Friday, December 26, 2014

1973 citroen dsuper5 convertible


For sale from Hayman with the superb write up as below.  $100K seems cheap for this design and quality.  
It is no coincidence that Citroen’s most brilliant design is called the DS. It so happens that the French word for Goddess is Déesse, pronounced the same way as the car. The clever word play was more than just a marketing ploy; it was a fitting name for a car the likes of which had never been seen before. By the early 1950’s, the Citroen Traction Avant was showing its pre-war roots and was due for a replacement after nearly 20 years of production. Typically for Citroen, a simple evolution of the Traction Avant was not to be. Instead, a revolutionary new car was developed and a stunning space-age body was designed by Flaminio Bertoni and André Lefèbvre; an Italian sculptor and French aeronautical engineer, respectively. Citroen attempted to redefine the limits of automobile design with their flamboyant new car. Amazingly, the DS was not a limited production showcase reserved for the super-rich. This was a car for the middle class, a mid-sized sedan with a humble four-cylinder engine and seating for up to six in unprecedented comfort. Under the space-ship skin was a thoroughly modern, highly sophisticated chassis. The independent suspension was sprung by an advanced hydro-pneumatic system that was self-leveling and adjustable for ride height. Inboard front brakes reduced unsprung weight and the DS was the first car to feature power front disc brakes as standard. High-pressure hydraulics controlled braking, steering, and the semi-automatic transmission. The unique tapering wheel track reduced understeer; a common issue for front-wheel drive cars. The DS and its down-market ID sibling remained in production for twenty years. Over 1.5 Million were built in an array of bodies – sedan, coupe, wagon, and highly desirable convertible models. In 2005, the DS was named the most beautiful car ever built by a panel of world renowned designers that included Paul Braq and Giorgetto Giugiaro.

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