Four years ago I watched this video and commented that I could never afford the car of my dreams Today I am watching this video as the proud owner of a 1972 DS special !! Took thirty years but amazingly the dream came true !!
Same here, I’ve watched all DS videos on YT while thinking I’d never own one myself, but an opportunity came up to buy one with a partner, it’s a 1970 DSpécial. It’s really nice to share the enthusiasm and the maintenance costs, too.
my grandpa was born in 1940 in lisbon, portugal. When he was a teenager, he would pass through a citroen dealership everyday on his way to art school. It was his favourite car. Later he became a successful architect, and he bought a fuel injected DS23, only 7 were ever sold in portugal, one of them to the dictator. He passed away last summer with lung cancer. Been smoking since he was 13. The car is still in our garage.
When Jay speaks he sounds like he is not trying to convince you of anything or impress you with his knowledge, he is just wanting to share with a friend.
As a 75 year old man that was one of my dream car that I wished I had and drooled over on my teen years. Finally 60 years later my dream has come trough. Located one in Greece in pretty good shape and well kept plus it has AC and a 5 speed transmission. Happy to say that in the next 4 months will find another home in the good old USA. I guess Jay’s video was the catalyst! TK, Atlanta GA
"Ever built" can be a bit of an exaggeration. I owned a Citroën C5 from 2004, that was fit with what was the latest stage on the evolution of this remarkable suspension system. Imagine all Jay Leno showed you, but in the 21st century. The suspension height adapts in real-time to the type of road and speed you are driving. You can not only lift or lower the suspension from the inside of the car, with a button near the gear lever but also from inside the rear boot (mine was a state wagon), to help you place heavy objects inside. Full panoramic glass rooftop with electrical shutter panels, fully electrically adjustable seats with massage backs, heating controls, independent fully automatic AC system, 3 modes robotized automatic gearbox with a sequential option, etc. The driver seat will vibrate when you go across to another lane without using the indicators! Plus, it was a 2.7 liter, 206 HP V6 engine with twin turbos that could easily do 160 mph. Google "Citroën c5 break 3.0 v6 exclusive" and check it out. So ... go easy on the "...most comfortable car ever built". Maybe for its time, maybe for a loooong time, but definitely not "ever".
More comfortable than my ‘63 Cadillac Coupe De Ville,which is like riding on a gigantic marshmallow? One thing this vehicle truly is? One of the ugliest ever produced,other than the AMC Gremlin.
As the original owner of a 1972 DS 21 Pallas, I was delighted to see your excellent video. There are a couple of features that were not mentioned that I feel are worth sharing. As the car was self leveling, the pressure in each suspension sphere was proportional to the weight over the associated wheel. When the brake bulb was depressed, it controlled the release of the pressure in each of the suspension spheres to the associated brake. Thus the braking force applied to each wheel was proportional to the weight over it. When the car was heavily loaded with passengers and luggage, the braking force increased to prevent nose diving.
You probably need to do some research, to say your not accurate would be an understatement. The spheres have a fixed amount of gas, and the only change was in hydraulic fluid going through a damping hole into the sphere which then acted on a membrane against the gas which was used as a spring, with the exception of the accumulator sphere which acts as a pressure reservoir and an anti pulse filter for the hp pump. The only car that could level cross axis is the xantia activa which used rams on of side of the ARB and a special sensor on the front ARB and steering to counter roll. The breaking was proportional to rear load as the break valve allowed pressure from the rear rams to give added force to the breaks. And for all those who remember seeing it, this is why everything up to the sx xantia (vsx exclusive and all later cars (C5/c6) were fitted with antisink) would often be seen with it's bum on the ground. Over time the break valve breaks down and leaks allowing the rear suspension to drain when parked a lot faster than the front suspension. These cars do give the best ride ever but they aren't magic and the hydropneumatic system is very simple if you understand it.
@@house89147 I guess the dyslexia can be added to your undiagnosed Asperger's then. You know your stuff but your opening sentence shows a distinct lack of social skills. Your technical nous will be better received with some manners and tact.
I live in a little tiny town in northern Wisconsin. There is one here. The elderly man who owns it was shocked when I knew vaguely what it was last summer. He was out for the day. Coming out of the post office. True story. I love it so much and told him I would buy it whenever he was ready.
When we lived in Europe, my Dad went to Paris to buy a DS Safari. He kept saying the Citroen was ahead of its time. He loved driving it. Thanks for doing this. You've illuminated a bit of my childhood!
About 35 years ago, hitch hiking back from Munich to Hamburg, Germany, on the German Autobahn, I had the unique opportunity to ride along in a Citroen DS. It was the most impressive journey I've ever made to this day. You don't ride, you fly. The seats are so comfortable it's beyond description and the car is very well insulated against noise. Even by today's standards, I would choose a DS over many other contemporary cars - anytime. And then there is the Opel Commodore A GS/E Coupe, but that's another story...
The DS Pallas had more sound insulation than the lesser models. Can't ignore that thumping, roaring IL4 motor right there in the big housing between the footwells. Older ones' front pinion (secondary/lower) shaft bearing whining got louder and louder with mileage.
My dad owned two Citroens, both with the same body style as Jay's: They were a 1961 ID-19 and later, a 1969 DS-21. Dad put more than 100,000 miles on each of them. They were wonderful cars in which to ride, as well as to drive. Dad had heard from his Citroen mechanic that even with a sudden front tire blow-out, these cars were so stable it was possible to take both hands off the steering wheel and not lose control. So, I remember once we were driving 75 mph on Interstate 5 in the Central Valley of California when Dad said, "Uh oh . . . I think we just blew a tire. I can't tell which one it is, I'm going to try it. (We were still going 70 mph). Dad took both his hands off the steering wheel, and began to brake, but the car continued its straight, rock-steady trajectory with no hint of wandering out of our lane. When we had finally pulled over and come safely to a stop at the side of the road, Dad got out of the car and found the right front tire had blown. Amazing engineering . . . not to lose control even with a blown front tire at 75 mph! Not surprisingly, both Citroens often turned heads . . . especially when we came to a stop sign: After about a second or two, the rear end would begin to return to its normal position, and the front end would raise back to its normal position. Because both of the Citroens were front-wheel drive, both the front and back seat floors were absolutely flat: a great convenience for carrying things on the floor. They were both exceedingly comfortable-riding cars, not only around Los Angeles, CA, but especially for our annual cross-country trips from L. A. back to the Midwest. However, because of the difficulty of parts (especially in the mountain states and Midwest) Dad did always carry a spare hydraulic pump (for the suspension/brake/steering system), should we have car trouble. We never did, though. I wish I still had Dad's DS-21. . . it was a car that was truly ahead of its time.
