Talk:Citroën DS

de Gaulle
In fact it seems de Gaulle favorite car was not the DS but the Stout Scarab that was given to him by US officers during the WWII. As he was really tall it was the only car he feel really comfortable in. Ericd 17:42 13 Jul 2003 (UTC)

I don't think I said "favorite car". However, this picture seems to indicate that he was in fact too tall for the DS. B-) EvanProdromou

Nice pic ! I like theses too : http://www.archivesnationales.culture.gouv.fr/chan/chan/gaulle/CHANGau3.htm

I don't said you said ;-) He really like the DS and considered it as a national pride ;-) that's one of the POV we share but I am more a fan of the Citroën 2CV it might be ideological differences :-( or it might because the DS was a mechanical nightmare :-O that made the fortune of some DS specialists while the nearly anybody could disassemble and reassemble a 2CV. The fact is that De Gaulle didn't feel comfortable in any normal car thus he love the Stout Scarab that was "a monospace before the monospaces" (and a great commercial flop). Of course an American car was not appropriate for a "Président de la République". Ericd 22:22 13 Jul 2003 (UTC)

Hmmmm... you sure are pushing that Stout Scarab, aren't you? B-) I wonder if you have one to sell.... ESP 23:00 13 Jul 2003 (UTC)

Not at all someone (not me) added a reference to the Stout Scarab at the end of the Citroën 2CV article so I made some research on it. Ericd 00:11 14 Jul 2003 (UTC)

There's a DS in Ghostbusters? David.Monniaux 08:29, 12 Mar 2005 (UTC)


 * Yes a Break ! Ericd 18:19, 22 Apr 2005 (UTC)


 * Oooops ! The Ectomobile was Cadillac Station Wagon not a DS Break ! Ericd 10:35, 23 Apr 2005 (UTC)

I removed some of the unnecessary linking in the article (research and laboratory, for example). --16 April 2006.

One of my favorite cars ever...
I've always loved the DS/ID. When I was a kid a family I knew owned one. It was a '67. It was black and loaded with all the option's. The original owner was the French consulate in NY. It was the car DeGaul rode in when he visited NY. I thought it was so cool. Wish I'd been old enough to drive when you could still own these. I knew a few people who owned one.

Stu Pickels drove one in the Rug Rats movie. I think I saw a few in Diva. The last one I saw on the road was about five years ago in Lyon. An old Frenchman told me (in French) that it was also the first one he had seen in a long, long time. I think the last one I saw in the U.S. was at a junkyard in TX about 17 years ago. I drive a Peugeot. They're practically extinct in most parts of the U.S. now too. I can drive for months without seeing another.

On holiday in France this year I found a couple old rotting ones, even more happily I found a pristine one back home in Scotland outside a local furniture store celebrating some party. It was truly gorgeous, I had to stop, pull over, and come admire it. Even better than in photos. Talking of photos, I'll see about getting mine online...


 * Working in Skopje, Macedonia fairly recently, I was waiting at the side of the road looking like I wanted a taxi, and a DS pulled up to give me a ride. I could hardly believe it: still functioning day in, day out as a taxi. I didn't actually want a taxi, but it was pretty tempting to just get in and have a ride anyway! ;) – Kieran T  ( talk  11:27, 11 June 2006 (UTC)

Day of the Jackal clarification needed
Not clear on meaning of this reference:  The preceding text indicates the tires were shot out and the car could still drive - is the question about exactly what was visible in the film? 66.77.124.61 22:30, 4 May 2006 (UTC)

It is my understanding that the car could be driven with with only three tires. I have not seen this done however.

Gam3 19:07, 4 July 2007 (UTC)

The DS / ID has a zero angle or neutral steering geometry. This is a passive safety feature designed into the car, so if the car hits a stone or a pot hole in the road, the steering wheel will not be pulled to one side, thereby the driver retains full control of the direction of travel. This will also work if there is a flat front tire. As far as I know, it is the only car to have this feature. CitroenCX2000 (talk) 18:16, 19 June 2014 (UTC)

Headlights
I don't know the full history of the model well enough to edit this point, but it seems like the headlights aren't very well explained. There's mention of the redesign and streamlining of the front of the car, and the swivelling lights, but there's no clear explanation that the ID had the older single lights, nor that they're not the same as the exposed lights on the US model; in fact a photo of a single-light DS with added spot or fog lamps had been labelled wrongly as the US model. I've changed that in the label, but it'd be great if somebody who knows the chronology could clarify it in the article. I'll try to research it so I can do it if nobody else wants to :) – Kieran T  ( talk  11:24, 11 June 2006 (UTC)

