Simon Biggs Citroen DS Drive for Classic Cars Magazine January 2023 Edition
A DS adventure
It wasn’t the surprise that someone wanted to let me drive their car for the day, nor was it the magazine photo shoot that went with it. The biggest surprise was that the ‘competition’ I had entered had been seven and a half years ago!
I thought at first that it was some sort of scam or wind up. The magazine it came from I no longer subscribe to but there, after the email, was the original email I had sent in to them, seven and a half years ago. I stared at the date in disbelief and then slowly the mist cleared. The magazine, when I had subscribed, ran a feature where you listed your top ten drives. If you were selected, you got the chance to drive one of the cars on your list for a day. There, at number three, was the Citroen DS. I had originally put it on my list as it was such an iconic car in terms of style and way ahead of its time in terms of engineering features.
Why it had taken seven and a half years is still something of a mystery. When I asked, I got some mumbled response to the effect that matching choices with car availability often took some time – your not kidding!
We had a false start as having settled on a date and location, the car broke down and went into the garage for repair. So a new date and location was arranged. Driving to Malvern, the venue of choice on the morning in question, I became late by about five minutes due to a sat nav error in the town centre. My hands free rang and it was the team with the car. “We’re all here and waiting” he said. A bit quick off the mark considering the distance I had travelled and the massive five minutes late I had become. I was in fact up the road from the car park and pulled in as we finished the conversation. “It’s a beauty” he said. “Immaculate” he went on. ‘He’ was the feature editor for Classic Cars magazine and the organiser of today’s event.
After the usual pleasantries with himself, the photographer and the car owner and a description of what was to take place, I was left alone with the car owner to familiarise myself with the car, it’s controls and how it handled.
My first impression was that if the magazine chap described this car as ‘a beauty and immaculate’ his position as features editor was very much at risk. My own Jaguar was better presented and in better condition than this particular car. I was surprised at the lack of preparation the car had undergone. If someone else was driving my car for a magazine photo shoot, it would have sparkled in every way without a finger mark in evidence. This car was straight out of normal every day use, or so it seemed.
The owner however was a very nice chap who obviously loved his car, a doctor and member of the Citroen Owners Club. He was very patient whilst I got the hang of the controls. Getting in was the first challenge. A high seat combined with a sloping roof line meant that several angles needed to be explored before I managed to get the whole of my body inside the car. I levered myself behind the wheel, which was on the wrong side, and struggled to get my feet on the pedals. It was then discovered that the seat was jammed on its runners and would not move. Maybe they were just hoping that we would be the same size as each other! Sadly not. To be fair, when was the last time you moved your own classic car seat? The seat itself was a domed affair made from some sort of brush nylon. It seemed very high but as I sat on it, the squab lowered at least a foot and possibly more. I wouldn’t want to drive any distance in this car, not with my bad back! There didn’t seem to be much support in either the seat or it’s back and I wondered what a long journey would be like? The main brake was a domed rubber circle on the floor whilst the parking brake was a very high foot pedal on my left, which I struggled to get my foot onto, and a ‘J’ gate lever with a round knob on it on the dashboard in the left hand corner to lock or release the park brake as required. The accelerator was a small thin pedal on the right not too far from a centre console. Getting my size 12’s onto each pedal was something like learning a new dance. Did I mention that I don’t dance?
The gears where a lever on top of the steering column. “It’s semi-automatic” the owner said to my relief. My own vehicles are all automatic and it’s been many years since I drove a ‘stick shift’ as our colonial cousins call it. We practiced for some time going through the unusual positions (with the gears I mean not the owner. He was nice but not that nice!). I seem to remember a danger of going into reverse if you were not careful and going through neutral to get to second. The lever moved very easily with little resistance which made me wary of going too far into other gears. All very Gallic and I suppose added to the charm of driving something different. I was slightly fearful of braking the gear box as to be fair it sounded like a bunch of empty tin cans when you changed gear. Getting a smooth gear change was something of a guessing game. You had to ease off the power, search around for the next gear, engage it and slowly put on the power again. It sounds fairly easy as I write it here. In practice, it was not. I think I managed a couple of smooth changes towards the end of the day but can’t claim any more than that.
