View source for Citroën DS

{{short description|Executive car produced by Citroën}}
{{About|the original 1955–1975 car model|the concept car|Citroën DS Inside|the car marque launched in 2009 which is now owned by Stellantis|DS Automobiles}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox automobile
|image        = Bornholm Rundt 2012 (2012-07-08), by Klugschnacker modified.jpg
|name         = Citroën DS
|aka          = {{Plainlist|
*Citroën DS 19 / DS 21 / DS 23
*Citroën D Special
*Citroën D Super
*Citroën ID 19 / ID 21
*Citroën DW (UK, 1962–1965)
}}
|manufacturer = [[Citroën]]
|production   = {{Plainlist|
*1955–1975
*1,455,746 produced<ref group=nb>1,330,755 built in France, 124,991 built in Australia, Portugal, UK, South Africa and Yugoslavia collectively.</ref>
}}
|assembly     = {{Plainlist|
*France: [[15th arrondissement of Paris|Paris (Vaugirard)]]
*Australia: [[Heidelberg, Victoria]]<ref>[http://www.nuancierds.fr/DT%20Australia%20general.htm Citroën D-models in Australia, by le docteur Danche] Retrieved 27 June 2012</ref>
*Portugal: [[Mangualde]]
*United Kingdom: [[Slough, England]]
*South Africa: [[Johannesburg]]
*Yugoslavia: [[Koper, Slovenia]]
}}
|class        = [[Executive car]] ([[E-segment|E]])
|body_style   = {{Plainlist|
*4-door [[Sedan (automobile)|sedan]]
*5-door [[Station wagon|wagon]] (Safari)
*2-door [[convertible]]
}}
|designer     = [[Flaminio Bertoni]]
|engine       = {{unbulleted list
  | 1911&nbsp;cc [[Straight-four engine|I4]] (DS/ID 19)
  | 1985&nbsp;cc I4 (DS 20)
  | 2175&nbsp;cc I4 (DS 21)
  | 2347&nbsp;cc I4 (DS 23)
  }}
|transmission = 3-speed [[Automatic transmission|automatic]]<br />4-speed [[Manual transmission|manual]]<br />5-speed [[Manual transmission|manual]]<br />4-speed [[Semi-automatic transmission|semi-automatic]]
|layout       = [[Front mid-engine, front-wheel-drive layout|MF layout]]
|related      = [[Citroën SM]]
|length       = {{convert|4826|mm|in||abbr=on}} (saloon)<br />{{convert|4991|mm|in||abbr=on}} (estate)
|width        = {{convert|1791|mm|in||abbr=on}}
|height       = {{convert|1464|mm|in||abbr=on}} (saloon)<br />{{convert|1537|mm|in||abbr=on}} (estate)
|weight       = {{convert|1270|kg|lb||abbr=on}}(saloon) <br />{{convert|1384|kg|lb||abbr=on}} (estate)
|wheelbase    = {{convert|3124|mm|in||abbr=on}}<ref>{{cite web |title=1955–1975 Citroen DS 19/20/21/23 |url=http://auto.howstuffworks.com/1955-1975-citroen-ds-19-20-21-23.htm |website=How Stuff Works |author=((Auto Editors of ''Consumer Guide'')) |date=17 July 2007 |access-date=18 July 2018 |archive-date=19 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180719024511/https://auto.howstuffworks.com/1955-1975-citroen-ds-19-20-21-23.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|predecessor  = [[Citroën Traction Avant]]
|successor    = [[Citroën CX]]
}}

The '''Citroën DS''' ({{IPA|fr|si.tʁɔ.ɛn de.ɛs}}) is a [[Front-mid-engine, front-wheel-drive layout|front mid-engined, front-wheel drive]] [[executive car]] manufactured and marketed by [[Citroën]] from 1955 to 1975, in fastback/sedan, wagon/estate, and convertible body configurations, across a single generation comprising three series.

Marketed with a less expensive variant, the '''Citroën ID''', the DS was known for its aerodynamic, futuristic body design; unorthodox, quirky, and innovative technology.  It set new standards in [[ride quality]], [[car handling|handling]], and braking,<ref name="retrothing.com">{{cite web|url= http://www.retrothing.com/2007/01/citroen_ds_deca.html|title=Citroen DS – A car years ahead of its time|access-date=6 September 2007|work= retrothing.com}}</ref> thanks to both being the first [[mass production]] car equipped with [[hydropneumatic suspension]], as well as [[disc brakes]].<ref name="hemmings"/> The 1967 Series 3 also introduced ''directional headlights'' to automotive mass-production.<ref group=nb> after this feature was first introduced on the 1948 Tucker 'Torpedo', of which 50 were built.</ref>

Italian sculptor and industrial designer [[Flaminio Bertoni]] and the French aeronautical engineer [[André Lefèbvre]] styled and engineered the DS, and [[Paul Magès]] developed the hydropneumatic [[self-levelling suspension]]. [[Robert Opron]] designed the 1967 Series 3 facelift. Citroën built 1,455,746 examples in six countries, of which 1,330,755 were manufactured at Citroën's main Paris Quai de Javel (now [[Quai André-Citroën]]) production plant.<ref name="Automobilia1974">{{cite journal|first=René |last=Bellu |title=Automobilia |journal = Toutes les voitures françaises 1975 (Salon Paris Oct 1974)| volume=72|page=24|year=2005 |publisher=Histoire & collections|location=Paris }}</ref>

In combination with Citroën's proven front-wheel drive, the DS was used competitively in [[Rallying|rally racing]] during almost its entire 20{{nbh}}year production run, and achieved multiple major victories, as early as 1959, and as late as 1974. It placed third in the 1999 [[Car of the Century]] poll recognizing the world's most influential auto designs and was named the most beautiful car of all time by ''[[Classic & Sports Car]]'' magazine.<ref name="motorcities.com"/>

The name DS and ID are puns in the French language. "DS" is pronounced exactly like {{lang|fr|déesse}}, {{literally|goddess}}, whereas "ID" is pronounced as ''idée'' ('idea').

==Model history==
[[File:Citroën DS, EuroCitro 2014.jpg|thumb|Turn indicators were mounted in the upper corners of the rear window, tail and brake lights integrated in chromed rear bumper.]]

After 18 years of secret development as the successor to the [[Citroën Traction Avant|Traction Avant]], the DS 19 was introduced on 6 October 1955, at the [[Paris Motor Show]]. In the first 15 minutes of the show, 743&nbsp;orders were taken, and orders for the first day totalled 12,000.<ref name="egothemag.com">{{cite web|url= http://www.egothemag.com/archives/2004/10/citroen_ds_1.htm|title=The Most Incredible Car Ever Built|access-date=6 September 2007|work=egothemag.com|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090821135631/http://www.egothemag.com/archives/2004/10/citroen_ds_1.htm|archive-date=21 August 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> During the 10 days of the show, the DS took in 80,000 deposits; a record that stood for over 60 years,<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-04-21/tesla-changed-cars-forever-now-it-must-deliver | title=Ten Charts That Will Make You Rethink Tesla's Model 3 | first=Tom | last=Randall | work=[[Bloomberg News]] | date=2016-04-21 | access-date=2016-05-07}}</ref> until it was eclipsed by the [[Tesla Model 3]] which received 180,000 first day deposits in March 2016.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://fortune.com/2016/04/01/tesla-model3-nabs-135000-reservations/|title=Tesla Nabs 180,000 Model 3 Reservations, And The Car Isn't Even Available Yet|work=Fortune|access-date=2017-11-28|language=en}}</ref> The original list price for a 1959 ID19 was US$2,833 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|2833|1959}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars).{{inflation-fn|US}}<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sass |first1=Rob |title=Sports Car Market Magazine |date=October 2008 |page=24 |access-date=}}</ref>

Contemporary journalists said the DS pushed the envelope in the ride vs. handling compromise possible in a motor vehicle.<ref name="autospeed">{{cite web|url=http://www.autospeed.com/cms/article.html?&title=The-Amazing-Citroen-DS&A=111235 |title=AutoSpeed – The Amazing Citroen DS|publisher=autospeed.com|access-date=1 September 2015}}</ref><ref name="motortrend.com">{{cite web |url= http://www.motortrend.com/classic/roadtests/c12_0511_1960_citroen_ds/suspension_engine.html |title= Drive: 1960 Citroen DS|access-date=6 September 2007 |work=motortrend.com}}</ref><ref name="R&T 1956">{{cite magazine |url= http://www.citroenet.org.uk/foreign/usa/56-10.html |title= Road Test: Citroën The DS-19 drives boldly off the beaten path – and never feels the bumps |date= November 1956|magazine= Road & Track |access-date=22 July 2017}}</ref>

