Citroen Ds

When the Citroen DS was unveiled at the 1955 Paris Motor show, it took the motoring world by storm. Its futuristic shape was likened to a space ship and, even 20 years later when it went out of production, it was still one the most visibly and technically advanced cars of its day. In this illustrated history of the car, Malcolm Bobbitt recalls the long career of this extraordinary car and suggests why it became an icon of automobile design. He uses 240 historical photographs to show its long development, starting with the first design studies made before World War II and the first prototype of 1952. The book chronicles the production history of the DS and its less sophisticated sister car, the ID, and it seeks to explain the many facets of this complex, idiosyncratic vehicle. The author also describes how this reliable family saloon proved to be a formidable rally contender and, for a generation, provided formal transport for the French president and government.