Citroën DS

From FroggyWiki

The Citroën DS is an iconic luxury car produced by S.A. André Citroën from 1955 to 1975. Over 20 years of production, approximately 1.45 million cars were produced in France, United Kingdom, Belgium, South Africa and Australia, where the ID19 "Parisienne" was locally assembled from 1961 to 1966 by Continental & General under license from Citroën in West Heidelberg, a suburb of Melbourne. The Citroën ID, produced from 1957, is a less complicated and more affordable variant of the DS. The ID nomenclature was dropped in 1969, when the ID19B became the DSpécial and ID20 became the DSuper. The DS was generally more lavishly appointed and had more powerful engines than the ID, but all variants featured Citroën's groundbreaking hydropneumatic suspension system. The Break, or Safari, is a wagon variant, based on the ID with some DS features.

The name 'DS', as read in French, reads as déesse, the French word for 'goddess', while 'ID' is similarly a pun on idée, meaning 'idea'.

As exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1955, after a decade of secret development, the DS was striking in appearance, bearing no semblance to contemporary cars by doing away with the traditional radiator grille and running boards and featuring a striking aerodynamic shape. The 1955 DS19 featured hydropneumatic, self-leveling suspension, power steering with centre point geometery, powered braking which adjusted braking force according to load, the first use of disc brakes on a production car, a hydraulically controlled gearbox which made the clutch pedal reduntant and the use of radial steel tyres, developed by Michelin specifically for the DS.

From 1955, the hydraulic system operated on CH12, a castor oil bsed fluid, which was replaced by LHS2 (Liquide Hydraulique Synthétique 2) in 1964. Both these fluids are compatible, reddish in colour and hydrophilic, leading to corrosion in the hydraulic system components over time. In 1966, the system was altered to operate on bright green coloured LHM (Liquide Hydraulique Minérale), which was not corrosive. As LHM was incompatible with the earlier system - LHM degraded the seals of the earlier system and vice versa - the components of the later LHM system were painted green, while the earlier system components were unpainted or black in colour.

Approximately 4,500 Citroën DS and variants were imported or manufactured in Australia during production. A register of Australian Déesses may be found on this site.

Contents 1 Models 2 Citroën DS 2.1 Engines 2.2 Gearboxes 3 Citroën ID 3.1 Engines 3.2 Gearboxes 4 Citroën ID Break 4.1 Engines 4.2 Gearboxes

Models

Citroën DS

• DS19
• DS19A
• DS21
• DS20
• DS21 IE
• DS23
• DS23 IE

'Prestige' semi-limousine variants were made in limited numbers from 1958 to 1974.

'Pallas' trim option was available from 1964 on DS saloons.

Engines

All DS and variants were powered by four cylinder petrol engines.

• DS19, 1.9L 3-bearing, 75bhp
• DA, 1.9L 3-bearing, 83bhp
• DY, 1.9L, 90bhp
• DY2, 1.9L, 103bhp
• DY3, 1.9L, 108bhp
• DX, 2.1L, 109bhp
• DX2, 2.1L, 115bhp
• DX3, 2.1L EFI, 139bhp
• DX4, 2.3L, 124bhp
• DX5, 2.3L EFI, 141bhp

Gearboxes

• 4-speed BVH (Boite Vitesse Hydraulique), the hydraulically controlled gearbox. This was not available in Australian delivered cars from 1971, as it did not have an immobilising parking gear.
• 4-speed BVM (Boite Vitesse Mechanique), conventional manual gearbox
• 5-speed BVM (Boite Vitesse Mechanique), conventional manual gearbox
• 3-speed BVA (Boite Vitesse Automatique) BW35 3-speed Borg Warner fully automatic

Citroën ID

• ID Normale
• ID19
• ID19A
• ID19B
• ID20
• DSpécial
• DSuper
• DSuper 5

Engines

• 11D, 1.9L 3-bearing, 62bhp
• DM, 1.9L 3-bearing, 66bhp upgraded to 75bhp in 1964
• DE, 1.9L 3-bearing, 81bhp
• DS19, 1.9L 3-bearing, 75bhp
• DV, 1.9L 84bhp
• DV2, 1.9L 91bhp
• DV3, 1.9L 98bhp
• DY2, 1.9L 103bhp
• DY3, 1.9L, 108bhp
• DX2, 2.1L, 115bhp

Gearboxes

• 4-speed BVM (Boite Vitesse Mechanique), conventional manual gearbox
• 5-speed BVM (Boite Vitesse Mechanique), conventional manual gearbox

Citroën ID Break

• ID19 Break
• ID19FH Break
• ID21 Break
• ID21FH Break
• ID20F Break
• ID20FH Break
• Break 23
• Break 23FH

All Break models were also available as 'Familiale', 'Commerciale' or 'Ambulance' variants except for the Break 23FH.

Engines

• DM, 1.9L 3-bearing, 66bhp upgraded to 75bhp in 1964
• DS19, 1.9L 3-bearing, 75bhp
• DY, 1.9L, 90bhp
• DY2, 1.9L 103bhp
• DY3, 1.9L, 108bhp
• DX, 2.1L, 109bhp
• DX2, 2.1L, 115bhp
• DX4, 2.3L, 124bhp

Gearboxes

• 4-speed BVM (Boite Vitesse Mechanique), conventional manual gearbox
• 5-speed BVM (Boite Vitesse Mechanique), conventional manual gearbox
• 4-speed BVH (Boite Vitesse Hydraulique), the hydraulically controlled gearbox. This was not available in Australian delivered cars from 1971, as it did not have an immobilising parking gear.