High-Pressure Hydraulics by Citro?n

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ID/DS catalog 1966

 

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DS catalog 68


It hurt the eyes like both orange stop lights of the DS Pallas when it's raining!

 

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Some uniformity for the catalog covers, no photo, no logo, just the name of the model. (sixties)

 

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Not sure that André Citroën would be alright with André Lefebvre for the DS.
It was missing two important things that had already the Traction in 1934 :
- Floating power
- Monocoque body

André Citroën explaining the many special features of the "7" to the French president Albert Lebrun at Paris motorshow 1934.

MFP : Motor Floating Power assembled starting the last C4 and C6 in 1932
Motor-Gear box group is supported by 2 silent-blocs that define an axle passing by its gravity center. The group oscillate around this axle.
Above : classic system at this age with 3 or 4 silent-blocs.

Paul d'Aubarède (on the photo) and Pierre Lemaire are the engineers who invented MFP. This Rochet Schneider was the first car equiped with this device in 1924. Nobody being interested in France, the license was sold to Chrysler that sold itself the exclusivity for Europe to André Citroën in 1931.

Early Traction with floating power ("moteur flottant" in French). We can see the silent-bloc above the gear box. I had a Traction and I can tell you that the engine is really oscillating!

We can see the rear support, a simple rubber bloc. Engineers Lemaire and d'Aubarède enhanced their system with two lateral springs for limiting the movements. (Pausodyne system)

Motor-Gear box of DS 21 : Lateral springs of Pausodyne system are replaced by 2 rubber supports, the rear bloc is removed and filtration is bad. Gear box silent bloc in front remain.

 

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Full steel body licence Budd, that is the Citroën strength since 1924, make some spectacular shows like this bus full of passengers put on the roof of a Rosalie.

Same to the monocoque body of the Traction.

Monopiece body of the Rosalie in 1932 is a step to the monocoque.

Rosalie - officialy 8;10;15 - was the last Citroën propulsion and also the last car frame of this constructor.

Traction monocoque body

DS has no monocoque body but a reinforced floor that is supporting a light welded structure.

Roof in plastic and light doors don't participate in the strength of the vehicle.

 

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CX, synthesis between Traction and DS

Comfort without silent = 0
Is the DS aimed ?

The return of floating power with two supports more one stabilizing connecting rod

A fake frame with 16 silent blocs ! The noisy and vibrating Citroën diesel can be assembled now.

Late DS VS early CX


Motor 1985 cm3

Motor 2175 cm3

Motor 2347 cm3 injection

 

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7th November or 11th July according the country will be a Traction special day

 

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Hydropneumatic suspension at the rear for Citroën bus ?


In 1932 André Citroën created a bus transport company that allowed him to sell more bus while the economic crisis. Few numbers at the beginning then more and more throught the France. Of course, he thinked also to make some ads for his firm, everybody speaking about "cars Citroën".

Diagram of the rear hydropneumatic suspension expected for the bus Type 60 frame. 4 spheres by wheel and 4 spheres for the high pressure aculator separated from the pressure regulator. (1964)

Bus type 60 made by Heuliez painted in white Carrare with a thick red belt. Around 200 units were manufactured with rear hydropneumatic suspension.

Heuliez manufacturing at Cerisay (France). Impossible to know why it was a failure, the bus was quickly replaced by one Berliet. I presume that some passengers were sick because of the low frequency typical of this suspension that don't let indifferent one fragile stomach. However the classic bus chassis was made until 1970.

 

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At the opposite of what is written in the first catalog, assisted steering is not ready when the new CX is presented to the press in Lapony at summer 1974.


CX 2000, only available model at the beginning, is joined six months later by CX 2200. Assembled starting 1976 models, assisted steering is one expensive option, 1800 F, 3 times the price of one DSpecial assisted steering. We find this indispensable device in serie only on the Prestige model (and GTI later). We have to wait 1982 for getting it in serie on all the CX.

Easy to recognize a CX without assisted steering : the wheel diameter is 3 centimeter bigger and, stopped car, the wheel don't return to the zero position, right line.

Two wheel turns more lock to lock, you are not driving the same car !

Amazing ads : "It's more expensive but ...".
Really to get one correct model (Super version, assisted steering and tinted windows because of the greenhouse effect in summer), it is 36000 F, the price of the new Renault 20 GTL, between Opel, Ford, Fiat and Alfa, Audi, BMW, Mercedes. A lot of people chose Mercedes after Citroën.
PS.
We can see above (#226) one CX GTI stopped turned wheels because the photograph used the steering anti-theft device. It was for the picture I presume.

 

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The arrival of Peugeot 505 in 1979 is a bad news for Citroën and the newbie Talbot too. The last rear propulsion of Peugeot is a serious competitor for the CX. More, in early eighties, the customer of these high scale vehicles become conservative (already!) and prefer a conventional profil like the one of 505.
Of course, ask to Talbot, the preference inside of PSA group for Peugeot is evident.

The Ford Taunus is as low as Citroën CX : 1.36 meter instead of 1.43-1.45 meter for the other cars.

 

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Both DS of the prince Bernhard (Nederland)
Prince Bernhard (1911-2004) was the husband of Queen Juliana of Holland


The prince in front of the DS at Amsterdam motorshow in February 1956
Easy to recognize, he has always a carnation at his button. It is his favorite flower.

It is only 13 years later (1969) that the prince gets his first DS, one 21 Pallas green "charmille" AC 522 strictly from the serie. Green is the favorite colour of the prince Bernhard, all his cars are green, even his Ferrari.

 

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The hunting break DS 23 IE 1974


The second DS, more personal, is painted "middle green" the colour of the prince Bernhard. Interior leather and finition are near from one Pallas, a version not available for the break in theory.

The engine is coming from one DS 23 electronic injection. Injection is not previewed at the DS break catalog. We must wait 1983 for ordering a break CX 2400 injection!

After these DS, the prince Bernhard had one CX Evasion Heuliez (see #191) then several GSA and BX always in break version and ... always green.

 

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Movies cars plunges again :thumbs up:

"Mortelle Randonnée" (1983) - Claude Miller
with Michel Serrault and Isabelle Adjani
(at the end)

 

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not for every eyes ! X_X

 

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"Le grand restaurant" (1966) with Louis de Funès and Bernard Blier

 

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"Quelques messieurs trop tranquilles" - Georges Lautner (1973)
With Jean Lefebvre and Michel Galabru

 

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"Diva" - Jean-Jacques Beineix (1981)
I remember the white Traction of this esthetic movie : a gorgeous 11 with some 15/6 bumpers.

 

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Nostalgia, nostalgia ...
RIP Jean-Jacques Beineix

 

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"La gitane" - 1986
A true 15/6 this time white then black, maybe a 15/6 H, not really in accordance with the origin (roof, rear lighting)

 

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When appeared the Porsche 944, André Costa from l'Auto-Journal had the weird idea to opposite it the Citroën SM stopped for already 7 years at the time of the publishing (1st June 1982). A match without mercy!