Busch 48025 H0 Car Citroën DS19 Blue

"La belle du jour". Even 60 years after the presentation at the Paris Motor Show, the shape and technology of the DS19, also called the "goddess", are as futuristic as it was once. Thus, even today, one still has his joy in "floating there divine". Review: In 1919, the automobile manufacturer Citroën was founded in Paris. The company's founder André Citroën (born 1878) quickly established himself as an adventurous and innovative entrepreneur. Unfortunately, the consequences of the global economic crisis and the costly development of the Traction Avant presented in 1934 quickly became apparent and ultimately led to the financial ruin of the company and thus to the takeover by the main believer Michelin.

The Citroën DS, the successor to the legendary Traction Avant, officially began his career under the name VGD ("Voiture de Grande Diffusion", WAS means mass model). After a very long development period under the direction of André Lefèbvre and Flaminio Bertoni, the Citroën DS was presented at the Paris Motor Show on 6 October 1955. The first appearance was a sensation. Due to his appearance, he quickly got nicknames like "hippo", "shark muzzle" or the name "The Goddess", which is still used today and is certainly well-worded. The most revolutionary model of Citroën is still known today under this noble name. As a masterpiece of aesthetics and engineering, the DS had such a unique concept that it rocked the automobile world in its foundations. Never before in the history of the automobile has a single model combined so many innovations in terms of safety, performance and comfort. The hydropneumatic suspension on all four wheels and the associated level regulation ensured that ground clearance was the same regardless of road conditions and the load on the car.
The front and rear disk brakes, the gear shift, clutch and servo-assisted rack steering of the DS were supported by hydraulic engineering. More than 34 meters of pipes were routed in the vehicle for the hydraulic system, which adapted to the speed. In addition to all the technical improvements, the futuristic design of the DS caused a stir, which thanks to its streamlined shape provided excellent economic viability.

The DS was crowned with a great success because of or despite its progress. In the first 45 minutes of the Paris Salon alone, 749 copies were ordered, until the end of the first day 12,000. After a week, the number of orders was 80,000. Up to the end of the production period, a total of 1.5 million DSs were sold. The 1 model of this "goddess" with inserted and chrome-plated headlights even has a properly functioning replica of "hydropneumatics", which can be operated by means of a lifting mechanism on the underside of the vehicle.

This text is machine translated.