Transcript Slide 1

CITROEN
Builder of the most beautiful (and
the ugliest) cars!
Classic & Sports Car magazine polled a jury of the world’s leading car
designers to nominate the most gorgeous cars ever. Twenty experts, including
car “Designer of the Century” Giorgetto Giugiaro – the man behind the
Maserati Bora and Lotus Esprit – and Jaguar director of design Ian Callum
picked their three favorites, and the best was selected from these.
What is the most beautiful
car of all time?
Not a Mercedes, Jaguar or
Ferrari…
The winner was Citroën’s flagship production model for twenty years, called
the “Goddess” by fans, but Citroën named it simply, “DS.” This unusual car
had the distinction of being selected as the most beautiful classic of all time!
Introduced in 1955, the Citroën DS was an immediate sensation.
The futuristic design was still quite advanced when it was replaced in 1975 by
the long-running CX series.
The low-drag body put the wheels at the "corners"
of the car, resulting in a spacious interior.
Model designations (DS19, DS20, DS21 and DS23)
reflect engine size.
Through 1966, the DS used Citroën's ancient but
reliable four-cylinder engine, but this was replaced
by a more modern design in later models.
The DS featured fully
detachable skin panels; the
car could even be driven in
"skeleton" form.
The DS introduced Citroën's unique hydraulic
(actually gas/oil) all-independent suspension
system run from an engine-driven pump that
also provided assistance for steering and
brakes.
The suspension incorporated a
variable height adjustment that
could be used for clearing road
hazards, fording streams, or even
jacking up the car when changing
a flat. U.S. advertising touted this
as the only car you could ride
going up and down. The hydraulic
suspension gave a cloud-like ride
that made the DS unmatched by
other cars.
The DS was appropriately nicknamed the "Goddess," derived from
the French pronunciation of “DS” and the word for Goddess, déesse.
The DS is an early example of expertise in the art of aerodynamics.
DS Cabriolet
Even more beautiful – the SM!
In 1970, Citroën introduced an up-scaled version of the DS called the SM. It
was only produced as a two-door coupe and was powered by a Maserati V-6.
Problems with the engine and suspension led to its demise in 1975
The SM is a much desired collector car today. Renowned SM owners include
Jay Leno and Rolling Stones drummer, Charlie Watts. French Presidents from
Georges Pompidou to Jacques Chirac used a custom 4-door open
“Présidentielle” limousine created by coach builder Henri Chapron.
Chapron Présidentielle SM
SM Chapron Opera Limousine
SM Chapron Cabriolet
The Citroën 2CV
Citroën also produced the ugliest car!
The “Ugly Duckling”
European cars are traditionally taxed according to horsepower rating. “2CV” is
the French abbreviation for “deux chevaux vapeur”, which means “two tax
horsepower.” Like the Volkswagen, the Citroën 2CV was the poor man’s car. In
42 years (1948-1990), over 6 million 2CVs were produced!
Back in the thirties, when Ferdinand Porsche was busy designing the Volkswagen
("people's car"), Pierre-Jules Boulanger was designing a low-priced, rugged "umbrella
on four wheels" that would enable two peasants to drive 100 kg (220 lb) of farm
goods to market at 60 km/h (37 mph), in clogs and across muddy unpaved roads if
necessary. The car would use no more than 3 liters of gasoline to travel 100 km
(78 MPG). Most famously, it would be able to drive across a ploughed field without
breaking the eggs it was carrying. The project was dubbed "TPV" which stood for Très
Petite Voiture (Very Small Car).
During the German occupation of France in the Second World War, Boulanger refused
to meet with Ferdinand Porsche or communicate with the German authorities except
through intermediaries. He organized a 'go slow' of production of trucks for the
Wehrmacht, many of which were sabotaged at the factory, by putting the notch on the
oil dipstick in the wrong place resulting in engine seizure. In 1944, when the Gestapo
headquarters in Paris was sacked by the French Resistance, Boulanger's name was
discovered on a Nazi blacklist of the hundred most important “Enemies of the Reich” to
be arrested in the event of an allied invasion of France.
Michelin (Citroën's main shareholder) and Citroën managers decided to hide the TPV
project from the Nazis, fearing some military application. Several TPVs were buried at
secret locations, one was disguised as a pickup, and the others were destroyed by
management. For many years, it was believed that the project was so well hidden that
all but two prototypes were lost, but in 1994, three more TPVs were discovered in the
hayloft of a barn. They were hidden from the top management by workers who
recognized their historical value. http://www.citroenet.org.uk/prototypes/2cv/2cvprototypes-3.html
Removal of the hidden prototypes in 1995
Forbidden photo from 1939
After the war, Citroën continued work on the project and unveiled the 2CV
at the Paris Salon of 1948. It was criticized by the press. One American
journalist quipped, "Does it come with a can opener?" The British Autocar
correspondent said that the 2CV, "...is the work of a designer who has
kissed the lash of austerity with almost masochistic fervor."
Nevertheless, Citroën was flooded with orders at the show, and the 2CV
became a great commercial success. Within months after it went on sale,
there was a three-year waiting list which soon increased to five years. At
that time a second-hand 2CV was more expensive than a new one
because the buyer did not have to wait. In 1960, production finally caught
up with demand. In the 1960s, the 2CV cost about half as much as a
Volkswagen Beetle.
The original 1948 engine had only 375 cc and 9 horsepower, giving a top speed
of 40 mph. In 1955 it got 425 cc engine and in 1970 (above) the engine was
upgraded to 602 cc with 33 HP that could do 70 mph. The engines were
designed to run at peak performance for 1000 hours straight with no noticeable
variation in operation.
The car got many nicknames and
was the subject of innumerable
jokes. The most popular nickname
was the ugly duckling, but it was
also called the goat, tin snail, Dolly,
upside-down pram, little freak, two
horses, the frog, rocking horse,
student's Jaguar, Quonset hut, iron
bed and the flying rag top.
Owners said the 2CV went from 0-60
in one day. Others jokingly said they
had to make an appointment to
merge onto an interstate highway.
Today, the 2CV is a cult object
among students, hippies and
environmentalists.