The ID was the discount version of the DS, which came out after the DS failed to sell a lot of units because it was very expensive. The ID had the hydropneumatic suspension, but no power steering or power brakes, and the semi-automatic transmission was not an option, and since it didn't have to drive anything but the suspension with the hydraulic pump, it did just fine with the 1.9 liter engine
Yess, this are typical stories from Citroën owners with the hidropneumatic suspension, one of the most advanced and incredible performance feature in the iconics Citroëns, but this brand it’s much more important than many people think, Citroën invented, the front wheel drive, the all terrain vehicules, the disc brakes, the Hidropneumatic suspension, the directional headlights and more!! I m gonna get a “SM” soon!
I sat on one that belonged to my classmate's dad. He raised the car after we sat along for awhile. In those days, I had no idea Citroën was ahead of its time😊
As a former owner of 5 Citroen DS, I agree with Jay. This car is very special and different. Citroen is a car that is fun to drive on a long distance trip and I enjoyed the memories of taking my 1972 D Special to Canada. There is no other car like it. Citroen DS is definitely Avant garde ( Way ahead of it's time). Wonderful car!!! Great video Jay!!!
It is still. I remember my uncle said than in a emergency braking with a caravan on the highway with full family (from 110/120 km/h), both car & caravan remain aligned ;) A secure car for sure ;) Regards from Fr. boys.
a piece of French artwork for sure! I rode in one of these as a kid, my neighbors had one. Dark green color, 2inch or more thick carpet, and the most flying carpet ride I've ever had in any vehicle. Still remember it to this day, just amazing. Floating. Not like my parent's Audi that was all bumpy over bumps.
Jay Leno is just the perfect guy to do this kind of presentation. He has a lot of respect for smart engineering and for craftmanship - no matter what kind of vehicle is concerned and in what country it has been manufactured. The combination of knowledge, respect and humour is just great. Thank you Jay! It is a pleasure to watch these videos!
I had two of them in the seventies,and I can say that I never had more comfortable cars to drive since.And so reliable on the road,fantastic braking and steering. My best feelings in driving.
I had a 77 DS. It was the most comfortable car I've ever driven. The only car I've had which I could drive from Melbourne to Sydney and then feel that with a cup of coffee I could get back in and drive it back again. Road holding was superb and the turning circle was beyond belief.
@@strato9223 You're quite right, mine was a 75 DS23, one of the last built. I bought it in 77. I still see it around town occasionally. It looks as though it was built this morning.
I m French and im 44 year old, when i was a kid my grandfather has one of these, the rising car suspension ,the shape and the feeling when on the road is something one need to experiment.
I pray that Citroen, someday, does another run of this car. Maybe with some modern internals (could even be electric) but with that same body. I only learned about this car, properly, about a week ago but I already think its one of the most beautiful looking cars ever made.
Being born European but raised in the U.S., it wasn't unusual for our parents to send us back to the old country for the summer. In '82 my dear old dad bought us a Citroen CX . During a drive we popped a tire doing 150+kph(roughly 90mph) on the highway. We had no clue until we stopped for fuel and notice the tire had a small tear. The Citroen's suspension was so good the car was balanced on 3 wheels with no lose of control.
I've got a CX, cracking motor, the smoothest ride ever. The only folk making hydropneumatic these days are rolls Royce and only on the top of the range
once sat in a new cx gti with black and white leather seats and a cxprestige in our local dealership when they were new.never seen that quality in any car since shame about body protection.
@@paulh7589 What geektoro says is true if you were ever driving in one of these and blew a tire the car is so well tuned you will not lose control of the car the suspension system compensates so quickly with the other wheels it takes almost all weight off the damaged tire and redistributes it to the others literally the safest car you can drive from the standpoint of a blown tire!!!!
My grandfather (bless him) once used a DS of one of his clients all the way to the south of the country (Italy) to go on a seaside holiday. The funny thing is that somehow the heater got on at full power but, being a client's car, he didn't want to mess it up so he never tried to turn it off, so basically he went on vacation with the heater fully on to the south of Italy in the midst of summer. Riding in a DS in the early '70s on the Autostrada, I think that you were truly one of the kings of the road, it must have been so cool. I really like this car, I'd love to own one of these in the future. Hopefully.
I always heard and knew this car was different, but never realized how unique and creative the engineering was that went into this automobile!! That suspension setup actually makes so much sense….What an amazing car!!! Thanks Jay!😎👍
When introduced in 1955 the DS Citroen was very innovative and way ahead of its time. It’s biggest problem was the extensive use of hydraulics making it expensive to maintain. I traveled hundreds of miles on dirt roads in Africa in early 1960’s and the car would just glide along as if riding a magic carpet. A really fine car.
Citroen never would seal the hydraulic system reservoir. As the fluid level fell and rose, moisture and oxygen along with dust is sucked through the vent hole in the reservoir cap. The cars from 1954 until 1967 used brake fluid Liquide Hydraulique Vegetale (castor bean oil and methanol), Liquide Hydraulique Synthetique (basically DOT3 brake fluid) and LHS2 (improved lubricity), 1969 in the USA. The later cars used LHM (Liquide Hydraulique Mineral), very similar to ATF, hydraulic jack oil, Red Oil (used in older airplane landing gear struts and many industrial machines), except dyed green.
I just adore this guy and all the positive stuff he has to say. Anything I’ve read about him has been pleasant, his show was good, he’s a car guy, and he finds things to appreciate in everything.
Mr. Leno I would like to congratulate you on the show and the way you are presenting. I simply adored your impartiality in the whole episode. Usually car shows in different countries tend to promote the "local production", but you sir, you give credit when credit is due no matter where the car comes from.
One of the best modifications for a DS is an all electric drivetrain - even a weak electric motor moves this thing well because of it's low weight and great aerodynamics. It also becomes dead quiet with an electric motor since the suspension doesn't squeak like metal springs would.
We used our 1968 id 19 when my mother got very ill. We drove over 800 km (500 miles) in one go averaging 140+ km/h (87 mp/h) and it didn't even think about breaking down. One hell of a car.
