DS is celebrating its 60th anniversary at the Goodwood Festival of SpeedA collection of historic DS models is on display at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, celebrating the firm's 60th anniversary
DS is certainly making headlines in 2015. It has formally split from parent company Citroën, launched its own bespoke model in the form of the facelifted DS 5 and is also celebrating its 60th anniversary.
It's for the last of those reasons that the collection of historic DS models you see above is gathered at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend. The six models, which stretch from DS's roots in 1957 to the compay's glory days in the mid-1970s, offer an insight into what earned this line of luxurious small-volume French models a place in history - and also why modern-day PSA Peugeot-Citröen is so keen to bring it back.
1957 Citroën DS 19 Berline
The original DS 19 was unveiled at the Paris motor show in 1955, with its reveal to the media timed to coordinate with dozens of examples being driven onto the streets of Paris. The marketing stunt worked, and over 12,000 orders had been placed by the end of the car's first day on sale.
Featuring advanced technology including hydraulic self-leveling suspension, powered steering and disc brakes, the DS's sculptured lines earned it the title of "the most beautiful car of all time" from Classic & Sports Car magazine.
1958 Citroën DS 19 Coupé Le Paris
Another example of the DS 19, this Le Paris model is the hard-top version of the La Croisette Cabriolet. Notable features include the verticle chrome strip which runs from the rear of the roof to the floor. This covers a join in the bodywork, evidence that the car is in fact based on the DS 19 Berline. Only nine examples of the car were ever built, and just three survive today.
1964 Citroën DS 19 M Decapotable
The DS 19 M Decapotable was the first DS model to be sold officially through Citroën's extensive dealer network. While most DS models came with a hydraulic transmission, the M designation on this car denotes that it has a four-speed manual gearbox.
1968 Citroën DS 21 Decapotable Usine
This DS 21 model features a new interpretation of DS's 'shark nose' grille, a change made for the 1967 model year. It features four lights mounted behind its front panels, two of which turned with the steering wheel, while the other two were linked to the suspension system in order to maintain a level light beam.
1973 Citroën DS 21 Familiale
In 1958, three years after the launch of its first DS model, the firm introduced a more spacious and practical version of the original 'Berline' model, dubbed the Familiale. Offered in both seven and nine-seat forms, the Familiale was popular as an ambulance conversion and some models were also converted for use as hearses. This late 1973 model comes with luxuries including air conditioning and a sunroof.
1973 Citroën DS 23ie Berline
Citroën replaced the ageing DS 21 with the DS 23 in 1972, with the newer model now powered by a 2.3-litre engine which could be ordered with up to 141bhp when fitted with a fuel injection, as in this example. The DS 23 would only last until 1974, however, when it was replaced by the Citroën CX. However, strong demand kept production going well into 1975.
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