To a France still deep in reconstruction after the devastation of [[World War II]], and also building its identity in the post-colonial world, the DS symbolized French ingenuity.<ref name="Design Museum 2010">Fifty Cars That Changed the World by Design Museum, 2010, {{ISBN|978-1840915365}}</ref> The DS was distributed to many territories throughout the world.<ref>{{cite web |author=Pierre Jammes |url=http://www.dsinasia.com/ |title=Citroen DS in Asia |publisher=Dsinasia.com |access-date=28 November 2011 |archive-date=3 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191003110509/http://www.dsinasia.com/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
[[File:46e Personen automobieltentoonstelling in RAI, overzicht van de grote Europahal, Bestanddeelnr 914-7914 (cropped).jpg|thumb|At the 1963 [[AutoRAI|Amsterdam International Autoshow]], Citroën presented a DS body as a sculpture, upright like a rocket, on a rotating platform.]]
It also posited the nation's relevance in the [[Space Age]], during the global race for technology of the [[Cold War]].<ref name="Design Museum 2010"/> [[Structuralism|Structuralist]] philosopher [[Roland Barthes]], in an essay about the car, said that it looked as if it had "fallen from the sky".<ref name="id-ds.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.id-ds.com/PlanetD%26G/barthes.but.html |title=The New Citroen by Roland Barthes 1957 |access-date=6 September 2007 |work=id-ds.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070816121741/http://www.id-ds.com/PlanetD%26G/barthes.but.html |archive-date=16 August 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> An American advertisement summarised this selling point: "It takes a special person to drive a special car".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/reviews/classics/toronto-car-enthusiast-owns-frances-topless-goddess/article4793528/|title=Toronto car enthusiast owns France's topless 'goddess'|work=The Globe and Mail|date=2 November 2012|last1=English|first1=Bob}}</ref>

Because the company was owned by the technologically aggressive tyre manufacturer [[Michelin]], Citroën had designed their cars around the technologically superior [[radial tyre]] since 1948, and the DS was no exception.<ref name="carhistory4u">{{cite web|url=http://www.carhistory4u.com/the-last-100-years/parts-of-the-car/part-2-section-6|title=Car History 4U – History of the car tire in Motor Cars / Automobiles|publisher=carhistory4u.com|access-date=1 September 2015|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150923200454/http://www.carhistory4u.com/the-last-100-years/parts-of-the-car/part-2-section-6|archive-date=23 September 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="bloomberg">{{cite news|url= https://www.bloomberg.com/bw/stories/2006-05-04/a-tale-of-two-tiresbusinessweek-business-news-stock-market-and-financial-advice|title=A Tale of Two Tires – Businessweek|newspaper=bloomberg.com|date=5 May 2006|access-date=1 September 2015}}</ref>

The car used [[double wishbone suspension]] with L-shaped arms at the front and [[Trailing-arm suspension|trailing-arms]] at the rear, with totally novel [[hydropneumatic suspension|hydropneumatic spring and damper units]]. The car's advanced hydraulics included [[Self-levelling suspension|automatic self-levelling]] and [[height adjustable suspension|driver adjustable ride-height]],<ref>"...gliding on air with only the flick of the speedometer needle to remind you you're in motion! No bumping, jerking, dragging, lurching." From an ad for the Citroën stand at the Motor Show, London, 1957</ref> developed in-house by [[Paul Magès]]. This suspension allowed the DS to travel quickly on the poor road surfaces then common in France.<ref>{{cite book |last=Bobbitt |first=Malcolm |title=Citroën DS |page=32 |year=2005 |publisher=Veloce |location=Dorchester |isbn=9781904788300}}</ref>

In addition, the vehicle had [[power steering]] and a [[semi-automatic transmission]] (the transmission required no clutch pedal but gears still had to be shifted by hand,<ref name="willson1995"/> with the shift lever controlling a powered hydraulic shift mechanism in place of a mechanical linkage). 
It had a [[fibreglass]] roof which lowered the centre of gravity, and so reduced [[weight transfer]]. Inboard front disc brakes (as well as independent suspension) reduced unsprung weight. Different front and rear track widths reduced the unequal tyre loading, which is well known to promote [[understeer]], typical of front-engined and [[front-wheel drive]] cars.<ref name=Artcurial>{{citation | title = Artcurial Motorcars à Rétromobile (Vente n<sup>o</sup> 1957) | page = 94 | date = 4 February 2011 | publisher = Artcurial-Briest-Poulain-F.Tajan | location = Paris, France }}</ref> Although [[disc brakes]] had been tried on a car as early as 1902 by British [[Lanchester Motor Company|Lanchester]], volume production had not been applied until 1949, by USA small car manufacturer [[Crosley]], but without success. The Citroën DS was the first successful fielding of disc brakes on a mass-produced car.<ref name="hemmings">{{cite web |url=http://www.hemmings.com/hsx/stories/2011/04/01/hmn_opinion3.html |title=The first car with disc brakes really was . . . |publisher=Hemmings Motor News |date=April 2011 |first=Richard |last=Lentinello |access-date=11 March 2021 |archive-date=5 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160105133105/http://www.hemmings.com/hsx/stories/2011/04/01/hmn_opinion3.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Furthermore, at launch the DS featured innovative [[centerlock wheels]] which used a captive allen bolt as the central fastener whilst a hexagonal protrusion transferred the drive to a matching recess in the wheel. This made it possible to change the wheel very quickly in the event of a puncture and proved an advantage in [[motor racing]].<ref name="Le Nuancier DS">{{cite web|url=http://www.nuancierds.fr/DT%20jantes.htm |title=Les modèles de jantes de DS et ID|publisher=nuancierds.fr|access-date=20 October 2021}}</ref>

As with all French cars, the DS design was affected by the [[tax horsepower]] system, which effectively encouraged smaller engines. Unlike the ''Traction Avant'' predecessor, there was no top-of-range model with a powerful [[Straight-6|six-cylinder]] engine. Citroën had planned an air-cooled [[flat-6]] engine for the car, but did not have the funds to put the prototype engine into production.

The DS placed third in the 1999 [[Car of the Century]] competition, and fifth on the 2005 list of "100 Coolest Cars" by ''[[Automobile Magazine]]''.<ref name="automobilemag.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.automobilemag.com/features/0410_coolest_cars/stingray.html |work=Automobile Magazine |title=100 Coolest Cars |access-date=29 July 2008 |archive-date=30 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080430202610/http://www.automobilemag.com/features/0410_coolest_cars/stingray.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> It was also named the most beautiful car of all time by ''[[Classic & Sports Car]]'' magazine after a poll of 20 world-renowned car designers, including [[Giorgetto Giugiaro]], [[Ian Callum]], [[Roy Axe]], [[Paul Bracq]], and [[Leonardo Fioravanti (engineer)|Leonardo Fioravanti]].<ref name="motorcities.com">{{cite web|url= http://www.motorcities.com/vehicle/09B4E032327279.html|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090908041613/http://www.motorcities.com/vehicle/09B4E032327279.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 September 2009|title=1955 Citroen DS&nbsp;– The Most Beautiful Car of All Time |publisher=Motorcities.com|access-date=9 July 2009}}</ref>

==Motorsport==
[[File:Timo Korpivaara - 1956 Rally Finland.jpg|thumb|right|DS19 at the 1956 [[Rally Finland|1000 Lakes Rally]]]]

The DS was successful in [[motorsport]]s like [[rallying]], where sustained speeds on poor surfaces are paramount, and won the [[Monte Carlo Rally]] in 1959. In the [[Rally Finland|1000 Lakes Rally]], [[Pauli Toivonen]] drove a DS19 to victory in 1962.

In 1966, the DS won the [[Monte Carlo Rally]] again, with some controversy as the competitive BMC [[Mini]]-Cooper team was disqualified due to rule infractions. Ironically, [[Mini]] was involved with DS competition again two years later, when a [[Drunk drivers|drunk driver]] in a Mini in [[Sydney]] [[Australia]] crashed into the DS that was leading the 1968 [[London–Sydney Marathon]], {{cvt|158|km}} from the finish line.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/london_sydney_marathon.htm|title=1968 London – Sydney Marathon}}</ref> [[Robert Neyret]] won the [[Rallye du Maroc]] in 1969 and 1970 in a DS 21.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://joomla.classicsportscar-rallyes.fr/rallyes/pilotes/38-bob-neyret|title=Bob Neyret|date=2014|publisher=Jadevents|language=fr}}</ref>

The DS was still competitive in the grueling [[1974 London-Sahara-Munich World Cup Rally]], where it won over 70 other cars, only 5 of which even completed the entire event.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cuas.org.uy/web/elemento/get/id/29/|title=CUAS – UDT 1974 London-Sahara-Münich World Cup Rally|access-date=23 November 2014|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141129073111/http://www.cuas.org.uy/web/elemento/get/id/29/|archive-date=29 November 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.examiner.com.au/story/1400403/sherrard-rallies-to-help-in-devil-appeal/|title=Sherrard rallies to help in devil appeal|author=Fairfax Regional Media|date=31 March 2013|work=The Examiner}}</ref>

==Technical innovation – hydraulic systems==
[[File:1973 Citroën D Spécial sedan (2011-05-12) 02.jpg|thumb|At rest, Citroën DS will slowly sink to the ground as the engine-driven hydraulic system is depressurized.]]
In conventional cars, hydraulics are only used in brakes and [[power steering]]. In the DS they were also used for the suspension, clutch, and transmission. The cheaper 1957 ID19 did have manual steering and a simplified power braking system. An engine-driven pump pressurizes the closed system to {{cvt|17.2|MPa}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.citroen-ds-id.com/ |title=Home |website=citroen-ds-id.com}}</ref>

At a time when few passenger vehicles had [[independent suspension]] on all wheels, the application of the hydraulic system to the car's suspension system to provide a [[Self-levelling suspension|self-levelling system]] was an innovative move. This suspension allowed the car to achieve sharp handling combined with very high [[ride quality]], frequently compared to a "[[magic carpet]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://vintagekraft.wordpress.com/2013/09/03/1972-citroen-ds-21/|title=1972 Citroen DS 21|work=Vintage Kraft|date=3 September 2013}}</ref><ref name="caradvice">{{cite web|url=http://www.caradvice.com.au/38969/citroen-ds3-the-new-version-of-cool/|title=Citroen DS3: The new version of 'cool'|website=caradvice.com.au|access-date=1 September 2015}}</ref>

The [[hydropneumatic suspension]] used was pioneered the year before, on the rear of another car from Citroën, the top of range [[Citroën Traction Avant|Traction Avant]] 15CV-H.