Driving the unfamiliar car with the wheel on the wrong side and a very cramped driving position I felt I was doing alright as we drove slowly up and down the road. A quick glance upwards and through the windscreen showed me I was on the wrong side of the road heading for a ditch. I wondered why I sensed the owner was getting a little tense. As I said, I thought I was doing ok. I did however feel a little like a learner driver again, spending far too long looking down at the controls and much to little time looking where I was going!
The acceleration of this 1.9 engine in such a large car was to be kind, sluggish. The engine was a left over from the old Citroen Avant from before the war and was quickly changed for 2 and 2.3 litre versions of a more developed unit. How I wished I was driving one of them. It felt very under powered and took some time to get up to cruising speed. After a while, I got the hang of it and it was decided to start the photo shoot.
“ Now” said the photographer with a business like air, “just drive at 20 miles an hour about a metre behind our bumper whilst we drive on the wrong side of the road and I hang out of the back door”. Simple. The sort of thing you do every day. Have you ever tried driving at any speed 1 metre behind someone else’s bumper? It’s not easy. Especially when your supposed to be relaxed and looking straight ahead. I spent half my time looking up the road for oncoming vehicles and the rest keeping the damn bumper in my peripheral vision. After several nerve wracking trips up and down the road the photographer seemed satisfied.
The owner had been sitting in the rear seat out of sight all this time, something for which I was quite grateful. We did a number of other shots from different angles and positions and then I was on my own. He wanted me to drive up and down the road looking straight ahead, passing his position each time. I had to turn round each time to head back. This was not a wide road but a rural affair with limited turning points. Each run was several miles long because of this and took some time. I was quite relieved when I was waved into a small quarry next to the car park where the photographer had based himself . Here a number of inside and outside shots were taken whilst the editor interviewed me about the car. I’ve never had to use my diplomatic skills to such an extent before.
Let’s be fair. The Citroen DS is an iconic car. It has many features which in their day were very innovative. Chief amongst them was the suspension which had a system of rubber domes which could be depressed to act like shock absorbers. The system was fluid filled which gave a very smooth ride although it could tend to wallow in corners. Our own Austin 1100/1300 range used the same system later on with the Maxi and others also trying it out. It has its champions but perhaps the most telling opinion is the fact that not too many cars deploy this suspension system today. It was fun watching the car rise as it ticked over after starting. This was no get-away car.
In terms of styling, the car is wonderful. It has flowing lines and many features that please the eye. Even small details like the interior lights had shades on them styled like clam shells. The interior door cards could have been removed and framed as pieces of modern art using mixed media. The steering wheel had only one ‘support’ connecting it to the steering column, very different from the two, three or even four spoked supports in our modern steering wheels. I commented that it seemed off centre whilst travelling in a straight line. It was positioned slightly to the left rather than straight down as I had expected. I was told that it was an early safety feature, making sure that in the event of a collision, the support would not risk puncturing the abdomen of the driver. Very thoughtful from the people who used the guillotine until late into the last century. The steering itself was fairly light for a large car and quite precise meaning the large steering wheel only needed the slightest touch to change direction. When your not used to this, even going in a straight line can be a challenge.
I enjoyed the experience of the magazine photo shoot I had waited seven and a half years to experience and driving the DS was certainly an experience I will not forget in a hurry. The car is an iconic model and I would like to try a two or two point three litre version with the seat properly adjusted. I imagine the experience would be very different in a positive way. I had not been comfortable in this car making concentration more challenging and coupled with the left hand drive I cannot say I was relaxed.
I think I said at the time that this was a car to be seen in, a car to be driven in. A grand tourer suited to the largely empty roads of rural France. If you watch the YouTube film of the French President being driven away from an attempt on his life in the DS on three wheels due to the suspension system, it is said to have saved his life. Having driven it I can well believe this.
Would I own one? Maybe the Safari (estate) version with a two point three litre engine. The one point nine I wouldn’t give it room on my drive. A great day and an interesting experience for which I thank the owner and the magazine. I will most certainly however, be sticking to my Jaguar.
Classic Cars magazine will carry the feature in its January 2023 edition (Issue 594) due out early December – hope you enjoy it.