Hi, I'm from Europe, Belgium, Holland and France. I've driven this car in Europe, it was so well adapted to the French roads and the "Péage" Motorways. You didn't feel the bumps of the old rfrench country roads, you weren't driving you were floating, and on the motorway it was just "flying". It takes a while in the morning to build up hydraulic pressure, no problem, you needed a cup of coffee anyway, cause it was so comfortable. Without the hydraulic pressure the DS just doesn't allow you to drive away. I was brought to boarding-school in this car every monday by a Bank Director, and picked up every Friday at the bank. Amazing how we could have a fantastic conversation in the car, and the "safety feeling" just incredible. I would like to thank you so much for putting the best car ever on the Internet. Normally I don't watch items on YT, but Jay Leno's Garage has got my full attention now. Later on whe had the DX a modern dark blue son of the DS, with the hydraulic system, it was floating on the roads like a battle ship, one single wiper, which was a hype then, de-icing in one minute. Ater boarding school I got so tired that, and felt so safe, I was like sleeping in my living room, so silent and comfortable. I heard of Jay from the shows, but never followed or watched it, now I discovered his Garage, Imust admit I respect the incredible knowledge, history, tutorship and mechanical insight of Jay. Keep it running Jay! Kind Regards from Spain (Mallorca). You got a good fan here!
He is a nerd just like me as I too worked on these cars in a shop in Houston(1970-75mostly SMs) while in between jobs managing pizza huts I always looked forward to getting to work on these so I could do the post work checkout drive while the ‘other’ “kid” mechanics wanted to work on the mustangs and the chevy’s Cameos RS everyone thought I was a nut case or a French sympathizer my French was and still is as bad as J’s spoken “French” it wan’t the vocabulary for me but I never got the but my pronunciations were wrong 90% of the time as confused as I was I realizes now that my pronouncitions were actually not that bad it was the tense and gender that I kept getting messed up on even-after studying the language for 4 years in college in my last year “orals” I truly wanted to fly to France on the concord to experience that too and take an emersion language course- but it simply didn’t happen...Interesting enough the D3 was reintroduced but in a limited number of global markets, like in tijuanna Mexico in the 1990’s $70KUSD one could buy a new SM but you couldn’t cross the boarder with the car especially into California! Most French car manufacturers pulled out of the US market due to the costs associated with getting an import licensing done was excessive except for Renault sold as the Nissan Maxima built in Japan is really an SM but without all the good stuff that makes it an SM or a French car. 10 years ago I was a stoaway on a trip to France for my fiftieth birthday and SMS ere seen everywhere one I noticed on the autobahn between strausburg FR and Wiesbaden I was driving a CC 6-speed 2.0 Diesel engine before this car was brought into the US by VW more than a year later it had no model name badge then finally it was called the ‘cc’ Car and driver said it’s styling looked like a SS helmet but it looked more like a tank like the ones shown on the bridge signs displaying how many tanks can cross the bridge at one time and which way the each tank can be going to do so... anyway I noticed the SM was yawing along at speed bouncy bouncy up and down nose pitch o the suspension system was no longer analog controlled by somehow digitally done but chasing it’s bounce or perhaps the aerodynamics was causing a ‘flutter’ in the suspension that was causing it to over react! Not sure but still would hav loved to drive the new one... which looked more like the Nissan maximum than a SM...
Thank you so much for the memories. My dad bought a Citroen exactly like that in 1971. Living in Quebec the winter was really bad. I remember a trip up north in the province where everybody was stuck in the snow an waiting on side of the road for snowplow. My dad just raise the suspension an then we where the only one who could ride in this wheather . We could hear people yelling at us :)
Except that not riding high enough is almost never the reason that cars get stuck, go off the road, or cannot go on. If the snow is so deep that the average cars underbelly is touching it, then it's already too deep for most cars to travel though without 4WD and/or tire chains. Most cars get stuck or have to pull over long, long before the snow is anywhere near deep enough to bog a car down in it. If you were traveling while others were pulled over, it's almost certainly because you had front-wheel drive, and probably better tires or chains, while 99% of cars were still RWD in 1971. FWD is more controllable and puts the weight of the engine over the drive wheels. VW Beetles were good in the snow for the same reason, excpet being rear-engine as well as RWD, once you DID start to skid it was very difficult to recover. Point is, you traveled while others were stopped due to the FWD, not due to the suspension being able to raise. That probably helped very little.
@@kelharper7971 I had a French made Simca Bertone fast back in '64. It had a rear engine like the VW, so I could drive straight in 2 ft of snow with the light front end planing over the snow and the heavier rear tires diggen' in. It also got fifty mpg 40 yrs before hybrids. Makes me a believer that the oil companies own the auto industry. 🤑🤑🤑
@@kelharper7971 What you said is true but I know with experience (52 years driving in those conditions) that a raised body configuration was a definite help. It's not so much the fact that there would be an even high amount of snow on a road but that you would encounter a snow drift, your car would then lose it's momentum and be bogged down with it's underbelly jacked up. With less weight on the wheels, even under the engine, the tires would not have enough traction to pull the car out from a standing position. Radial tires, not in use at that time on american models, were also part of the deal.
My friend in high school, Mike Curtis, drove Citroen’s. His dad operated a repair shop for Citroen’s. Mike drove a Citroen to a Van Halen concert at the Cow Palace and was looking for a parking spot. He found one but some left several cases of empty beer bottles in the parking spot. There were some people nearby watching him park into the spot. He used the hydraulic suspension to raise the car and pull in over the bottles. Then he lowered the suspension and had the wheels off the ground until the bottles broke. He got quite the laughter from that. Mike was always a crazy individual and I still remember this story of his to this day! Seeing this video reminded me about Mike and the various Citroen’s he would drive.
André Citroën the founder was saying "once an idea is good, the price doesn't matter", and after he died, the Michelin company, main owner Citroën, which was totally agreeing with this philosophy, continued to path the way in the same direction. Unfortunately, they invested so much money in developing the Wankel rotary engine in the 70's, meanwhile the petrol crisis arrived and they abandoned it. Then Peugeot , with a little help from the French Republic bought Citroën. Until the beginning of the 2000's, Peugeot (PSA Group) let Citroën did Citroën things, but nowadays, Citroëns are just sort of different Peugeot's. Let see in the future how it will be because Citroën released 2 years ago a totally new suspension with 20 new international patents. And the DS brand which is the luxurious Citroën brand will perhaps let us discover new innovations. Future will tell.
@@wowtomobile9898 even before the 2000s, Peugeot got their hands into Citroën to make them build more mainstream cars. They forbid Citroën to redesign the CX, and when they did in secret the Citroën designers were let go and replaced by Peugeot designers. Did Citroën still make impressive cars? Of course. The C6 I own is a true marvel of Citroën engineering. But Peugeot influence was felt immediatly after they aquired Citroën. The worst thing Peugeot did is letting the SM die completely instead of letting Citroën safe it. The SM is the most beautiful car ever made imo.