==Effect on Citroën brand development==
[[File:358 DS Jubile 2005 - Parade 2005-10-09 13-35-48.jpg|thumb|Two DS and [[Traction Avant]]]]
The 1955 DS cemented the Citroën brand name as an automotive innovator, building on the success of the [[Traction Avant]], which had been the world's first mass-produced [[Monocoque|unitary body]] front-wheel-drive car in 1934.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/north-harbour-news/787614/The-machines-that-shaped-a-century|title=The machines that shaped a century|work=Stuff|date=4 March 2009}}</ref> In fact, the DS caused such a huge sensation that Citroën was apprehensive that future models would not be of the same bold standard. No clean sheet new models were introduced from 1955 to 1970.

The DS was a large, expensive<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.facel-vega.com/mageng1.shtml |title=The Facel Vega 1954 – 1964 |first=Michael |last=Sedgwick |date=March 1973 |access-date=2018-10-26 |quote=[...] in 1956, [...] the Peugeot 403, cost 780,000fr., [...] and Citroen's "Deesse", hydro-pneumatics and all, 1,109,000. |archive-date=11 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180511152448/http://www.facel-vega.com/mageng1.shtml |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[executive car]] and a downward brand extension was attempted, but without result. Throughout the late 1950s and 1960s, Citroën developed many new vehicles for the very large, profitable market segments between the 2CV and the DS, occupied by vehicles like the [[Peugeot 403]], [[Renault 16]] and [[Ford Cortina]], but none made it into production.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.citroenet.org.uk/prototypes/c8-c10/cocinelle.html|title=Citroën Cocinelle C1 – C8}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.citroenet.org.uk/prototypes/c60/c-60.html|title=Citroën C 60}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.citroenet.org.uk/prototypes/projet-f/projet-f.html|title=Citroën Projet F (Projet AP)}}</ref> Either they had uneconomic build costs, or were ordinary "me too" cars, not up to the company's high standard of [[innovation]]. As Citroën was owned by [[Michelin]] from 1934 to 1974 as a sort of research laboratory, such broad experimentation was possible. Michelin was getting a powerful advertisement for the capabilities of the [[radial tire|radial tyre]] Michelin had invented, when such experimentation was successful.

New models based on the small, utilitarian [[Citroën 2CV|2CV]] [[economy car]] were introduced, such as the 1961 [[Citroën Ami|Ami]]. It was also designed by [[Flaminio Bertoni]] and aimed to combine [[Three-box styling]] with the chassis of the 2CV. The Ami was very successful in France, but less so on export markets. Many found the styling controversial, and the car noisy and underpowered.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/triggerscarstuff/sets/72157640750682204/ |title=Citroen Ami 6 Road Test 1962|work=Flickr|date=9 February 2014}}</ref> The [[Citroën Dyane|Dyane]] was a modernised 2CV with a hatchback that competed with the 2CV inspired [[Renault 4]] [[Hatchback]]. All these 2 cylinder models were very small, so there remained a wide market gap to the DS range all through the 1960s.

In 1970, Citroën finally introduced a car to target the mid-range – the [[Citroën GS]], which won the "European car of the Year" for 1971 and sold 2.5&nbsp;million units. It combined a small {{cvt|55|HP|kW|disp=flip}} flat-4 air-cooled engine with [[Hydropneumatic suspension]]. The intended {{cvt|106|HP|kW|disp=flip}} [[Comotor|Wankel rotary-engined]] version with more power did not reach full production.

==Replacing the DS==
<!-- This section is linked from [[Citroën SM]] -->
The DS maintained sales and remained competitive throughout its production run. Its peak production year was 1970. Certain design elements like the somewhat narrow cabin, column-mounted [[gearstick]], and separate [[Fender (automobile)|fender]]s began to seem a little old-fashioned in the 1970s.

Citroën invested enormous resources to design and launch an entirely new vehicle in 1970, the [[Citroën SM|SM]], which was in effect a thoroughly modernized DS, with similar length, but greater width.<ref name="Fall">{{cite web | url= http://boitierrouge.com/2015/05/16/citroen-sm-la-chute-de-sa-majeste/| title= Citroen SM: the fall of "Her Majesty"| publisher=Boitier Rouge| language=fr|date=16 May 2015 | access-date=25 September 2017 }}</ref> The manual gearbox was a modified DS unit. The front disc brakes were the same design. Axles, wheel bearings, steering knuckles, and hydraulic components were either DS parts or modified DS parts.<ref>Citroën SM parts and repair manuals</ref>

The SM had a different purpose than replacing the 15-year-old DS design, however – it was meant to launch Citroën into a completely new [[grand tourer|luxury grand touring]] [[market segment]]. Only fitted with a costly, exotic [[Maserati]] engine, the SM was faster and much more expensive than the DS. The SM was not designed to be a practical 4-door [[Sedan (automobile)|saloon]] suitable as a large [[family car]], the key market for vehicles of this type in Europe. Typically, manufacturers would introduce low-volume [[coupé]]s based on parts shared with an existing saloon, not as unique models, a contemporary example being the [[Mercedes-Benz R107 and C107|Mercedes-Benz SLC (C107)]].<ref>Mercedes-Benz Buyer's Guide, Fred Larimer, 2004, {{ISBN|978-0760318119}} Page 81</ref> BMW follows a similar strategy of a mid-size sedan (5 series), large coupe (6 series), and large sedan (7 series) sharing common underpinnings.<ref name="Fall"/>

The SM's high price and limited utility of the [[2+2 (car body style)|2+2]] seating configuration meant the SM as actually produced could not seize the mantle from the DS. While the design funds invested would allow the DS to be replaced by two cars, a 'modern DS' and the smaller [[Citroën CX|CX]], it was left to the CX alone to provide Citroën's large family or executive car in the model range.<ref name=Automobilia1974/><ref name="Fall"/>

The last DS came off the production line on 24 April 1975 – with Citroën building up approximately eight months of inventory of the 'break'/'Safari' (estate/station wagon) version of the DS, to continue sales until the autumn of 1975 when the estate/station wagon version of the CX would be introduced.<ref name=Automobilia1974/>

==Development==
The DS maintained its size and shape, with easily removable, unstressed body panels, but design changes occurred. During the 20-year production, improvements were made on an ongoing basis.

===ID 19 submodel to extend brand downwards (1957–69)===
The 1955 DS19 was 65% more expensive than the car it replaced, the [[Citroën Traction Avant]].<ref>Bobbitt, p. 64.</ref> This affected potential sales in a country still recovering economically from World War II, so a cheaper submodel, the Citroën ID, was introduced in 1957. 
[[File:1967 Citroen ID19B pic3.JPG|right|thumb|1967 Citroën ID19B]]
The ID shared the DS's body but was less powerful and luxurious. Although it shared the engine capacity of the DS engine (at this stage 1,911&nbsp;cc), the ID provided a maximum power output of only {{cvt|69|HP|kW|disp=flip}} compared to the {{cvt|75|HP|kW|disp=flip}} claimed for the DS19.<ref name=Automobilia1962>{{cite journal|first=René |last=Bellu |title =Automobilia| journal = Toutes les voitures françaises 1962 (Salon Paris Oct 1961) |number=19|page=15 |date= 2001|publisher=Histoire & collections|location=Paris }}</ref> Power outputs were further differentiated in 1961 when the DS19 acquired a Weber-32 twin bodied carburettor, and the increasing availability of higher octane fuel enabled the manufacturer to increase the compression ratio from 7.5:1 to 8.5:1.<ref name=Automobilia1962/> A new DS19 now came with a promised {{cvt|83|HP|kW|disp=flip}}.<ref name=Automobilia1962/> The ID19 was also more traditional mechanically: it had no power steering and had conventional transmission and clutch instead of the DS's hydraulically controlled set-up. Initially, the basic ID19 was sold on the French market with a price saving of more than 25% against the DS, although the differential was reduced at the end of 1961 when the manufacturer withdrew the entry-level ID19 "Normale".<ref name=Automobilia1962/> A [[station wagon]] variant, the ''ID Break'', was introduced in 1958.

===D Spécial and D Super (1970–75)===
The ID was replaced by the D Spécial and D Super in 1970, but these retained the lower specification position in the range. The D Super was available with the DS21 2175&nbsp;cc engine and a 5-speed gearbox, and named the ''D Super 5.''

===Series 2 – Nose redesign in 1962===
{{multiple image
| align     = right
| direction = vertical
| image1    = 12-03-01-autostadtr-by-RalfR-25 6 7 8 9 fused edit.jpg|
| caption1  = 1956 Citroën DS in the Museum der Autostadt Wolfsburg, showing Series 1 (1955–62) original nose
| image2    = Citroen DS21 Cabriolet ca 1967.jpg
| caption2  = Citroën DS Convertible – Series 2 (1963–1967) – redesigned nose
| image3    = 1974 Citroen DS23 Pallas.jpg
| caption3  = 1974 Citroën DS23 Pallas – Series 3 (1968–1976) with four headlights under glass
| image4    = Draaiende koplamp.jpg
| caption4  = Directional headlight detail of a DS21
}}

In September 1962, the DS was restyled with a more [[aerodynamics|aerodynamically]] efficient nose, better ventilation, and other improvements. It retained the open two headlamp appearance, but was available with an optional set of driving lights mounted on the front fenders. All models in the range changed nose design at the same time, including the ID and station wagon models.