It wasn’t the surprise that someone wanted to let me drive their car for the day, nor was it the magazine photo shoot that went with it. The biggest surprise was that the ‘competition’ I had entered had been seven and a half years ago!
I thought at first that it was some sort of scam or wind up. The magazine it came from I no longer subscribe to but there, after the email, was the original email I had sent in to them, seven and a half years ago. I stared at the date in disbelief and then slowly the mist cleared. The magazine, when I had subscribed, ran a feature where you listed your top ten drives. If you were selected, you got the chance to drive one of the cars on your list for a day. There, at number three, was the Citroen DS. I had originally put it on my list as it was such an iconic car in terms of style and way ahead of its time in terms of engineering features.
Why it had taken seven and a half years is still something of a mystery. When I asked, I got some mumbled response to the effect that matching choices with car availability often took some time – your not kidding!
We had a false start as having settled on a date and location, the car broke down and went into the garage for repair. So a new date and location was arranged. Driving to Malvern, the venue of choice on the morning in question, I became late by about five minutes due to a sat nav error in the town centre. My hands free rang and it was the team with the car. “We’re all here and waiting” he said. A bit quick off the mark considering the distance I had travelled and the massive five minutes late I had become. I was in fact up the road from the car park and pulled in as we finished the conversation. “It’s a beauty” he said. “Immaculate” he went on. ‘He’ was the feature editor for Classic Cars magazine and the organiser of today’s event.
After the usual pleasantries with himself, the photographer and the car owner and a description of what was to take place, I was left alone with the car owner to familiarise myself with the car, it’s controls and how it handled.
My first impression was that if the magazine chap described this car as ‘a beauty and immaculate’ his position as features editor was very much at risk. My own Jaguar was better presented and in better condition than this particular car. I was surprised at the lack of preparation the car had undergone. If someone else was driving my car for a magazine photo shoot, it would have sparkled in every way without a finger mark in evidence. This car was straight out of normal every day use, or so it seemed.
The owner however was a very nice chap who obviously loved his car, a doctor and member of the Citroen Owners Club. He was very patient whilst I got the hang of the controls. Getting in was the first challenge. A high seat combined with a sloping roof line meant that several angles needed to be explored before I managed to get the whole of my body inside the car. I levered myself behind the wheel, which was on the wrong side, and struggled to get my feet on the pedals. It was then discovered that the seat was jammed on its runners and would not move. Maybe they were just hoping that we would be the same size as each other! Sadly not. To be fair, when was the last time you moved your own classic car seat? The seat itself was a domed affair made from some sort of brush nylon. It seemed very high but as I sat on it, the squab lowered at least a foot and possibly more. I wouldn’t want to drive any distance in this car, not with my bad back! There didn’t seem to be much support in either the seat or it’s back and I wondered what a long journey would be like? The main brake was a domed rubber circle on the floor whilst the parking brake was a very high foot pedal on my left, which I struggled to get my foot onto, and a ‘J’ gate lever with a round knob on it on the dashboard in the left hand corner to lock or release the park brake as required. The accelerator was a small thin pedal on the right not too far from a centre console. Getting my size 12’s onto each pedal was something like learning a new dance. Did I mention that I don’t dance?
The gears where a lever on top of the steering column. “It’s semi-automatic” the owner said to my relief. My own vehicles are all automatic and it’s been many years since I drove a ‘stick shift’ as our colonial cousins call it. We practiced for some time going through the unusual positions (with the gears I mean not the owner. He was nice but not that nice!). I seem to remember a danger of going into reverse if you were not careful and going through neutral to get to second. The lever moved very easily with little resistance which made me wary of going too far into other gears. All very Gallic and I suppose added to the charm of driving something different. I was slightly fearful of braking the gear box as to be fair it sounded like a bunch of empty tin cans when you changed gear. Getting a smooth gear change was something of a guessing game. You had to ease off the power, search around for the next gear, engage it and slowly put on the power again. It sounds fairly easy as I write it here. In practice, it was not. I think I managed a couple of smooth changes towards the end of the day but can’t claim any more than that.
