"La belle du jour". Even 70 years after its presentation at the Paris Motor Show, the shape and technology of the DS19, also known as the "goddess", still look just as futuristic as they once did. So you can still enjoy "divinely floating" today. Review: In 1919, the car manufacturer Citroën was founded in Paris. The company's founder, André Citroën (born 1878), quickly gained a reputation as an adventurous and innovative entrepreneur. Unfortunately, the consequences of the global economic crisis and the costly development of the Traction Avant, which was introduced in 1934, quickly made themselves felt and ultimately led to the financial ruin of the company and thus to the takeover by the main creditor Michelin.
The Citroën DS, successor to the legendary Traction Avant, officially began its career under the name VGD ("Voiture de Grande Diffusion", which means mass model). After a very long development period, under the direction of André Lefèbvre and Flaminio Bertoni, the Citroën DS was presented at the Paris Motor Show on October 6, 1955. The first appearance was a sensation. Due to its appearance, it quickly gained nicknames such as "hippopotamus", "shark's mouth" or the name "The Goddess", which is still used today and certainly more aptly formulated. Citroën's most revolutionary model is still known under this honorable designation today. Announced as a masterpiece of aesthetics and engineering, the DS had such a unique concept that it shook the automotive world to its foundations. Never before in the history of the automobile did a single model combine so many innovations in terms of safety, performance and comfort. The hydropneumatic suspension on all four wheels and the associated level control, which kept the ground clearance the same regardless of road conditions and load on the car, provided a previously unknown level of comfort.
The front and rear disc brakes, the gearshift, clutch and the servo-assisted rack and pinion steering of the DS were supported by hydraulic technology. More than 34 meters of lines were laid in the vehicle for the hydraulic system, which adapted to the speed. But in addition to all the technical improvements, it was above all the futuristic design of the DS that caused a sensation, which, thanks to its streamlined shape, ensured excellent economy by the standards of the time.
Because of or in spite of its progressiveness, the DS was crowned with great success. In the first 45 minutes of the Paris Motor Show alone, 749 units were ordered, and 12,000 by the end of the first day. After a week, the number of orders was 80,000. By the end of the production period, a total of 1.5 million DS had been sold. The 1:87 scale model of this "goddess" with inserted and chrome-plated headlights even has a properly functioning replica of the "hydropneumatics", which can be operated via a lifting mechanism on the underside of the vehicle."