Made changes under Design Variations - issue covered?66.77.124.61 04:11, 22 June 2006 (UTC)


 * Looks great, thanks. I've just one more question: did the ID gain the double lights? The new text seems to say so, and I'd always assumed it didn't, but I'm not sure why! – Kieran T  ( talk  10:36, 22 June 2006 (UTC)


 * Yes - both ID and DS received the same four headlight under glass treatment for model year 1968. Directional headlights were an extra cost option on the ID - if not ordered, the inner lights would be fixed. 66.229.151.43 08:29, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

Disc Brakes
Elsewhere in Wiki the Crosley Hotshot is mentioned as the first production vehicle equipped with disc brakes. Can someone help resolve this discrepancy?LorenzoB 20:44, 8 October 2006 (UTC) Go to the disc brake page in Wikipedia - it has a pretty thorough explanation of the 'who was first' issue. 66.77.124.61 19:50, 9 October 2006 (UTC)

LHM
I think the article dwells a bit too much on 'what is LHM' - good info that other articles could also reference. Interestingly the brake fluid article indicates there are exactly 3 kinds of brake fluid, none of which is LHM. 66.77.124.61 19:55, 9 October 2006 (UTC)


 * LHM isn't actually a brake fluid - it's a hydraulic fluid :) 193.77.184.32 06:31, 23 May 2007 (UTC)

SM & DS
The article implies that the SM had many interchangable parts with the DS. That is not correct. While the SM is conceptually like the DS in many respects, it is a unique model. More generally, cars from different generations don't have interchangable parts, unless those parts are very generic - you can take the battery from a 2006 Toyota Corolla and place it in a 1990 Corolla and it will probably work, but not say the exhaust manifold or the transmission.66.77.124.61 02:32, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

I don't have details, but my recollection is that parts of the suspension and the steering were interchangeable between SM and DS in the early 1970s. Certainly not "generic" components. Clearly the engine and gearbox were unrelated. Groogle 00:56, 12 February 2007 (UTC)

I recall the original citation had something to do with the SM & DS using the same parts - not interchangable parts.66.77.124.61 02:55, 9 March 2007 (UTC)

We had slid back into implying that the SM & DS are basically the same car under the skin. Not true. The SM was not a parts bin car, it was a unique model. What is true is that the SM could be considered a "new, replacement DS" completely redesigned 15 years later, but targeting a different, very small market segment. This constant recitation that the parts were the "same" is confusing to the reader and inaccurate. 76.171.244.226 (talk) 16:15, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

DS Engines duplication
The sections DS Engines and Technical Details - Drivetrain cover the same territory. Consolidate? 66.77.124.61 04:52, 2 February 2007 (UTC)

DS cylinder head on Traction engine
There's a "citation needed" against this item. I think I wrote it in the first place, and it's based on my experience: I have done this in about 1971 (required a different exhaust manifold), but I don't have any backup documentation. Any idea how to confirm that it worked? Groogle 00:54, 12 February 2007 (UTC)

The whole article reads like a brochure for the company or for collectors
I mean really, is this what an encyclopedia is for? Why do so many people have this compulsion to write marketing copy in an encyclopedia? (06:09, 17 August 2007) 24.90.17.134 (UTC)


 * Not sure what "marketing" means in terms of a 50 year old car. The DS was a milestone automobile design - the article touches on that. In fact, an "encylopedia" article that glosses over the car's impact would be false and misleading.76.168.255.29 02:15, 2 September 2007 (UTC)


 * I agree with the assertion that the article is non-encyclopedic. Large parts need editing to remove material that is subjective rather than objective. 217.155.198.139 (talk) 11:12, 2 January 2023 (UTC)


 * Examples would be helpful. MartinezMD (talk) 21:08, 2 January 2023 (UTC)

Trivia section
I wanted to see what other peoples opinions were regarding the trivia section on this page. It looks like it was merged back in after the DS in pop culture page was deleted. I really don't think the list of movie appearances is encyclopedic and it is a violation of WP:NOT and WP:TRIVIA also the consensus over at WP:CAR is to get rid of these sections as they add little actual info. Just because a DS appears in a movie doesn't mean anything it needs to be mentioned in an encyclopedia article unless it is especially significant. --Daniel J. Leivick 00:09, 6 September 2007 (UTC)


