High-Pressure Hydraulics by Citro?n

[dargelos]

Looks like it's already a success from the immaculate standard of workmanship that I can see in the pictures. Was there an attempt to get the engine to meet today's emission standards? They are only going to get stricter in the future making it harder to keep classic cars on the road or at least limiting the places where you are allowed to drive one.
That even looks like an airbag on the steering hub, or am I just imagining things?

 

[jeanlouis]

I think that the main objective of this audacious mechanical was to get a SM as reliable as a DS or a CX. The Citroën-Maserati will never be a modern car with airbags, ABS, ESP and other electronic assistances. It is neither what are looking for the eventual customers of this car, I think. I am not a good example, but the first thing I searched for when I looked at these photos, it is if the brakes button was kept !

 

[jeanlouis]

To increase safety in the event of hydraulics issue, Citroën brings two late innovations on the DS : priority valve associated a few time after with a STOP light on the dashboard



The priority valve isolated suspension circuit from the rest of the hydraulics and allowed to keep a few brakes for driving slowly until the next garage.


DS was the first hydropneumatic Citroën to have the famous STOP light.
This light was associated to the most important lights as hydraulics pressure, oil engine pressure, battery, water temperature ... and at this age it did not turn on for nothing ! X_X

 

[jeanlouis]

1970 : the constructor assembled again barely the same lights group on the SM


1974 : CX, a dashboard and a STOP light that I know well


Maybe to expensive, the GS had not STOP light, but in 1979 the new dashboard of the GSA present a (to) flashy lights group.


In 1982 on the BX, it is barely Christmas everyday !


1985 : the more classical dashboard of the CX serie 2


1986 : the small Peugeot lights (205 - 405 ...) assembled on the BX serie 2 and allways the STOP light


Amazing : the lights of the XM (presented in 1989) appeared only when they turned on. It is why you see it on a drawing.


C5 : apparently there is no more STOP light on this modern car. :thinking:

 

[jeanlouis]

A well-named bar met during the test of the GS Birotor (1974)



Journalistic joke with a DS

 

[jeanlouis]

Some comparative tests with hydropneumatic Citroën



CX



DS




GS



SM

 

[jeanlouis]

DS 19 : prototypes and last drawings before 1955 motorshow




DS 19 prototype was quickly named "the hippopotamus" by the technical staff. At this age it was tested secretly around Andre Lefebvre secondary residence in France southern near Dradignan. The magazine l'Auto-Journal learned it and chased this kinky vehicle for shoting it. It was some car-paparazzi. This affair ended at court.



At the origine the DS 19 was expected with a new flat-six (or flat-four) engine water cooled assembled in front of the front axle. This motor, that will be never powerful enough, was left and replaced at the last moment by an updating traction one. It explain why this damned engine is barely between the driver and the front passenger. In my opinion, it is the main defect of the DS. Having a so long bonnet and in more getting the mechanical inside the habitacle is really to bad !




The rear of the body was modified by the designer Flaminio Bertoni only one month before the presentation at the Paris motorshow. He thinked that the first design was to near of Ford Vedette or Hotchkiss Gregoire. It was a happy drawing kept during all the life of the car.


The first DS 19 picture shoted in the prototype workshop, of course it was totally forbidden. Later we learned that Flaminio Bertoni himself photographied a lot of things by Citroën. The artist had also this passion.

 

[jeanlouis]

The first test of DS 19 was interrupted by an accident, without injuried people for happy





November 1955 at Le Mans circuit in the curve of "Tertre Rouge".
The journalist who drove the car said he was dazzled by a metallic advertising board. Is it true ? Anyway it is sure he did not travel slowly
Disconnected from the road, drivers of the early DS travelled generally too fast.

Unvolontary the journalist could check that the new monobranch wheel was really deformable.

Here we can see ignition system of the first DS that worked without distributor like two 2CV jointed systems. No kept.

 

[jeanlouis]

Art, politics, song, cinema, TV series, photography, DS are everywhere. And I don't speak about it numerous sport wins in the harder rallies!

 

[dargelos]

This beauty has appeared on ebay, not far from us in Middlesborough. £13450 and she's yours.

​

​

Desirable but however much my husband would love one like that, she is too high maintainance for me. I don't have the skills for her and neither do any local affordable garages. One oldie that we did almost ( close, but no V5) buy was a Saab 96, they have that same sort of sensuous shape but with easy to work on mechanics. Did you ever feel any attraction to the 96?

 

[jeanlouis]

What connection between Lancia Fulvia, Saab 96 and DS-CX ?
There are front wheels drive very loaded on the front that had some success in various rallies. It is the proof that rear engine was not the only solution in this kind of competition. Saab 96 and DS designed like planes had the same profil. Saab with it V4 Ford engine at the extreme front is like was expected DS at the origin. I just wished to tell the story of hydropneumatic Citroën. It was yesterday. Maintenance of these cars today is another problem. Anyway a car is not intended for being used during 40, 50 or 60 years, whatever the car. Indeed if you want to do it absolutely, it is more easy with some rustic vehicles. Personally for everyday I have a Renault 11 model 1983 ! :thumbs up:

 

[jeanlouis]

Citroën Slough manufactory 1926 - 1966


Made from 1953 to 1959 in Great Britain, more luxurious than it french sisters, the 2CV was not a marketing success.


In front of the failure of the 2CV, Citroën GB presented a specific model, more glamorous, named Bijou. It was a little coach assembled on a 2CV base. Too expensive, Bijou was made from 1959 to 1964 at only 250 units.



Some special features of the english DS : front bumper, rear lights, specific dashboard.


In Great Britain, DS estate is called Safari.


The last Citroën made at Slough in april 1966, a DS 21 Pallas.
After this date, these Citroën models sold in UK will be some "ordinary" DS with right driving made at Paris or at Aulnay sous Bois for the last cars (1973-1975).

 

[jeanlouis]

Interesting collection, I found the first number at the news storekeeper : a beautiful 2CV France 3 for only 6.99 euros :thumbs up:
I noticed some original models : SM Opera by Chapron, Mehari 4x4, ID19 estate ...

 

[jeanlouis]

Citroën UK catalog 1982
Excepted the side of driving post, models are barely the same in England and in France. The time of Slough special features is over. 1982 is the last year without BX models that appears only in october.








To be continued ...

 

[jeanlouis]

 

[jeanlouis]

 

[jeanlouis]

 

[jeanlouis]

In 1982 there is no more manufactory at Slough but headquarters of Citroën Cars Ldt are allways there as you can see on the last page of this brochure.

 

[jeanlouis]

Some models did not appear in the Citroën Cars Ldt brochure, I presume they were not available in UK.


LNA , a Peugeot 104 coach on a Visa Special or Club mechanical (motor flat twin 652 cm3)


Mehari !


5 GSA models :
- the downmarket version with the 1130 cm3 engine named just GSA, saloon or estate
- GSA Club, middle version between Special and Pallas, saloon or estate
- GSA X3, a model with a sportive presentation and a rich equipment


CX Limousine, the long body of the CX Prestige with a Diesel engine 2500 cm3 and the equipment of a CX Athena. A kind of super CX Diesel

 

[jeanlouis]

This CX Prestige Turbo is exposed today in the Chirac Museum at Sarran (19-Correze, France)


The CX man Jacques Chirac is gone (1932-2019)


1983 - Stretched at the maximum, the Citroën of Erich Honecker (RDA) is far from the serie model.

1989 - Erich Honecker could not use his new CX stretched and armoured. Times are changing !