The XM, incidentially, is the most unreliable car ever sold under the Citroën name (and the most unreliable car PSA has ever made throughout the entire combined history of Peugeot-Citroën-Talbot). They were notorious for electrical failures, and in some cases even caught fire. For the XM they innovated on the hydropneumatic suspension with electronic leveling sensors and an extra sphere that allowed it to switch between hard and soft suspension depending on the quality of the road, but thanks to that fancy suspension combined with the unreliable electrical system, many of them ended up having suspension failures where the car would slouch to the one side or constantly wobbled back and forth when stopped on a hill because it kept trying to level the car out. They were great cars when they worked properly, but the problems were so widespread that they reworked the whole suspension system to make it more reliable and dealers had to swap out parts for the more reliable versions whenever the cars came in for the regular service. They never attempted that version of the system again, and for the C5 they went back to the old tried and true system
My father had a CX station (Familiale or Break they called it) in the 80's. We were a family of 6 children. We fitted all eight in it! In the summer we went all the way from The Netherlands to Portugal in that car. I was in love with that thing.
A friend of mine used to have a Citroën DS which he used as a daily driver. When he sold it had 1.5 million kilometres on the clock! All with the first engine.
Although I don't think Citroen had a US importer, a number of people imported them over the years until the emissions and safety regulations in this country became too hard to meet. I knew three people who owned both ID 19 and DS 21 models. There was a citroen specialist shop in Santa Cruz so owning them in the bay area wasn't impossible. I did some work on a couple, they are actually simple and not hard to care for. The hydraulic system is very well designed and everything is serviceable and repairable so long as you can source the parts. Was absolutely amazed how comfortable these, and French cars in general, actually are.
My grand father had one in England back in the late 1960s. My brothers and I would badger him to put the suspension up and down as we were totally mesmerised. A fantastic car, thanks for a great video Jay.
as a kid these cars were like magic to me :) our neighbour use to drive one and i remember hanging out near that car so we would get to see it go up before it drove away.
Love these cars. Would love to see them make them again. I have a friend whose father had an SM and when he passed away his son inherited the car and he still has it.
Absolutely wonderful, Jay this is your vocation, that TV show thing, nothing in comparison to your ability to convey the love of cars and the engines and mechanical aspects all in one. splendid
Revisiting the video one year later, becoming enthroled once again by Jay's narrative. A fabulous Car, a Fantastic Host. Harvard should hire you -- your teaching skills are amazingl
Has long been my dream car. Having just ticked over 50, I don't know that I will ever be in a position to have one in the garage - it's nice to keep the dream alive.
I've always loved these cars. We had a dealership close to my home. I knew that it was special back in 1968-69. I couldn't convince my parents that we needed one.
Possibly the most beautiful car ever made. And the innovations for 1955 - disc brakes, inboard discs on front to reduce unsprung weight, hydraulic system for suspension, brakes, steering and gearbox for clutchless gear changes. I drove hydropneumatic Citroens for nearly 30 years; if you put heavy loads in the boot, the car sank down at the rear but as soon as the engine started, it levelled itself...magic. The last one, a C5 mark 1, had computer controlled suspension with sports mode and virtually flat cornering - was like running on rails. Still don't understand why Citroen abandoned this suspension or the swivelling lights. Great video and commentary! Thank you.
The DS/ID always had drum brakes in the rear. The station wagon (“break”) had wider and finned drums with larger bore cylinders. Only the SM, which was based upon the DS, had rear disc brakes on modified DS suspension swing arms. The hydropneumatic suspension was not cost-effective. The extreme precision of many of the components, the blocs (“spheres”) added up to higher cost of manufacture. The market was not willing to pay extra as roads were greatly improved from the bombed, rutted roads following WWII. Conventional steel spring suspension had advanced greatly as well.
@@algrayson8965 thanks for the correction. Have amended my comment. My hydraulically sprung cars had discs all round (BX to C5). I now have steel sprung cars which have good suspension, but every so often on a piece of rough or badly cambered road, I get reminded that it is not quite a match to the old hydraulics!
@@chevyguy1422 The Citroën D series and SM were designed as aircraft. Automobiles are primarily aircraft as at speeds above 40-45 mph aerodynamic drag becomes the consumer of the majority of energy consumed by moving the car. A ’59 Cadillac Sedan or Coupe DeVille is about as aerodynamic as a storage building on a trailer. My Dad had a ’55 Cadillac Fleetwood limo for a while. He had a ’71 Sedan DeVille, a ’66 Sedan DeVille, which I drove for a couple of years until a car driving at night without lights totaled it. I had a ’68 Sedan DeVille w/black leather. The 472 motor died from the chronic valve train problem. I had a ’76 Sedan DeVille that had the 500 in³ motor with Bosch D-Jetronic EFI. Its injectors kept springing leaks, so I found Nippondenso injectors that had the same specs but they had barbed fuel connections that I turned down to fit the Cadillac fuel rail. So I am familiar with Cadillacs, thank you. I thought that they were all ugly. However I don't choose cars for their styling. I really don't care about what a car looks like, within limits.
Thank you so much for this great presentation. I totally agree with you. Citroen DS is just a fantastic car. My dad always had one DS when I was young. The last one was a DS 23 Pallas Electronic injection. The confort is so different from other cars. We also had the cases designed to fit the trunk. This was a very difficult moment for me and my sister when dad decided to sell it. We had no place to park it and I really regret. Hopefully, Citroen always kept innovation and confort effort in all its cars. My Citroën Picasso, which is very confortable, very quiet, takes some innovations from the DS. For exemple, it has turning lights with the wheels. The gearbox selector is just over the steering wheel. It also has new stuffs. The center of the steering wheel doesn't turn with the steering wheel (I really like this). The gearbox is like a hybrid automatic/manual with an hydrolic system which passes gears for you. This last decade, Citroen and Peugeot restarted to build really great cars (just look at the e-legend concept from the Peugeot 504). This is very nice. Please, keep having true pleasure with your beautifull DS and don't hesitate to share photos and videos on it (your car is really in exceptionnal conditions). Kind regards from Paris.
The way J talks about cars is more seductive than anything else a person could ever experiance. I respect a man who truly has a passion and projects that in his presentation.
This was fantastic. My grandparents were French and as I kid, I spent a lot of summers with them. This was my grandfathers car... I remember going from Orleans to St Gilles Croix de Vie in this car (not a short ride). I was too young to drive it, but I remember how smooth the ride was, and that was the early 70's. My Pepere loved this car, and this brought me down memory lane. Thank you!!!!