===Series 3 – Nose redesign in 1967 with directional headlights===
In late 1967, for the 1968 model year, the DS and ID was again restyled, by [[Robert Opron]], who also styled the 1970 SM and 1974 CX. This version had a more streamlined [[Headlamp#History of automotive headlamps|headlamp]] design. This design had four headlights under a smooth glass canopy and the inner set [[Headlamp#Directional headlamps|swivelled]] with the steering wheel. This allowed the driver to see "around" turns, especially valuable on twisting roads driven at high speed at night. The directional headlamps were linked to the wheels by cable.<ref>{{cite book | title=Popular Science |date=July 1933 | url= https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_AygDAAAAMBAJ | access-date=2020-03-15 | page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_AygDAAAAMBAJ/page/n60 59]|publisher=Bonnier Corporation }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Kingston | first=Lewis | title=PH Origins: Directional headlights | website=PistonHeads | date=2018-11-19 | url=https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-origins/ph-origins-directional-headlights/39160 | access-date=2020-03-15}}</ref>

Behind each glass cover lens, the inboard high-beam headlamp swivels by up to 80° as the driver steers, throwing the beam along the driver's intended path rather than uselessly across the curved road. The outboard low-beam headlamps are self-leveling in response to pitching caused by acceleration and braking.<ref>[[Autocar (magazine)|''Autocar'']] Road Test No. 2056; 3 December 1965</ref>

Because this feature was not allowed in the US (see [[World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations]]), a version with four exposed headlights that did not swivel was manufactured for the US market.<ref>{{cite web | title=Why Citroën's steerable headlights were banned from North America |work= Citroënvie! | date=2018-06-25 | url= https://citroenvie.com/why-citroens-steerable-headlights-were-banned-from-north-america/ | access-date=2020-03-15}}</ref>

Although a directional headlight was previously seen on the 1948 [[Tucker 48]] 'Torpedo', Citroën was the first to mass-market adaptive headlights.<ref>{{cite web | last=Zetlin | first=Minda | title=This Is the Coolest Car Ever Made, Even Though They Stopped Making It in 1975 | website=Inc.com | date=2017-12-31 | url=https://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/this-is-coolest-car-ever-made-even-though-they-stopped-making-it-in-1975.html | access-date=2020-03-15}}</ref>

===New "green" hydraulic fluid===
The original hydropneumatic system used a [[vegetable oil]] (''liquide hydraulique végétal'', LHV), but later switched to a [[synthetic oil|synthetic]] (''liquide hydraulique synthétique'', LHS).<ref>{{cite web | title=Introduction to the 1955–1975 Citroen DS and ID | website=HowStuffWorks | date=2007-11-01 | url=https://auto.howstuffworks.com/1955-1975-citroen-ds-and-id.htm | access-date=2020-03-31}}</ref> Both had the disadvantage of being [[Hygroscopy|hygroscopic]].<ref name="TopWorldAuto"/><ref>{{cite web | title=FAQ – Orthene | website=Orthene | url=https://orthene.com/faq/ | access-date=2020-03-31}}</ref> Disuse allows water to enter the hydraulic components, causing deterioration and requiring expensive maintenance. The difficulty with hygroscopic hydraulic fluid was exacerbated in the DS/ID due to the extreme rise and fall in the fluid level in the reservoir, which went from nearly full to nearly empty when the suspension extended to maximum height and the six accumulators in the system filled with fluid. With every "inhalation" of fresh moisture- (and dust-) laden air, the fluid absorbed more water.<ref name="TopWorldAuto">{{cite web | title=Citroen DS 19 | website=TopWorldAuto | date=1955-10-05 | url=https://topworldauto.com/cars/citroen/citroen-ds-19.html | access-date=2020-03-31}}</ref>

For the 1967 model year, Citroën introduced a new [[mineral oil]]-based fluid [[Hydropneumatic suspension#LHM|LHM]] (''liquide hydraulique minéral''). This fluid was much less harsh on the system.<ref name="TopWorldAuto"/><ref name="Vyse">{{cite book | last=Vyse | first=Charles | title=Goddess | publisher=Lulu.com | year=2016 | isbn=978-1-326-52785-3 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=qgN2CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA177 | access-date=2020-03-31 | page=177}}</ref>

LHM required completely different materials for the seals.<ref name="Vyse"/> Using either fluid in the incorrect system would completely destroy the hydraulic seals very quickly. To help avoid this problem, Citroën added a [[Fluorescein|bright green dye]] to the LHM fluid and also painted all hydraulic elements bright green.{{citation needed|date=July 2018}} The earlier LHS parts were painted black.<ref>{{cite web | title=L.H.M. Fluid | website=Cyclon | url= https://www.cyclon-lpc.com/zh-hans/portfolio-item/l-h-m-fluid/ | access-date=2020-03-31}}</ref>

All models, including the station wagon and ID, were upgraded at the same time.{{citation needed|date=July 2018}} The hydraulic fluid changed to the technically superior LHM in all markets except the US and Canada, where the change did not take place until January 1969 due to local regulations.<ref>{{cite book | last1=Heilig | first1=R.A. | last2=Heilig | first2=P. | title=Citroën DS & ID All Models (except SM) 1966 to 1975: The Essential Buyer's Guide | publisher=Veloce Publishing | year=2008 | isbn=978-1-84584-138-6 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fgHdxu2z2UIC&pg=PA15 | access-date=2020-03-31 | page=15}}</ref>

==International sales and production==
{{multiple image
| align     = right
| direction = vertical
| image1    = Citroen DS and elephant.jpg
| caption1  = 1972 DS in [[Thailand]] with special cooling vents
| image2    = Citroen DS (4622508505).jpg
| caption2  = Swedish-spec Citroën DS with headlight wipers
}}
The DS was primarily manufactured at the [[Quai André-Citroën]] in the [[Javel, Paris|Javel neighborhood]] of Paris, with other manufacturing facilities in the United Kingdom, South Africa, the former Yugoslavia (mostly Break Ambulances), and Australia.

Australia constructed their own D variant in the 1960s at [[Heidelberg, Victoria]], identified as the ID 19 "Parisienne."<ref>[http://www.nuancierds.fr/DT%20ID19%20Parisienne.htm ID 19 "Parisienne", made in Heidelberg, Australia] Retrieved 14 August 2012</ref> Australian market cars were fitted with options as standard equipment such as the "DSpecial DeLuxe" that were not available on domestic European models.

Until 1965 UK cars were assembled at the manufacturer's [[Slough]] premises, to the west of London, using a combination of French-made [[Complete knock down|knock down]] kits and locally sourced components, some of them machined on site.<ref name=Motor197108>{{cite magazine| title=Spot check: The Citroen D-Type|magazine=Motor|pages=38–40|date=21 August 1971}}</ref> A French electrical system superseded the British one on the Slough cars in 1962, giving rise to a switch to "continental style" negative earthing. An intermediate model between the DS and the ID, called the ''DW'', was introduced on the UK market in 1963 with a manual transmission and simpler foot-operated clutch while retaining the DS power unit, power steering and power braking; outside of the UK this model was known as the ''DS19M''.<ref>{{cite web | title=Road Test – The Latest Citroën DW | website=Motor Sport Magazine | date=2014-07-07 | url= https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/march-1964/11/road-test-27 | access-date=2020-04-30}}</ref><ref name='Bobbitt'>{{cite book |title=Citroën DS: Revised and updated edition |last=Bobbitt |first=Malcolm |publisher=Veloce Publishing |year=2016 |isbn=9781845842765 |page=116}}</ref> When the 1985&nbsp;cc engine replaced the original 1911&nbsp;cc unit in September 1965 the manual-equipped DSes built in Slough were renamed ''DS19A''. The Slough factory closed on 18 February 1966 and thereafter cars for the British market were imported fully assembled from the company's French plant.<ref name=Motor197108/><ref name='Bobbitt'/> The British-built cars are distinguished by their leather seats, wooden (early ID19 models) or one-piece plastic (early DS19 models) dashboards, chromed number plate mount set into the front bumper, and (on pre-1962 cars) [[Lucas Industries|Lucas]]-made electrics. These were all [[right hand drive]] cars.