Driving the unfamiliar car with the wheel on the wrong side and a very cramped driving position I felt I was doing alright as we drove slowly up and down the road. A quick glance upwards and through the windscreen showed me I was on the wrong side of the road heading for a ditch. I wondered why I sensed the owner was getting a little tense. As I said, I thought I was doing ok. I did however feel a little like a learner driver again, spending far too long looking down at the controls and much to little time looking where I was going!
The acceleration of this 1.9 engine in such a large car was to be kind, sluggish. The engine was a left over from the old Citroen Avant from before the war and was quickly changed for 2 and 2.3 litre versions of a more developed unit. How I wished I was driving one of them. It felt very under powered and took some time to get up to cruising speed. After a while, I got the hang of it and it was decided to start the photo shoot.
“ Now” said the photographer with a business like air, “just drive at 20 miles an hour about a metre behind our bumper whilst we drive on the wrong side of the road and I hang out of the back door”. Simple. The sort of thing you do every day. Have you ever tried driving at any speed 1 metre behind someone else’s bumper? It’s not easy. Especially when your supposed to be relaxed and looking straight ahead. I spent half my time looking up the road for oncoming vehicles and the rest keeping the damn bumper in my peripheral vision. After several nerve wracking trips up and down the road the photographer seemed satisfied.
The owner had been sitting in the rear seat out of sight all this time, something for which I was quite grateful. We did a number of other shots from different angles and positions and then I was on my own. He wanted me to drive up and down the road looking straight ahead, passing his position each time. I had to turn round each time to head back. This was not a wide road but a rural affair with limited turning points. Each run was several miles long because of this and took some time. I was quite relieved when I was waved into a small quarry next to the car park where the photographer had based himself . Here a number of inside and outside shots were taken whilst the editor interviewed me about the car. I’ve never had to use my diplomatic skills to such an extent before.
Let’s be fair. The Citroen DS is an iconic car. It has many features which in their day were very innovative. Chief amongst them was the suspension which had a system of rubber domes which could be depressed to act like shock absorbers. The system was fluid filled which gave a very smooth ride although it could tend to wallow in corners. Our own Austin 1100/1300 range used the same system later on with the Maxi and others also trying it out. It has its champions but perhaps the most telling opinion is the fact that not too many cars deploy this suspension system today. It was fun watching the car rise as it ticked over after starting. This was no get-away car.
In terms of styling, the car is wonderful. It has flowing lines and many features that please the eye. Even small details like the interior lights had shades on them styled like clam shells. The interior door cards could have been removed and framed as pieces of modern art using mixed media. The steering wheel had only one ‘support’ connecting it to the steering column, very different from the two, three or even four spoked supports in our modern steering wheels. I commented that it seemed off centre whilst travelling in a straight line. It was positioned slightly to the left rather than straight down as I had expected. I was told that it was an early safety feature, making sure that in the event of a collision, the support would not risk puncturing the abdomen of the driver. Very thoughtful from the people who used the guillotine until late into the last century. The steering itself was fairly light for a large car and quite precise meaning the large steering wheel only needed the slightest touch to change direction. When your not used to this, even going in a straight line can be a challenge.
I enjoyed the experience of the magazine photo shoot I had waited seven and a half years to experience and driving the DS was certainly an experience I will not forget in a hurry. The car is an iconic model and I would like to try a two or two point three litre version with the seat properly adjusted. I imagine the experience would be very different in a positive way. I had not been comfortable in this car making concentration more challenging and coupled with the left hand drive I cannot say I was relaxed.
I think I said at the time that this was a car to be seen in, a car to be driven in. A grand tourer suited to the largely empty roads of rural France. If you watch the YouTube film of the French President being driven away from an attempt on his life in the DS on three wheels due to the suspension system, it is said to have saved his life. Having driven it I can well believe this.
Would I own one? Maybe the Safari (estate) version with a two point three litre engine. The one point nine I wouldn’t give it room on my drive. A great day and an interesting experience for which I thank the owner and the magazine. I will most certainly however, be sticking to my Jaguar.
Classic Cars magazine will carry the feature in its January 2023 edition (Issue 594) due out early December – hope you enjoy it.