+Monique V vous parlez encore français ? quand j'étais jeune j'ai connu un enfant qui vivait aux usa et venait en france revoir sa famille pendant les vacances . Il rigolait en voyant nos petites voitures en france.
Even on the video you can feel the extreme flexibility of the suspension, the comfort of the seats and the impressive silence of this car! On the other hand, those who are prone to seasickness, this car is not for you, because in the rear seats you will need to bring a bag in case of discomfort, that's why some people loved Citroën and its suspensions while others preferred harder suspensions! It's the perfect car for long trips on highways and also to drive on mountain roads, because its handling is legendary! Its exterior and interior design are timeless, it is a true work of art, the reflection of an era, just like art deco! Citroën has always been ahead of its time, as much by its engineering as by its design, a great national pride for this company!
(From the UK) I had a 'Powder Blue' DS19 early 60's and loved it to bits, one feature I don't think you mentioned was that the front seats folded back perfectly flat, to make a very comfortable double bed. The one I had was upholstered in Velour Material. Did many miles in Europe in it. Found the maximum height setting useful a couple of times going through floods that no other car could have managed.
Gosh! Nostalgia feeling with this car. This car reminded me of my upbringing in South Eastern Nigeria in the early 70s, as my father drove one in navy blue with a white roof and shining chrome wheels. This car was technologically advanced for its day. It used to turn heads whenever my father dropped me off at my boarding school, with the wheels folding in when stopped and packed, the turning headlamp, the air conditioning, which was unheard of at the time, and the semi-automatic transmission. Also had the cassette cartridge as part of the radio system (a significant invention at the time before the cassette tape). The most comfy car ever, with seats so plush and soft that it feels like you're lounging on a sofa. My Papa adored French cars, particularly Citroen and Peugeot, whereas his colleagues drove Mercedes as their luxury vehicles. He drove a Peugeot 204, x2 404 (white salon and a red family 7-seater station wagon), 504 GL, 505 SL, and 605 GL. The Citroen DS, however, was reserved for special occasions. LOL.
I think it's a cool car. The removable fender reminds me of how you access the spare tire on some Vespa scooters. Certainly Jay has some vintage Vespas he can show off?? Italian engineering is as oddball and unique as French engineering.
Hello Jay. I served my 4 year apprenticeship in Aberdeen, Scotland with a C&G scholarship. Most of that was based around the DS. A true innovation. Rolls Royce still to this day use the same Citroen branded green accumulators as this car has.
Just watched this video again as I have a love for Citroens as well as Jay Leno's enthusiasm for cars. . The "bongos" in the commercial that demos the lights were actually a Gretsch Jazz drum set, played by the great Art Blakey with his band The Jazz Messengers.
I knew it was a drum set (snares were turned off on the snare drum and was riffing between that and the upper tom tom), but didn't realize it was Art Blakey. Thanks for sharing that factoid. What was the name of the song? I've been trying to find the solo, but haven't been successful.
so Jay, I loved your video, firstly because I am French, my father drove a DS and I worked as an artistic director on the Citroen budget. Everything is great in your video, the only downside of the DS is its engine which is a little anemic, but if not yes this car is a myth, and Citroen has created at least 4, the traction, the DS, the 2CV and the SM. You had the idea of putting in line two advertising spots, the creator of these advertisements was an artistic director named Robert Delpire, believe me he was not on acid but very inspired, like the brilliant André Citroen
I'm heartbroken that we sold my dad's Citroen, but I'm delighted that Jay has taken such good care of it. If I had kept it, it would have been a survivor. In Jay's hands, it thrives. Maybe someday I'll find another....
Hi, Philippe! This is Will's son. I was wondering if anyone in our family had commented on this video, and here you are! I sent this video to Will back in 2015, but I don't know if he ever saw it - he said his computer at the time was not able to watch UA-cam videos. I think I'll send it again to be sure he sees it. The old Citroen certainly looks happy now! I just wish Jay had kept the "We think your car looks funny too" license plate frame...
This is just wonderful - I love the detailed description and the history! My dearest childhood friend studied in France on two occasions, at Grenoble and then Sorbonne. In Grenoble she and her friends would frequently hitch rides, and she says they were always so excited when a DS would stop to give them a ride. When I lived in London, Ontario in the mid '70s, a friend ran an independent dealership that sold BMW, Alpha and the occasional Citroën SM. He went on and on about the SM. Sadly, I never had the opportunity to ride in one. When I win the lottery I will have one of each!
Dad (in the Army Stationed in Germany) and I went to the Citroen factory Paris in 1962 and picked up a new DS 19 Wagon. Brought it back to the states in 63' No one had ever seen anything like it. Radial Tires no one had ever seen before (hey buddy your tires are flat) Dad would work the suspension up and down and people freaked out (first low rider). Later he had a DS 21.Had front axel problems didn't spend much time on the road, took six months to get the parts. Otherwise a Beautiful. Wish had one today. I do still have the original Citroen key fob. Also saw a 2CV for sale the other day, I want.
Lovely car. I was lucky enough to own a DS21 some years ago and loved every moment of driving and just admiring it. Mine was sky blue with a white roof - just epic.
Having spent much of the 50s and 60s being driven around France by my parents, I can assure you that the roads were terrible. That's why that period of french cars had interesting and innovative suspensions. Now the roads are brilliant and the cars are dull! C'est la vie.
Is that why ??? almost every French car advertising has a fresh ploughed field (something my grandma used to do on a gravel dirt side Service road with her bright brilliant red Cadillac Cooper DeVill as a young child to check on my grampa doing field work ) as the back drop or by a pond doing a picnic and most Italian ones from the same time frame are with the sea side windy Mountain Road like it’s some bond or F&F film it’s cool looking but driving a 60’s dodge most of the time I don’t do it or see the sea the Americans and German ones are ether on a empty hyway or suburbia or down town NYC aka big city were I don’t really like driving my dodge as it doesn’t fit and park as easily as say a Austin mini 1000 and it’s common to see some hot chick being flirty mostly naked or at least suggestive and or doing at least one burnout and or tire squealing and so far that’s funny because I’ve never had any “ hot single girls” with me and only squealed the back couple of times ish trying to not get ran off the road or t-boned or locked up the brakes for the same reasons
I live in S.W. corner of Indiana, the roads and streets are always terrible due to our widely changing weather in the seasons, hot humid summers and then wet, very cold winters. Then many huge heavy trucks and industrial vehicles smashing the roads to pieces constantly. They fix a road and it doesnt stay nice for long. I needed one of these cars here. Lol. I had no idea about that unique suspension system. I have never heard anyone explain it before.