The DS was built and sold in [[South Africa]] from 1959 to 1975.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.citroenet.org.uk/foreign/za/za-index.html|publisher=Citroenet.org.uk | title=Made in South Africa/Vervaarding in Suid-Afrika|access-date=16 June 2016}}</ref>

The DS was sold in Japan, but the models were built in France and [[left hand drive]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.dsinasia.com/Japan/nichifutsu.html |publisher=DSinAsia.com| title=Japan|access-date=16 June 2016}}</ref>

==DS in North America==
{{multiple image
| align     = right
| direction = vertical
| image1    = Cadillac Coupe Deville & Citroen DS (39730425461).jpg
| caption1  = [[Cadillac]] much larger than DS externally
| image2    = Citroen near Mt. Baker ca. 1970.jpg
| caption2  = DS Citroën near [[Mount Baker]], Washington, USA, ca. 1970
| image3 = 1969 Citroen ID 19.jpg
| caption3 = US-spec 1969 Citroën DS with exposed [[Headlamp|headlights]]
}}

The DS was sold in North America from 1956 to 1972. Despite its popularity in Europe and regard for its design from the American motoring press,<ref name="R&T 1956"/> it did not sell well in the United States, and little better in Canada. While promoted as a luxury car, it did not have the basic features that American buyers expected to find on such a vehicle, such as an [[automatic transmission]], [[air conditioning]], [[power window]]s, or a powerful engine.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Eden |first1=Lorraine |last2=Molot |first2=Maureen Apel |title=Made in America? The US Auto Industry, 1955 – 95 |url= http://www.voxprof.com/eden/Publications/madeinustheusautoindustry.pdf |journal=International Executive |volume=38 |issue=4 |page=513 |date=July–August 1996 |doi=10.1002/tie.5060380406 |access-date=18 July 2018}}</ref> The DS was designed specifically to address the French market, with punitive [[tax horsepower]] taxation of large engines and very poor roads, and not for a market where those constraints were removed.<ref name="web.archive.org">{{cite web|url= http://vintagecars.about.com/od/historygreatmoments/a/citroen_ds.htm |title=Citroën DS, a Classic Car 20 Years Ahead of its Time |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070104231250/http://vintagecars.about.com/od/historygreatmoments/a/citroen_ds.htm |archive-date=4 January 2007 }}</ref>

Further harming the DS' prospects on the other side of the Atlantic was an inadequate supply of parts for the vehicle. [[Jay Leno]] described the sporadic supply of [[spare part]]s as a problem for 1970s era customers, based on his early experiences working at a Citroën dealer in [[Boston]].<ref name="nbc">{{cite web|url=http://www.nbc.com/jay-lenos-garage/video/1971-citroen-ds/2839548?onid=159436#vc159436=1|title=1971 Citröen DS – Video – Jay Leno's Garage – NBC|publisher=nbc.com|access-date=1 September 2015}}</ref>
Additionally, the DS was expensive, with a {{convert|115|hp|kW|abbr=on|0}} vehicle costing $4,170 in 1969,<ref name="conceptcarz">{{cite web|url=http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/default.aspx?carID=20731&i=2#menu|title=1969 Citroen DS21 Technical Specifications and data. Engine, Dimensions and Mechanical details. (DS21, D21, Aero Super, Luxe, Confort, DS 21, Grande Rte, Luxe D21, D19, Pallas) - Conceptcarz.com|publisher=conceptcarz.com|access-date=1 September 2015}}</ref> when $4,500 would buy a {{cvt|360|hp|kW|0}} [[Buick Electra]] 225 Custom.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/default.aspx?carID=14683&i=2#menu|title=1969 Buick Electra 225 Custom Specifications|publisher=conceptcarz.com|access-date=16 June 2016}}</ref> The Electra was available with an automatic transmission, power windows, and came with a much larger engine (a 7,040 cc V8), and it was hardly the only competitor to the DS to have these features as options or as standard.

As a result of the insufficient supply of replacement parts, an inability to compete with bigger and more luxurious cars sold for the same price, and simply having not been designed for the North American market, sales for the DS were mediocre on the North American market, ultimately reaching a total of 38,000.

[[Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108|US regulations]] at the time also banned one of the car's more advanced features: its composite [[headlamp]]s with aerodynamic covered lenses. Based on legislation that dated from 1940, all automobiles sold in the U.S. were required to have round, sealed-beam headlamps that produced 75,000 [[candlepower]] or (73575 [[candela]]) maximum.<ref>{{cite web| last=Whitely |first=Peyton |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19920424/1488290/how-bright-really-right-in-todays-headlight |work=The Seattle Times|title=How Bright Really Right in Today's Headlight? |date=24 April 1992 |access-date=17 July 2015}}</ref> The DS's quartz iodine swiveling headlamps designed for the 1968 model were not allowed by the regulations. Even the aerodynamic headlight covers, featured on other cars such as the [[Jaguar E-Type]] were illegal and had to be removed. It was not until [[Ford Motor Company]] lobbied to have composite headlamps allowed that the sealed-beam headlamp requirements were finally rescinded in 1983.<ref name="web.archive.org"/>

However, the European lamps were legal in Canada, including the [[Headlamp#Directional headlamps|directional headlamps]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://driving.ca/local-content/ottawa/would-canada-welcome-back-pioneering-citroen |title=Would Canada welcome back pioneering Citroen? |website=Driving.ca |date=14 October 2014 |access-date=16 June 2016}}</ref>

The hydraulic fluid change in 1967 also fell afoul of American regulations. [[National Highway Traffic Safety Administration|NHTSA]] follows the ''[[precautionary principle]],'' also used by the [[Food and Drug Administration]], where new [[Innovation|innovations]] are prohibited until their developers can prove them safe to the regulators.<ref name="WSJ082216">{{cite news|url= https://www.wsj.com/articles/humans-unsafe-at-any-speed-1471818762|title=Humans: Unsafe at Any Speed |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |first=L. Gordon |last=Crovitz|date=21 August 2016|access-date=22 August 2016}}</ref> The castor-based LHV and synthetic LHS fluids used in European-market DSes were not certified for use in North America, so cars sold there used conventional [[brake fluid]] instead. Brake fluid (as well as LHV and LHS) is [[Hygroscopy|hygroscopic]] and [[miscible]], readily absorbing and mixing with moisture, the idea being that within a closed hydraulic circuit these properties will ensure pockets of non-soluble water will not form and cause corrosion of the system from within. The design of the DS's hydraulic system used much more fluid and allowed much more moist air into the system than a simple hydraulic braking circuit, so the fluid's hygroscopic properties were not preventing corrosion as intended. Brake fluid also did not provide the viscosity and lubricity suited for used in the suspension, clutch and gear change mechanism. Mineral-based LHM fluid was designed to remedy these issues but Citroen was obligated to demonstrate the new fluid was safe for automotive use before it could be installed in American-market cars. It took NHTSA until January 1969 to approve it, so in the US market about half the production of cars in the 1969 model year use the older red LHS fluid and half use newer green LHM fluid, neither of which is compatible with the other.<ref name="CCA">{{cite web|url= http://www.citroen-ca.com/dsguide.html|title=Citroen Concours of America's Citroen '66 to '72 DS/ID Buyers Guide |publisher=Citroën Concours of America|access-date=22 August 2016}}</ref>

==Design variations==

{{multiple image
| align = right
| direction = vertical
| width = 
| image1 = Festival automobile international 2018 - Citroën DS 21 - 1965 - 002.jpg
| caption1 = DS21 Pallas – distinct [[C Pillar]] design
| image2 = Citroen DS 20 BW 2016-07-17 13-27-21.jpg
| caption2 = Citroën DS Station Wagon – also known as the Safari, Break, Familiale, or Wagon
| image3 = Paris - Retromobile 2013 - Citroën DS 19 - 1964 - 004.jpg
| caption3 = Citroën DS Cabriolet d'Usine (Factory Convertible)
| image4 = 133 Citroen Sport Classique - Sassenage - Chateau de Beaurevoir 2007-07-08 16-12-55.jpg
| caption4 = Chapron non-works convertible
| image5 = Reactor by Gene Winfield.jpg
| caption5 = [[The Reactor (show rod)|''The Reactor'']]
| image6 = Eartha Kitt Catwoman Batman 1967.JPG
| caption6 = [[Eartha Kitt]] as [[Catwoman]] behind the wheel of [[The Reactor (show rod)|''The Reactor'']]
| image7 = Back to the Future Taxi based on 1972 Citroën DS.jpg
| caption7 = [[Back to the Future Part II]] Taxi based on 1972 Citroën DS
}}

===Pallas===
In 1965 a luxury upgrade, the DS Pallas (after [[Greek mythology|Greek]] goddess [[Athena|Pallas Athena]]), was introduced. This included comfort features such as better noise insulation, a more luxurious (and optional leather) upholstery, and external trim embellishments. From 1966, the Pallas model received a driver's seat with height adjustment.

===Station wagon, Familiale, and Ambulance===
A [[station wagon]] version was introduced in 1958. It was known by different names in individual markets (Break in France; Safari, and Estate in the UK; Wagon in the US, and Safari and Station-Wagon in Australia). It had a steel roof to support the standard roof rack. 'Familiales' had a rear seat mounted further back in the cabin, with three folding seats between the front and rear squabs. The standard Break had two side-facing seats in the main load area at the back.

The Ambulance configuration was similar to that of the Break, but with a 60/30 split in the rear folding seat to accommodate a stretcher. A 'Commerciale' version was also available for a time.

The Safari saw use as a camera car, notably by the [[BBC]].<ref name="tech-ops">{{cite web|url=http://www.tech-ops.co.uk/page159.html|title=Page 159|publisher=tech-ops.co.uk|access-date=1 September 2015}}</ref> The hydropneumatic suspension produces an unusually steady platform for filming while driving.<ref>Top Gear, series 8, episode 5</ref>

===Convertible===
A model "décapotable"[[convertible]] was offered from Fall 1960 until Summer 1971. The Cabriolet, model listed as  "Décapotable" in Citroën brochures (cabriolet de série) were built by French [[coachbuilder|carrossier]] [[Henri Chapron]], for the Citroën dealer network. It was an expensive car and only approximately 1,400 units were sold.<ref name="conceptcarz2">{{cite web|url=http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z2176/Citroen-DS21.aspx |title=1966 Citroen DS21 (DS21, D21, Aero Super, Luxe, Confort, DS 21, Grande Rte, Chapron, Decapotable) |website=conceptcarz.com |access-date=1 September 2015}}</ref> These DS convertibles used a special frame which was reinforced on the side members and rear suspension swingarm bearing box, similar to, but not identical to the Break (Station Wagon) frame.
 
