range of limousines, two-door convertibles, and even coach-built coupes and rally specials.

This car was a product design that became an article of social science - it was that famous and it defined a European design movement upon a global stage then packed with 'me too' copyist designs.

The DS or 'Goddess' as it was tagged, was a tear-drop shaped act of French confidence in a world of the regurgitation of the known. Some argue that DS and its effect has never been surpassed.

This new value-for-money book provides innovative access to the design, history, and modelling of the revolutionary DS - one of the true 'greats' of motoring history and, a contemporary classic car of huge popularity.

As featured in

Auto Express

This is the fourth title in a series of softback books intended for enthusiasts of the real versions of popular classic cars and for those who make or collect scale models.

There are plenty of photographs, and overall the quality of printing and production is well up to Pen-and-Sword’s high standards. In summary, this is an excellent reference book for anyone interested in real or model versions of this well-known classic car, and the book’s very reasonable price makes it ideal for enthusiasts of the marque.

Bradford Railway Circle

Lance Cole has, again, produced a fascinating book of a car that changed the world. This, the fourth title in the Car Craft series is an informative look at the history of the DS from its inception.

Read the Full Review Here

Vintage Airfix

"Profusely illustrated and attractively laid out."

Society of Automotive Historians

"Lance Cole provides a good summary of the background, development, and variations on the Citroen DS and really brought back some good memories. Similar to other volumes in this series, die-casts and plastic kit build reviews are included."

Frank Landrus - IPMS USA November 2021

Video review on Scale Modelling Now

Scale Modelling Now

"Inexpensive and useful".

Society of Automotive Historians

"The CarCraft books delve into technical details of research and development, modifications, and other automotive minutiae that turns the gearhead knob to 11."

Read the review here

Historical Miniatures Gaming Society

"...makes for a wonderful read of this interesting and still a bit unusual car."

Read the review here

ModelingMadness.com

Featured in

CitroExpert

About Lance Cole

Lance Cole has been a motoring and aviation writer and PR for over 30 years. He is also an internationally published photographer, illustrator and designer. The author of over 20 books, he has a parallel career as a news correspondent and TV camera-journalist. But it is old cars and their design and driving that fascinates him. He has driven Saabs all over the world and contributed to Saab design when he was a young design student. Lance wrote Erik Carlsson’s obituary for the Daily Telegraph.
Lance currently lives in England but yearns for a return to the outback of Australia where old cars rule.

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