@@richardprice5978 Peugeots are known for supple suspensions but they don't compare to hydraulique Citroëns. Peugeot did use the Citroën hydropneumatic suspension on the rear of a station wagon in the 1970s.
that hydropneumatic suspension is the reason why it's better to speed up at speed bumps in a ds lol you could do 80 km/h on a speed bump and hardly feel a thing
@@edbo10 Had Citroen BX once, When airborne through doing 60mph/100kmh or more over a hump in the road, it would self level while in the air for a second! and bounce alot upon landing, not ideal for Rallying ;)
I had a 1989 BX it was great, yes it wasn't fast but it was a 1.9 diesel (no turbo) and I loved it that engine would go on forever. They are pretty much classics now, I wish I still had it.
@@nothingsurprisesmeanymore After the GSA 1.3 petrol we used to have BX facelift 1.6 TRS (96 BHP) version 1st registerd in January 1988 sadly no aircon but what a car! I miss it. One of my uncles had back in the 90`s 2 ZXs one was 1.9D (70 BHP i think) and later on newer ZX with 1.9TD (90 BHP). Also great cars etc. So I know what you`re talking about. Back in 2019 at one Citroën dealer an elderly gentelman brought Xantia 1.9TD (90 BHP) with 750 000km on the clock for regular maintenance! That was really bullet proof engine!
My absolute favourite episode . These Citroën were reserved for the creme de la creme in the "Little Paris" ( Bucharest),back in the day. Used to see them being a kid in Bucharest.
My father had a '72 (I suppose, considering it had A/C) and it was the BEST. His was a sable/grey colour, single tone. It had a Blaupunkt radio and rich light brown leather seats, rather fuller than in Jay's car. I suspect we had a deluxe model. And we had it in Canada, so the smaller front headlamps would indeed follow the steering wheel. To this day, we reminisce more about this car, the DS than any other. By the way the 'DS' designation is a pun of sorts; in French "DS" is pronounced "DAY-ESS" which in turns means DEESSE - "Goddess" or as Jay said "Nicknamed the Goddess". (The first E should have an accent acute over it)
I loved my 1971 DS21 had it when I was stationed in Germany. It is more comfortable then my Lexus LS. Thanks Jay for a trip down memory lane. I drove all over Germany, Switzerland and Italy …what a great ride. No speed limit on the autobahn in many areas of Germany.
Thank you for a fascinating look into a little understood and much maligned car. By myself, for one. I now have a newfound appreciation for the car. Thanks much, Jay Leno.
Jay, oh Jay!!! Your DS is to die for!!! She is a beauty, with this perfect leather upholstery, the rear shades, the double round headlights and this deep red body paint. Plus, you look great driving her! As a French youngster growing up in the 70s, I still remember to this day the ride in my grandfather's black DS with red vinyle uphostery to this day. It was completely surreal, I found myself lost on a cloud as a young kid. This memory has remained with me to this very day. And I love your sense of humour, lightly mocking our accent and using extracts from the popular, hugely successful "La Grande Vadrouille" movie. Thanks so much for all your love for cars.
My grandparents had one of these cars back in the early 70s. My sister and I used to call it the marshmallow mobile. It was luxurious and very comfortable. We loved when it would rise up after the car started, it was like an amusement park ride. Very cool. Thanks Jay for your great videos.
The most comfortable car ever built. My dad had one. I learned to drive in this car. It was actually my first car followed by a audi quatro which was a wild change from this but to this day, my dad regretted selling the car. 94 and still driving, go dad. 👍🏻
Thanks for this pleasant report on this fantastic car I have always dreamed to own. As I'm French I could find one in France but there are not cheap if in good shape and, as I'm retired now unfortunately, I cannot afford anymore to buy one. Anyway, just some clarifications since I know that from an American perspective, all what is French is basically weird but there are sometimes some reasons: 1. The car was designed with this revolutionary suspension for comfort and road holding, not because the French roads were bad. Well, they were not that smooth at the time for sure but not worse than in the neighbouring countries. Moreover no other French manufacturer (Renault, Peugeot, Panhard ...) tried to develop a specific suspension, whatever were the road conditions. 2. The mirror is not down "because it's French" (btw it's the only car with this design) but because the back window is lower than the windshield so if it was in its usual place, the driver couldn't see what's behind. As simple as that. 3. "Being French you gotta have a cigarette lighter". Thank you for the compliment but ... no: there have always been a cigarette lighter and an ashtray on all European cars since decades. Personally I have a 6 years old VW Golf right now and it's fitted with a cigarette lighter as well, even if almost nobody smokes in cars nowadays. Anyway I can remove the lighter and replace it on demand by anything like a mobile GPS or a phone charger or whatever. Greetings from France
I had a '59 Plymouth Fury with a dash-mounted mirror, and rectangular steering wheel. Engine was a 383 Chrysler with pushbutton automatic transmission -- the car was a sled, back when I was 18 years old. With gasoline at 39¢/gallon...what else is there?
@@larrymiller4 Thanks for your clarification: regarding the mirror I was referring to European cars, which indeed I didn't clearly specify. I confess that, as most of Europeans, I know absolutely nothing about American cars. Except some collectors (very few) interested in classic cars, there are no American cars on our roads ...
The richest family in our neighborhood had one of these, with the double head lights. The DS was expensive. Thanks Jay for telling us more about this car. I have seen many of them in my youth, but I never got the chance to sit in one.
Thank you Jay for this video. You are right in all you say about the fabulous Citroen DS. I had a "Safari" DS23 back in the 1980s, probably the nicest car I have ever owned. The DS is probably the best car in the world just to go out for a leisurely, comfortable and gracious drive. If you ever get offered one with the semi-automatic transmission grab it - that system is something else!
This is a fantastic video that I truly appreciate, thank you so much for sharing it with us. Your insights on the DS and CX Pallas are spot-on, and I completely agree with your observations about their uniqueness, comfort, and unmistakable French character. I had the pleasure of owning a DS for a brief period, and it left a lasting impression on me. Later on, I had the opportunity to drive a CX Pallas for an extended period, and it has remained one of my all-time favorite vehicles. In a world where many car manufacturers prioritize performance over comfort, these Citroens stand out as true gems, providing a smooth and serene driving experience that's more akin to riding in a limousine than a car. After driving rough roads in other high-performance cars with stiff suspension, I can't help but appreciate the joy of gliding along in these Citroens. It's a shame that the French seem to have lost some confidence in their products, but I still believe that they make some of the best cars in the world. Vive la France!