Henri Chapron had originally built a convertible on DS 19 for the October 1958 Paris autoshow . At the autoshow, Citroën was so impressed by the Henri Chapron cabriolet design that they approached him asking him if he would agree to build a Citroën "décapotable" (convertible) which would be marketed and commercialized  through their dealerships networks. It took 2 years of collaboration between the 2 firms before they could agree on launching a model called "cabriolet de série" by Henri Chapron which was listed as "décapotable" by Citroën. Chapron and Citroën teams worked, hand in hand, on the project. Regular meetings, referenced in memos  kept in the Chapron archives, took place both at the Henri Chapron and at the Citroën headquarters. 
After two years of hard work, the first cabriolet DS 19 “De Série”/ "Décapotable", ordered and commercialized by Citroën, was built, Fall of 1960, at the Henri Chapron factory, 114-116, rue Aristide Briand, Levallois-Perret -92300-. 
The launching of the cabriolet décapotable took place at the “Pré-Catelan”, route de la Grande Cascade, in the Bois de Boulogne”, in Paris. 
For approximately ten years, Citroën and Chapron had an agreement: Citroën would order the “cabriolets de série” (4-seated) to Henri Chapron who had them built in his annex, 107-109, rue Aristide Briand, Levallois-Perret -92300-.
From then on, the Cabriolet 4 places Chapron on Citroën DS or ID, still ordered and commercialized by Henri Chapron will see its name changed to be called “La Croisette”.
Henri Chapron continued to create variants starting from the ID / DS 19 and DS 21 sedan: cabriolets called “Le Caddy” (2-seated) and “Le Palm Beach” (4-seated), coupés called “Le Paris”, “Le Concorde”, “Le Dandy” and “Le Léman”, and sedans called “La Majesty” and “La Lorraine”.

After official production of the décapotable version ended at Citroën at the end of the year-model 1971, end of June 1961, Chapron kept building the "décapotable" version, his "cabriolet de série" on DS 21 and DS 23 platforms and sold it directly to his own customers until 1974.

===Chapron variations===
In addition, Chapron also produced and sold his own line on Citroën chassis ID / DS 19, DS 21 and DS 23: a few coupés, called “Le Paris”, “Le Concorde”, “Le Dandy” and “Le Léman”, a few convertibles called “La Croisette”,“Le Caddy” (2-seated) and “Le Palm Beach” (4-seated) and a few sedans called “La Majesty” and “La Lorraine”. He also built special sedans (including the "Prestige",<ref name="motorbase">{{cite web |url=http://www.motorbase.com/pictures/contributions/20000830/std_1971_Citron_DS_21_Prestige_by_Chapron-3.jpg |title=Image: std_1971_Citron_DS_21_Prestige_by_Chapron-3.jpg, (480 × 336 px) |website=motorbase.com |access-date=1 September 2015 |archive-date=15 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120315224325/http://www.motorbase.com/pictures/contributions/20000830/std_1971_Citron_DS_21_Prestige_by_Chapron-3.jpg |url-status=dead }}</ref> same wheelbase but with a central divider, and the "Lorraine" [[notchback]]). Chapron also built the imposing DS Présidentielle in 1967-1968 to a design created by Citroën's design department. This car was {{cvt|6.53|m|ft|1}} long, specifically to be longer than the cars used by US Presidents [[Lyndon B. Johnson|Johnson]] and [[Richard Nixon|Nixon]].<ref name=Retro0855>{{cite magazine | title = La République en Mouvement | trans-title = The Republic on the Move | language = fr | page = 55 | ref = EH08 | first = Eric | last = Hélaine | magazine = Rétroviseur | date = October 2008 | number = 238 | publisher = Éditions LVA | location = Fontainebleau, France | issn = 0992-5007 }}</ref> Ordered directly by President [[Charles de Gaulle]], he did not like the car due to its divider and continued to mainly use either DS landaulets or the two earlier special-bodied [[Citroën Traction Avant|Citroën 15/6&nbsp;H]] built by [[Franay]] and Chapron.<ref name=Cnetpres>{{cite web | url = http://www.citroenet.org.uk/passenger-cars/michelin/ds/chapron/ds-presidentielle.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161229174630/http://www.citroenet.org.uk/passenger-cars/michelin/ds/chapron/ds-presidentielle.html | archive-date = 2016-12-29 | work = Citroënët | title = Citroën DS - Chapron presidential car | first = Julian | last = Marsh }}</ref>

===Bossaert coupé===
Between 1959 and 1964, Hector Bossaert produced a coupé on a DS chassis shortened by {{convert|18+1/2|in|abbr=in|order=flip}}.<ref name="Georgano">{{cite book|last=Georgano|first=Nick|title=The Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile|year=2000|publisher=Stationery Office|location=London|isbn=0117023191|page=1792}}</ref> While the front end remained unchanged, the rear end featured [[Notchback|notchback styling]].<ref name="Georgano" />

===The Reactor===
In 1965, American auto customizer [[Gene Winfield]] created ''[[The Reactor (show rod)|The Reactor]]'', a Citroën DS chassis, with a turbocharged {{convert|180|HP|abbr=on}} [[flat-six engine]] from the [[Chevrolet Corvair|Corvair]] driving the front wheels.<ref>{{cite book |last=Grant |first=David |title=The Legendary Custom Cars and Hot Rods of Gene Winfield |publisher=Motorbooks |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-7603-2778-4}}</ref> Since the DS [[MF layout|already had the engine behind the front wheels]], the longer engine meant only one row of seats. This was draped in a streamlined, low slung, aluminum body.

''The Reactor'' was seen in American television programs of the era, such as ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series]]'' (episode 54, "Bread and Circuses"), [[List of Batman television episodes|''Batman'']] episodes 110 ("Funny Feline Felonies") and 111 (driven by [[Catwoman]] [[Eartha Kitt]]),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.breakdowncover.org/blog/9-coolest-batman-vehicles |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100307014326/http://www.breakdowncover.org/blog/9-coolest-batman-vehicles |url-status=usurped |archive-date=7 March 2010 |title=9 Old School Batman Vehicles That Rocked |publisher=Breakdowncover.org |date=3 March 2010 |access-date=28 November 2011}}</ref> and [[List of Bewitched episodes|''Bewitched'']], which devoted its episode 3.19 ("Super Car") to The Reactor.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://public.fotki.com/Rikster/11_car_photos/beautiful_custom_cars/gene_winfield/the_reactor/|title=The Reactor – Gene Winfield |website=fotki.com}}</ref>

=== Michelin PLR ===
The [[Michelin PLR]] is a mobile tyre evaluation machine, based on the DS Break, built in 1972, later used for promotion.

===''Back to the Future Part II'' taxi===
For the 1989 film ''[[Back to the Future Part II]]'', the producers created a flying car to depict a typical taxi in the future world of 2015. This taxi was based on the DS.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://synthiam.com/Community/Robots/Luxor-Cab-as-seen-in-Back-to-the-Future-2-Animatronic-18587|title = Luxor Cab as seen in Back to the Future 2 – Animatronic – Robots – Community – Synthiam| date=10 September 2019 }}</ref>

==Technical details==

===Suspension===
In a [[hydropneumatic suspension]] system, each wheel is connected, not to a metal spring, but to a hydraulic suspension unit consisting of a [[hydraulic accumulator]] sphere of about 12&nbsp;cm in diameter containing pressurised [[nitrogen]], a cylinder containing [[hydraulic fluid]] screwed to the suspension sphere, a piston inside the cylinder connected by levers to the suspension itself, and a [[dashpot|damper valve]] between the piston and the sphere.<ref name="mycitroen.dk">{{cite web|url= http://www.mycitroen.dk/library/ds/Red/Hydraulics/Chas'%20Hydraulic%20Course.pdf |title=The hydraulic system of the Citroën DS explained |first=Charles |last=Vyse |date=April 2003 |website=mycitroen.dk |access-date=18 July 2018}}</ref> A membrane in the sphere prevented the nitrogen from escaping. The motion of the wheels translated to a motion of the piston, which acted on the oil in the nitrogen cushion and provided the spring effect. The damper valve took place of the shock absorber in conventional suspensions. The hydraulic cylinder was fed with hydraulic fluid from the main pressure reservoir via a ''height corrector'', a valve controlled by the mid-position of the anti-roll bar connected to the axle. If the suspension was too low, the height corrector introduced high-pressure fluid; if it was too high, it released fluid back to the fluid reservoir. In this manner, a constant ride height was maintained. A control in the cabin allowed the driver to select one of five [[height adjustable suspension|heights]]: normal riding height, two slightly higher-riding heights for poor terrain, and two extreme positions for changing wheels. (The correct term, ''oleopneumatic'' (oil-air), has never gained widespread use. ''Hydropneumatic'' (water-air) continues to be preferred overwhelmingly.)

The DS neither had nor needed a jack to raise the car off the ground. Instead, the hydraulic system enabled wheel changes with the aid of a simple adjustable stand. To change a wheel in the event of a flat tyre, one would adjust the suspension to its topmost setting, insert the stand into a special peg near the flat tyre, then readjust the suspension to its lowermost setting. The flat tyre would then retract upwards and hover above the ground, ready to be changed.<ref name="hemmings2">{{cite web|url= http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2013/07/25/cars-of-futures-past-citroen-ds/|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130728024358/http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2013/07/25/cars-of-futures-past-citroen-ds/|url-status= usurped|archive-date= 28 July 2013|title=Cars of Futures Past – Citroen DS – Hemmings Daily|author=Hemmings.com|publisher=blog.hemmings.com|access-date=1 September 2015}}</ref> This system, used on the SM also, was superseded on the CX by a screw jack that, after the suspension was raised to the high position, lifted the tyre clear of the ground. The DS system, while impressive to use, sometimes dropped the car quite suddenly, especially if the stand was not placed precisely or the ground was soft or unlevel.