 * In that case, how about doing some editing, rather than dumping the whole thing? People enjoy these associations and connections, which are very much part of these cars' flavor.  I can't believe there is a hard rule against conveying some of that ambience in this encyclopedia. Hertz1888 00:23, 6 September 2007 (UTC)


 * The content which was in this article before the deletion of the popular culture sub-article still had ample pop-culture references. (I've restored back to that version of the section.) It becomes hard to read when it includes an excessive list of links of owner's names, and the bullet points fall foul of WP:TRIVIA if they can't be integrated into the text. And the question of what can be integrated brings me to a significant point which was made in the WikiProject Automobiles discussions (available in the archive pages) &mdash; the point of popular culture references is that they should be about things which mattered to the car, perhaps by increasing public awareness of it. If, instead, the reference matters to the film (or song, or whatever) then it belongs instead in the article for the film. – Kieran T  (' talk ') 08:40, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

I was looking forward to reading this horrible, monstrous "Trivia" section on the DS everyone is so excited about, so I took a walk through the 'History' section. Turns out there never was a "Trivia" section. There was just a list of notable film appearances, which is pefectly fine. According to WP:TRIVIA: "A selectively populated list with a narrow theme is not necessarily trivia, and can be the best way to present some types of information." 69.8.247.231 17:10, 12 September 2007 (UTC)
 * I consider it to be important to American popular culture that the title character of The Mentalist drives a DS. 75.216.235.190 (talk) 04:43, 19 February 2011 (UTC)

Unclampable
The citroen DS is unclampable, top gear tried and failed.Dalek9 (talk) 18:31, 11 November 2008 (UTC)

"Lorraine" and "Prestige"?
In addition, Chapron also produced a few coupés, non-works convertibles and special sedans (including the 'Prestige,' same wheelbase but with a with a central divider, and the 'Lorraine' notchback). I think a photo of these ought to be in the article, at least of their interiors, showing the differences.. --97.125.124.136 (talk) 02:49, 18 May 2009 (UTC)

Racing
The DS was raced in several races, including the Grand Prix Brno. 

Differences between DS19, 21, 23, ... an overview table would be helpful
I came to this article because I had taken a photo of a DS in Paris and I wanted to figure out which model of the DS it was. In the article is mentioned DS 19, DS 21, DS 23, scattered around in the text. I guess these numbers indicate progressions in the design, like the headlights design. But I find it very hard to figure out exactly what the differences are between the different DS nn. A table providing an overview of the manufacturing years´for the different DS nn summarizing also the differences in design would be very helpful. From the text I cannot figure out which DS nn the car is. In the text is written that the headlights were designed to the sharklook in 1967 (obviously the version in the photo), but is that redesign coupled with an increment in the nn number? --Slaunger (talk) 06:29, 28 June 2012 (UTC)


 * Your photo shows a sharknose car (1968-1976) with push button door handles (1955-1971), so it could not have been a DS 23 (post-1972).
 * The top spec engine at the time this car was built was denoted DS 21.
 * The dashboard would be the final giveaway as to year - 1968, 1969, and 1970-on each have a unique dash.
 * While not in table format, the Design Variations and Technical Details sections do have the info I think you are looking for.
 * Note that Citroën was never religious about separating model ranges - so you could see a 1.9 liter "Pallas" in the sharknose years, even though that's combining high-spec body with low spec engine. They also made a DS 23 Comfort, which is the reverse.
 * According to John Reynolds in 'Original Citroën DS', each individual car is subtly different because the assembly workers had several parts to choose from - if the Ducellier bin was empty, bolt on a SEV Marchal part - that should work just as well.

76.168.227.117 (talk) 21:21, 14 July 2012 (UTC)

Bankruptcy (replacing the DS)
Currently, the article makes a bold assertion: "The development and launch of the CX in the wake of the 1974 oil crisis, bankrupted Citroën"

This implies that the CX literally caused the 1974 bankruptcy - if there was no CX, Citroen would not have declared bankruptcy. If that's true, that means replacing a 20 year old auto design with a modern one is a mistake. In reality, automakers plan for redesigned models all the time - they don't go bankrupt at every model changeover.

I vote to repeal and replace this section.