My dream-car when I was a child growing up in Yugoslavia. There were few of them in the town where I lived and I was mesmerized by them every time they would pass by. Not long ago I had a dream I bought one of these but it was in a very bad shape and I was still so happy about it. Unfortunately I had to wake up...
Osamdesetih sam radio u Sarajevu i upoznao možda jednog od najsposobnijih majstora za "ajkule". Sećam se da je na Jahorinu išao bez problema po snegu preko 20 cm! Od njega sam naučio koliko je to čudesan i brilijantan automobil. U današnjem svetu jednoumlja, ovakva sinergija estetskog, inžinjerskog nadahnuća deluje nestvarno. Nije čudo što i dalje deluje vanzemaljski, kao i onda 1955-e, kada se pojavila na Pariskom autosajmu.
Aboleo80 Meni je mama pricala kako su se dijeca iz njene zgrade okupljala i gledala tzv. "žabu" (tako mi zovemo ovu ljepoticu) kako se podiže s tla i krece. Uvijek mi se sviđao, ali sada je prvi na listi auta iz snova! :D
I am watching this whole review for a 2nd time already. Will watch it again later, too. As a kid, I used to be driven a lot in a first gen Citroen 2CV w. the suicide doors. She was not a real French beauty, for sure. Fortunately here in Europe, in every country you can purchase all the French car brands. They have by far the best designs still. This DS is a masterpiece, and the Citroen-Maserati SM version was no slouch, either. The Citroen Clubs here in Hungary have many fine examples, like this one.
I remember this car.Whenever it was parked I would hang around to speak to the owner and they loved to talk about their Citroen with great enthusiasm .Thanks for showing this master piece .HR
Four years ago I watched this video and commented that I could never afford the car of my dreams Today I am watching this video as the proud owner of a 1972 DS special !! Took thirty years but amazingly the dream came true !!
Congratulations, that's awesome! 🙂✌🏼
I have always wanted one
Living my dream over there. Fortunately, I am only 19-years-old as of now. I have plenty of time.
Same here, I’ve watched all DS videos on YT while thinking I’d never own one myself, but an opportunity came up to buy one with a partner, it’s a 1970 DSpécial. It’s really nice to share the enthusiasm and the maintenance costs, too.
Cool!! Keep it garaged and enjoy!!!@@maartenzantinge6387
my grandpa was born in 1940 in lisbon, portugal. When he was a teenager, he would pass through a citroen dealership everyday on his way to art school. It was his favourite car. Later he became a successful architect, and he bought a fuel injected DS23, only 7 were ever sold in portugal, one of them to the dictator. He passed away last summer with lung cancer. Been smoking since he was 13. The car is still in our garage.
Please if possible keep the car as long as possible and restore it, history will thank you, oh and don’t forget to drive it every summer
In Portugal we call the DS "Boca de Sapo" (frog's mouth)
Is it for sale?
To OP. Please make sure it's in running condition. It'll be virtually priceless in the future.
80 is a very good age to reach for a smoker. I hope he enjoyed his life to the fullest.
When Jay speaks he sounds like he is not trying to convince you of anything or impress you with his knowledge, he is just wanting to share with a friend.
Well said!
His slight lisp really helps him sound like that. Makes him seem like a genuine guy.
hoodoo2001 A true enthusiast...
@@charlesgibson646 gun j
That is genuine coming from his heart.
As a 75 year old man that was one of my dream car that I wished I had and drooled over on my teen years.
Finally 60 years later my dream has come trough. Located one in Greece in pretty good shape and well kept plus it has AC and a 5 speed transmission. Happy to say that in the next 4 months will find another home in the good old USA.
I guess Jay’s video was the catalyst!
TK, Atlanta GA
Have you got it by now ? If yes, how does it feel to finally sit on your own Citroen DS ? Καλημέρα απο Ελλάδα!
You have exceptional taste. I also love the Citoën SM however the engines sucked.
Car Wizard just got one... paid 18K$ for it I think. Lots of content from him on this coming soon!
So happy for you from France. All the best and enjoy the rides! Salutations.
@@TheFrenchscot
Thank you from America.
Car is here and I love it. Plus every time I take it on the road, I become a celebrity!
A car so ahead of it's time it's unbelievable. Yes it's the most comfortable car ever built I have been in one it's like a lounge chair on wheels.
"Ever built" can be a bit of an exaggeration. I owned a Citroën C5 from 2004, that was fit with what was the latest stage on the evolution of this remarkable suspension system. Imagine all Jay Leno showed you, but in the 21st century. The suspension height adapts in real-time to the type of road and speed you are driving. You can not only lift or lower the suspension from the inside of the car, with a button near the gear lever but also from inside the rear boot (mine was a state wagon), to help you place heavy objects inside. Full panoramic glass rooftop with electrical shutter panels, fully electrically adjustable seats with massage backs, heating controls, independent fully automatic AC system, 3 modes robotized automatic gearbox with a sequential option, etc. The driver seat will vibrate when you go across to another lane without using the indicators! Plus, it was a 2.7 liter, 206 HP V6 engine with twin turbos that could easily do 160 mph. Google "Citroën c5 break 3.0 v6 exclusive" and check it out. So ... go easy on the "...most comfortable car ever built". Maybe for its time, maybe for a loooong time, but definitely not "ever".
@@emanueljmartins The beauty of English exposed.
More comfortable than my ‘63 Cadillac Coupe De Ville,which is like riding on a gigantic marshmallow? One thing this vehicle truly is? One of the ugliest ever produced,other than the AMC Gremlin.
@@redman840 Stylish, not ugly. Remember we are dealing with French design ideas and they are often bending the rules
I AGREE THE BEST RIDE I EVER HAD
As the original owner of a 1972 DS 21 Pallas, I was delighted to see your excellent video. There are a couple of features that were not mentioned that I feel are worth sharing. As the car was self leveling, the pressure in each suspension sphere was proportional to the weight over the associated wheel. When the brake bulb was depressed, it controlled the release of the pressure in each of the suspension spheres to the associated brake. Thus the braking force applied to each wheel was proportional to the weight over it. When the car was heavily loaded with passengers and luggage, the braking force increased to prevent nose diving.