===Source and reserve of pressure===
The central part of the hydraulic system was the high-pressure pump, which maintained a pressure of between {{cvt|130|and|150|bar|MPa psi|disp=flip}} in two ''accumulators''. These accumulators were very similar in construction to the suspension spheres. One was dedicated to the front [[brake]]s, and the other ran the other hydraulic systems. (On the simpler ID models, the front brakes operated from the main accumulator.) Thus in case of a hydraulic failure, the first indication would be that the steering became heavy, followed by the gearbox not working; only later would the brakes fail.

Two different hydraulic pumps were used. The DS used a seven-cylinder [[axial piston pump]] driven off two belts and delivering {{cvt|175|bar|MPa psi|disp=flip}} of pressure. The ID19, with its simpler hydraulic system, had a single-cylinder pump driven by an eccentric on the [[camshaft]].

===Gearbox and clutch===
{{multiple image
| align     = right
| direction = vertical
| image1    = Citroen DS 002.jpg
| caption1  = Mid-1960s interior
| image2    = 1972 Citroen ID21F - rvr-1 (4637743298).jpg
| caption2  = 1972 D Wagon in high suspension setting
| image3 = DS interieur kleine.jpg
| caption3 = 1969 Pallas interior with Hydraulic gear selector – mounted top right of steering column with unusual single spoke steering wheel (a safety feature as the curved and off-center spoke will deflect the driver away from the steering column in a crash.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Torchinsky |first1=Jason |title=These Are The Reasons Why Citroën Used That Weird One-Spoke Steering Wheel |url=https://jalopnik.com/these-are-the-reasons-why-citroen-used-that-weird-one-s-1848304219 |access-date=6 January 2022 |work=Jalopnik |publisher=[[G/O Media]] |date=4 January 2022 |language=en-us}}</ref>). Note the "mushroom" brake pedal. (The pedal on the left is the parking brake)
}}

====''Hydraulique'' or ''Citromatic''====
The DS was initially offered only with the ''Hydraulique'' four-speed [[Semi-automatic transmission#Citroën|semi-automatic]] (B.V.H.—''Boîte de Vitesses Hydraulique'') gearbox.<ref name="mycitroen.dk"/>

This was a four-speed gearbox and clutch, operated by a hydraulic controller. To change gears, the driver flicked a lever behind the steering wheel to the next position and eased-up on the accelerator pedal. The hydraulic controller disengaged the [[clutch]], disengaged the previous gear, then engaged the nominated gear, and re-engaged the clutch. The speed of engagement of the clutch was controlled automatically, responding to hydraulic sensing of engine rpm and the position of the [[butterfly valve]] in the carburetor (i.e., the position of the accelerator), and the brake circuit. When the brake was pressed, the [[engine idle]] speed dropped to an rpm below the clutch engagement speed, thus preventing friction while stopped in gear at traffic lights. When the brake was released, the idle speed increased to the clutch dragging speed. The car would then creep forward much like automatic transmission cars. This drop-in idle throttle position also caused the car to have more engine drag when the brakes were applied even before the car slowed to the idle speed in gear, preventing the engine from pulling against the brakes. In the event of loss of hydraulic pressure (following a loss of system fluid), the clutch would disengage, to prevent driving, while brake pressure reserves would allow safe braking to a standstill.

Unlike an automatic transmission, there is no Park position on the transmission where the wheels are locked. In addition, the hydraulic clutch would disengage with the engine stopped, so the car could not be left in gear when parked. The only way to prevent the car from rolling (for example, if parked on a slope) is to use the [[parking brake]].

==== Manual—four-speed and five-speed ====
The later and simpler ID19 had the same gearbox and clutch, manually operated. This configuration was offered as a cheaper option for the DS in 1963. The mechanical aspects of the [[gearbox]] and [[clutch]] were completely conventional and the same elements were used in the ID 19. In September 1970, Citroën introduced a five-speed [[Manual transmission|manual]] gearbox, in addition to the original four-speed unit.<ref name="Reynolds 1996">{{cite book |last=Reynolds |first=John |title=Original Citroën DS |year=1996 |publisher=Bay View Books |isbn=1-870979-71-0}}</ref> All manual transmissions used a steering column-mounted shifter.

==== Fully-automatic ====
In September 1971 Citroën introduced a 3-speed [[Automatic transmission|fully-automatic]] [[Borg-Warner 35 transmission]] gearbox, on the ''DS 21'' and later ''DS 23'' models.<ref>{{cite web |title=la DS à Boite Automatique Borg-Warner |url= http://www.nuancierds.fr/Citroen%20DS%20boite%20Borg%20Warner.htm |website=Le Nuancier DS |access-date=18 July 2018 |language=fr}}</ref> The fully automatic transmission DS was never sold in the US market where this type of transmission had gained market share so quickly that it became the majority of the market by this time. Many automatic DSs, fuel-injected DS 23 sedans with air conditioning, were sold in [[Australia]].

===Engines===
[[File:Citroën Schnitt-DS Motor.jpg|thumb|Cutaway model shows engine set far back from front wheels ("[[MF layout]]"), and partially reveals configuration of the oleopneumatic suspension]]
The DS was originally designed around an [[Air-cooled engine|air-cooled]] [[flat-6|flat-six]] based on the design of the [[Flat-twin|2-cylinder]] engine of the 2CV, similar to the motor in the [[Porsche 911]]. Technical and monetary problems forced this idea to be scrapped.

Thus, for such a modern car, the engine of the original DS 19 was old-fashioned. It was derived from the engine of the 11CV [[Citroën Traction Avant|Traction Avant]] (models 11B and 11C).<ref name="citroenet.org.uk">{{cite web|url= http://www.citroenet.org.uk/passenger-cars/michelin/ds/03.html|title=Citroën DS the birth of the goddess 3 |website=citroenet.org.uk |access-date=1 September 2015}}</ref> It was an [[Overhead valve|OHV]] [[Straight-4|four-cylinder]] engine with three main bearings and wet liners, and a bore of {{convert|78|mm|in|1|abbr=on}} and a stroke of {{convert|100|mm|in|1|abbr=on}}, giving a volumetric displacement of 1911&nbsp;cc. The cylinder head had been reworked; the 11C had a reverse-flow cast iron cylinder head and generated {{convert|60|hp|abbr=on}} at 3800&nbsp;rpm; by contrast, the DS 19 had an aluminium cross-flow head with hemispherical combustion chambers and generated {{convert|75|hp|abbr=on}} at 4500&nbsp;rpm.

Like the Traction Avant, the DS had the gearbox mounted in front of the engine, with the differential in between. Thus some consider the DS to be a [[MF layout|mid engine front-wheel drive]] car.<ref name="citroenet.org.uk"/>

The DS and ID engines evolved throughout their 20-year production run. The car was underpowered and faced constant mechanical changes to boost the performance of the four-cylinder engine. The initial [[engine displacement|1911&nbsp;cc]] three main [[Bearing (mechanical)|bearing]] engine (carried forward from the [[Citroën Traction Avant|Traction Avant]]) of the DS 19 was replaced in 1965 with the 1985&nbsp;cc five-bearing wet-cylinder motor, becoming the DS 19a (called DS 20 from September 1969).

[[File:Citroen-DS-capot-ouvert.jpg|thumb|right|Spare tyre, mounted under the hood]]

The DS 21 was also introduced for model year 1965. This was a 2175&nbsp;cc, five main bearing engine; power was 106&nbsp;hp DIN<ref name="willson1995">{{cite book|last=Willson|first=Quentin|title=The Ultimate Classic Car Book|year=1995|publisher=DK Publishing|isbn=0-7894-0159-2|url-access=registration|url= https://archive.org/details/ultimateclassicc00quen}}</ref> This engine received a substantial increase in power with the introduction of [[Robert Bosch GmbH|Bosch]] electronic [[fuel injection]] for 1970, making the DS one of the first mass-market cars to use electronic fuel injection. Power of the carbureted version also increased slightly at the same time, owing to the employment of larger inlet valves.

Lastly, 1973 saw the introduction of the 2347&nbsp;cc {{convert|115|hp|kW hp||abbr=on}} engine of the DS 23 in both carbureted and fuel-injected forms. The DS 23 with electronic fuel injection was the most powerful production model, producing {{convert|141|hp|kW|abbr=on}}<ref>Bobbitt, p. 131.</ref> SAE (130 hp DIN).

IDs and their variants went through a similar evolution, generally lagging the DS by about one year. ID saloon models never received the DS 23 engine or fuel injection, although the Break/Familiale versions received the carburetted version of the DS 23 engine when it was introduced, supplemented the DS20 Break/Familiale.

The top of the range ID model, The DSuper5 (DP) gained the DS21 engine (the only model that this engine was retained in) for the 1973 model year and it was mated to a five-speed gearbox. This should not be confused with the 1985&nbsp;cc DSuper fitted with an optional "low ratio" five-speed gearbox, or with the previous DS21M (DJ) five-speed.