The 1974 bankruptcy had numerous causes: 76.168.227.117 (talk) 20:48, 14 July 2012 (UTC)
 * Citroen had been losing money for many years - as mentioned by Motor Trend in February 1972
 * Profits in the automobile industry come from building cheap cars and selling them at high prices; during the Michelin years, Citroen was following the opposite approach
 * Citroen sales were driven by small, barely profitable cars (A-Series) and large, complex-to-build cars (D-Series), with no cars at all in the huge, profitable middle of the market
 * Comotor experimental rotary engine factory produced only losses - have seen references to Comotor actually causing the bankruptcy of both Citroen and NSU
 * Fiat divesting 49% ownership of Citroen in 1973
 * Purchase of Maserati in 1968 and reinvestment in a new range of Maserati models
 * Development of the SM as if it was a fully engineered replacement for the DS, even though the DS sold 1.5 million units and the SM sold only 13,000 units
 * New Aulnay-sous-Bois factory opened in 1973
 * Oil crisis of 1973 didn't help, because it weakened demand for new cars, but just as with CX development costs, not all auto manufacturers went bankrupt as a result of the oil crisis - the company had to be pretty weak for OPEC to push them over the edge

a better intro picture
hi, i would like to suggest a better infobox photo, one where the DS stands alone. there are tons of DS photos in the commons. the photo on the left is not good for an intro illustration, but for further down in the article, because it shows the unique design in a 1961 city street context. just an idea.

Maximilian (talk) 21:02, 31 August 2012 (UTC)

Ambulance version
Did it really have a 60/30 split seat? Something doesn't add up.Whitcwa (talk) 01:28, 25 March 2013 (UTC)

Automatic transmission?
When did the automatic transmission become an option? The majority of DS cars I've seen have had manual transmissions. --75.164.236.190 (talk) 02:54, 30 December 2013 (UTC)

September 1971 - but never sold in the United States. PLawrence99cx (talk) 01:23, 21 May 2015 (UTC)

External links modified
Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just added archive links to 1 one external link on Citroën DS. Please take a moment to review my edit. If necessary, add after the link to keep me from modifying it. Alternatively, you can add to keep me off the page altogether. I made the following changes:
 * Attempted to fix sourcing for http://vintagecars.about.com/od/historygreatmoments/a/citroen_ds.htm

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Cheers. —cyberbot II  Talk to my owner :Online 20:02, 17 October 2015 (UTC)

External links modified
Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just added archive links to 1 one external link on Citroën DS. Please take a moment to review my edit. If necessary, add after the link to keep me from modifying it. Alternatively, you can add to keep me off the page altogether. I made the following changes:
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/20090213133905/http://www.bonhams.com:80/cgi-bin/public.sh/pubweb/publicSite.r?sContinent=EUR&screen=ResultsXML&iSaleNo=17043 to http://www.bonhams.com/cgi-bin/public.sh/pubweb/publicSite.r?sContinent=EUR&screen=ResultsXML&iSaleNo=17043

When you have finished reviewing my changes, please set the checked parameter below to true to let others know.

Cheers.—cyberbot II  Talk to my owner :Online 13:31, 5 January 2016 (UTC)

Photo change July 2016
The photos seem to have been changed/degraded very recently. We now have unremarkable many photos of the same car, with no context. PLawrence99cx (talk) 02:22, 18 July 2016 (UTC)

Photos have mostly been fixed. Main photo is still marginal - lighting is poor, white is not the most interesting color, and low position is not most interesting look. I propose replacing it.

These all seem to meet the Wiki criteria:

,, , , ,  PLawrence99cx (talk) 02:43, 15 August 2016 (UTC)


 * I would have no hesitation in choosing the second photo (grey-beige sedan on a grassy field), as it shows the car in most correct perspective and with minimal distracting background clutter. Hertz1888 (talk) 02:58, 15 August 2016 (UTC)

Spelling: 'Break' vs 'Brake'
It's my understanding that the typical English spelling for a car with a cabin extending to the rear of the vehicle rather than ending at a trunk or tapering as a fastback, also known as an estate, is properly called a 'brake' or, more elaborately, a 'shooting-brake.' Is there any particular reason why every reference to the estate version of the DS in this article is spelled as 'Break'? 108.67.193.248 (talk) 04:18, 10 April 2020 (UTC)


 * Don't know the origin, but if you do a search on Google, you'll see it is an established term. MartinezMD (talk) 05:48, 10 April 2020 (UTC)

Spare tire
There is nothing unique about a rear-engine vehicle carrying the spare in the front so I reverted the addition - Tatra 77 that preceded the Beetle, Japanese cars like the Suzuki and Subaru 360, Renault Alpine 106, Mercedes 107, Hillman Imp, Fiat 500, etc. I can find more examples if needed, but I think the point is demonstrated. MartinezMD (talk) 18:51, 9 March 2021 (UTC)