==In popular culture==
[[File:General charles de gaulle visite isles sur suippe 1963.jpg|thumb|Général Charles de Gaulle visits [[Isles-sur-Suippe]] ([[Marne (department)|Marne]]) in 1963]]
[[File:222 DS Jubile 2005 - Fantomas DS 2005-10-08 17-36-24.jpg|thumb|Flying DS from ''[[Fantômas (1964 film)|Fantômas]]'']]
[[File:Citroen DS SSL14362.JPG|thumb|upright|''La DS'' 1993 Sculpture by [[Gabriel Orozco]], exhibited at [[Museum of Modern Art]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/323 |title=Gabriel Orozco December 13, 2009 – March 1, 2010 The Museum of Modern Art |website=moma.org}}</ref>]]
President [[Charles de Gaulle]] survived an assassination attempt at [[Clamart|Le Petit-Clamart]] near [[Paris]] on 22 August 1962, planned by [[Algerian War]] veteran [[Jean-Marie Bastien-Thiry]]. The plan was to ambush the motorcade with machine guns, disable the vehicles, and then close in for the kill. De Gaulle praised the unusual abilities of his unarmoured Citroën DS, which saved his life – the car, riddled with bullets and with two tyres punctured, was still able to escape at full speed. Afterward, De Gaulle vowed never to ride in any other make of car.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/citroen-helps-de-gaulle-survive-assassination-attempt |title=Citroen helps De Gaulle survive assassination attempt |website=History.com|date=13 November 2009 }}</ref> This event was recreated in the film ''[[The Day of the Jackal (film)|The Day of the Jackal]]'' (1973).{{fact|date=January 2024}}

The 1961 Citroën DS 19 Décapotable Usine by [[Henri Chapron]] garnered publicity for the new model, from its prominent film placement, when [[Cary Grant]] himself "telephoned the French automotive company, Citroën, to order a new car for use in the film ''[[That Touch of Mink]]'' (1962)."<ref name="AFI">{{cite web|url= https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/18745|title=AFI Catalog of Feature Films the First 100 Years 1893–1993 That Touch of Mink (1962)|publisher=American Film Institute}}</ref><ref name="BAMF">{{cite web|url= https://bamfstyle.com/2019/07/09/that-touch-of-mink-cary-3/#more-27787|date=9 July 2019|title=Cary Grant's Beige Summer Jacket and Citroën in That Touch of Mink|publisher=BAMF Style}}</ref>

The car the eponymous villain uses in the 1965 French comedy ''[[Fantômas se déchaîne]]'' is a modified, flying Citroën DS.

[[Gabriel Orozco]]'s sculpture, "La DS" (1993), is a commentary on automotive design and the fetishization of speed. The artwork is a modified Citroën DS automobile, which was created by the artist and his assistant over a month in a Parisian garage. Orozco cut the car in half lengthwise, removed the central one-third section, and re-welded the remaining two-thirds back together. The result is a dramatically slimmed-down vehicle that can only fit one person and is immobile. The sculpture exaggerates the Citroën DS's already sleek, aerodynamic lines, pushing its streamlined form to an absurd extreme. Orozco subverts the purpose of an automobile by eliminating a third of the car's width and rendering it useless for transportation. The car's engine, lights, and other components are intact but non-functional. He transforms a symbol of mobility, speed, and modern design into an immobile, sculptural object. The piece isolates and emphasizes the car's formal beauty, creating an almost poetic image of sleekness and speed that is, paradoxically, completely static.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.moma.org/audio/playlist/240/3089 |title=Gabriel Orozco. La DS. 1993 |website=moma.org |access-date=10 August 2025}}</ref>

==Legacy==
{{multiple image
| align     = right
| direction = vertical
| image1    = Mullin Citroen 032418 DS flying.jpg
| caption1  = Flying DS shown during Citroën cars exhibition at [[Mullin Automotive Museum]] 2018
| image2    = 129 DS Jubile 2005 2005-10-07 16-30-41.jpg
| caption2  = [[Henri Chapron]]'s ''Lorraine'' model at 2005 Paris meeting
}}
Citroën DS values have been rising<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.hemmings.com/hmn/stories/2011/10/01/hmn_feature4.html|title=1955–1975 Citroën DS – Hemmings Motor News}}</ref> – a 1973 DS 23 Injection Electronique "Decapotable" (Chapron Convertible) sold for €176,250 (US$209,738) at [[Christie's]] [[Rétromobile]] in February 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/frame.php?file=event_item.php&rid=97 |title=2006 Retromobile – Report and Slideshow |publisher=Ultimatecarpage.com |access-date=28 November 2011}}</ref> A similar car sold by Bonhams in February 2009 brought €343,497 (US$440,436).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bonhams.com/cgi-bin/public.sh/pubweb/publicSite.r?sContinent=EUR&screen=ResultsXML&iSaleNo=17043 |title= Bonhams Sale Results|website=www.bonhams.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090213133905/http://www.bonhams.com/cgi-bin/public.sh/pubweb/publicSite.r?sContinent=EUR&screen=ResultsXML&iSaleNo=17043 |archive-date=13 February 2009}}</ref> On 18 September 2009 a 1966 DS21 Decapotable Usine was sold by Bonhams for a [[hammer price]] of GB£131,300. Bonhams sold another DS21 Decapotable (1973) on 23 January 2010 for €189,000.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.motorbase.com/vehicle/by-id/514/finance.ehtml |title=Citroen DS Decapotable |publisher=Motorbase |access-date=20 October 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100417142051/http://www.motorbase.com/vehicle/by-id/514/finance.ehtml |archive-date=17 April 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Citroën was the featured exhibit at the [[Mullin Automotive Museum]] for the year 2017/8, and the DS made its first appearance on the lawn at the [[Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance]] in 2018.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/citroen-to-be-first-time-feature-at-2018-pebble-beach-concours-delegance-300649967.html |title=Citroën to be First-Time Feature at 2018 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance Tour d'Elegance Poster Marks this Historic Occasion|date=16 May 2018}}</ref>

The DS's place in French society was demonstrated in Paris on 9 October 2005 with a celebration of the 50th anniversary of its launch. 1,600 DS cars drove in procession past the [[Arc de Triomphe]].<ref>{{cite news|url= https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4324668.stm|work=BBC News| title=Citroen 'goddess' feted in Paris|date=9 October 2005|access-date=30 April 2010}}</ref>

In 2009, [[Groupe PSA]] created a new brand – [[DS Automobiles]], intended as high quality, high specification variations on existing models, with differing mechanics and bodywork.<ref>{{cite news|url= http://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2009/02/02/citroen-s-appreterait-a-relancer-la-production-de-ds_1149869_3234.html |title=Citroën s'apprêterait à relancer la production de DS |newspaper=Le Monde.fr |publisher=Lemonde.fr |date=18 November 2011 |access-date=28 November 2011}}</ref> This brand was introduced in three models, the [[DS&nbsp;3]], [[DS&nbsp;4]], and the [[DS&nbsp;5]]. The DS&nbsp;3, launched in March 2010, is based on Citroën's new C3, but is more customisable and unique, bearing some resemblance to the original DS, with its "Shark Fin" side pillar.

==Production figures==
[[File:Citroen DS production chart.png|thumb|300px|Citroën DS production chart]]
{{div col|colwidth=19em}}
* 1955: 69
* 1956: 9,868
* 1957: 28,593
* 1958: 52,416
* 1959: 66,931
* 1960: 83,205
* 1961: 77,597
* 1962: 83,035
* 1963: 93,476
* 1964: 85,379
* 1965: 89,314
* 1966: 99,561
* 1967: 101,904
* 1968: 81,860
* 1969: 82,218
* 1970: 103,633
* 1971: 84,328
* 1972: 92,483
* 1973: 96,990
* 1974: 40,039
* 1975: 847<ref>{{cite book |last=Reynolds |first=John |title=Original Citroën DS |year=1996 |publisher=Bay View Books |page=135 |isbn=1-870979-71-0}}</ref>
{{div col end}}
{{clear}}

== See also ==
*''[[Road & Track]]'' magazine, USA. November 1956.
*''[[Road & Track]]'' magazine, USA. June 1958.
* [[Tatra 77]]

==Footnotes==
{{reflist|group=nb|30em}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}
101 Henri Chapron archives

==Further reading==
<!-- last updated May 2023 -->
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last1=Cole |first1=Lance |title=Citroën DS: French Design Classic |series=Car Craft series, no. 4 |date=2021 |publisher=Pen & Sword Transport |location=Barnsley, South Yorkshire |isbn=9781526789853 |url={{GBurl|-UMrEAAAQBAJ}}}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Citroën DS}}
*[http://www.citroenet.org.uk/passenger-cars/michelin/ds/ds-index.html Citroën D Series at Citroënët]
*[https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeromewassenaar/3889312916/in/faves-67855182@N00/ Photo of Bossaert DS coupe]
*[http://public.fotki.com/Rikster/11_car_photos/beautiful_custom_cars/gene_winfield/the_reactor/ Photos of Gene Winfield's 1965 '''Reactor''']
*{{imcdb vehicle|make=Citroen|model=DS|Citroen DS}}
* Maybach SW35 photos for comparison:
** [https://www.flickr.com/photos/27862259@N02/6928646754/ 1935 Maybach SW 35 design by Jaray, build by Spohn]
** [https://www.flickr.com/photos/27862259@N02/6928646472/in/photostream/ 1935 Maybach SW 35 design by Jaray, build by Spohn]

{{Early Citroën vehicles}}
{{Citroën}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Citroen DS}}
[[Category:Cars introduced in 1955]]
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[[Category:Luxury vehicles]]
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[[Category:Cars discontinued in 1975]]
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