That is amazing in a car that is already amazing in just about every way 🤗
You probably need to do some research, to say your not accurate would be an understatement. The spheres have a fixed amount of gas, and the only change was in hydraulic fluid going through a damping hole into the sphere which then acted on a membrane against the gas which was used as a spring, with the exception of the accumulator sphere which acts as a pressure reservoir and an anti pulse filter for the hp pump. The only car that could level cross axis is the xantia activa which used rams on of side of the ARB and a special sensor on the front ARB and steering to counter roll. The breaking was proportional to rear load as the break valve allowed pressure from the rear rams to give added force to the breaks. And for all those who remember seeing it, this is why everything up to the sx xantia (vsx exclusive and all later cars (C5/c6) were fitted with antisink) would often be seen with it's bum on the ground. Over time the break valve breaks down and leaks allowing the rear suspension to drain when parked a lot faster than the front suspension. These cars do give the best ride ever but they aren't magic and the hydropneumatic system is very simple if you understand it.
@@house89147 I'll believe the guy that can spell brakes.
@@enwri don't really care you knew what I meant and I'm dyslexic so f u
@@house89147 I guess the dyslexia can be added to your undiagnosed Asperger's then. You know your stuff but your opening sentence shows a distinct lack of social skills. Your technical nous will be better received with some manners and tact.
I live in a little tiny town in northern Wisconsin. There is one here. The elderly man who owns it was shocked when I knew vaguely what it was last summer.
He was out for the day. Coming out of the post office. True story. I love it so much and told him I would buy it whenever he was ready.
When we lived in Europe, my Dad went to Paris to buy a DS Safari. He kept saying the Citroen was ahead of its time. He loved driving it. Thanks for doing this. You've illuminated a bit of my childhood!
About 35 years ago, hitch hiking back from Munich to Hamburg, Germany, on the German Autobahn, I had the unique opportunity to ride along in a Citroen DS. It was the most impressive journey I've ever made to this day. You don't ride, you fly. The seats are so comfortable it's beyond description and the car is very well insulated against noise. Even by today's standards, I would choose a DS over many other contemporary cars - anytime. And then there is the Opel Commodore A GS/E Coupe, but that's another story...
The DS Pallas had more sound insulation than the lesser models. Can't ignore that thumping, roaring IL4 motor right there in the big housing between the footwells. Older ones' front pinion (secondary/lower) shaft bearing whining got louder and louder with mileage.
"Take a look at this ad."
*UA-cam ad about chips comes on.*
Wow what an innovative car.
Lime chips
@@technorunner1 Haha exactly
Acne medicine ad!
It was the Audi E-Tron GT for me lol😂
It showed me a nice innovative, French, grilled cheese
I am 50yrs old now, and that was one of my dream cars as a kid growing up in Lagos, Nigeria ❤.
I love how Jay talks respectfully about the DS. He gives Citroen the credit it deserves.
My dad owned two Citroens, both with the same body style as Jay's: They were a 1961 ID-19 and later, a 1969 DS-21. Dad put more than 100,000 miles on each of them. They were wonderful cars in which to ride, as well as to drive.
Dad had heard from his Citroen mechanic that even with a sudden front tire blow-out, these cars were so stable it was possible to take both hands off the steering wheel and not lose control. So, I remember once we were driving 75 mph on Interstate 5 in the Central Valley of California when Dad said, "Uh oh . . . I think we just blew a tire. I can't tell which one it is, I'm going to try it. (We were still going 70 mph). Dad took both his hands off the steering wheel, and began to brake, but the car continued its straight, rock-steady trajectory with no hint of wandering out of our lane. When we had finally pulled over and come safely to a stop at the side of the road, Dad got out of the car and found the right front tire had blown. Amazing engineering . . . not to lose control even with a blown front tire at 75 mph!
Not surprisingly, both Citroens often turned heads . . . especially when we came to a stop sign: After about a second or two, the rear end would begin to return to its normal position, and the front end would raise back to its normal position.
Because both of the Citroens were front-wheel drive, both the front and back seat floors were absolutely flat: a great convenience for carrying things on the floor. They were both exceedingly comfortable-riding cars, not only around Los Angeles, CA, but especially for our annual cross-country trips from L. A. back to the Midwest. However, because of the difficulty of parts (especially in the mountain states and Midwest) Dad did always carry a spare hydraulic pump (for the suspension/brake/steering system), should we have car trouble. We never did, though. I wish I still had Dad's DS-21. . . it was a car that was truly ahead of its time.
The ID was the discount version of the DS, which came out after the DS failed to sell a lot of units because it was very expensive. The ID had the hydropneumatic suspension, but no power steering or power brakes, and the semi-automatic transmission was not an option, and since it didn't have to drive anything but the suspension with the hydraulic pump, it did just fine with the 1.9 liter engine
Yess, this are typical stories from Citroën owners with the hidropneumatic suspension, one of the most advanced and incredible performance feature in the iconics Citroëns, but this brand it’s much more important than many people think, Citroën invented, the front wheel drive, the all terrain vehicules, the disc brakes, the Hidropneumatic suspension, the directional headlights and more!! I m gonna get a “SM” soon!
Thanks for the story Kim ! I love hearing from someone who has actually had one . Thanks Kim.
I sat on one that belonged to my classmate's dad. He raised the car after we sat along for awhile. In those days, I had no idea Citroën was ahead of its time😊
@@juancoccs You're gonna get an SM ?!! My dream. I hope you get it.
Hi Jay ..... I’m French, your video is the most beautiful declaration of love I’ve seen on this marvelous car. A big thank you for all this.
As a former owner of 5 Citroen DS, I agree with Jay. This car is very special and different. Citroen is a car that is fun to drive on a long distance trip and I enjoyed the memories of taking my 1972 D Special to Canada. There is no other car like it. Citroen DS is definitely Avant garde ( Way ahead of it's time). Wonderful car!!! Great video Jay!!!
It is still. I remember my uncle said than in a emergency braking with a caravan on the highway with full family (from 110/120 km/h), both car & caravan remain aligned ;) A secure car for sure ;) Regards from Fr. boys.
And he is right about comfortable than rols or benz ,it is ,but no one believes until they drive it.
R44h
Ask the man who owned five...
I've seen at least 2 of them around Vancouver, British Columbia. I've seen even some older models of Citroen's.
a piece of French artwork for sure! I rode in one of these as a kid, my neighbors had one. Dark green color, 2inch or more thick carpet, and the most flying carpet ride I've ever had in any vehicle. Still remember it to this day, just amazing. Floating. Not like my parent's Audi that was all bumpy over bumps.
Look at that smile of appreciation on Jay's face . You can tell he really enjoys driving this car!!!!
The future was so much better back in the 60s
First revealed at the 1955 Paris auto show. Incroyable!
Ha nicely put
I wish I had that amount of hope for the future...
The Mad Gentleman hey man the hole in The ozone me layer should be healed by 2070
I grew up in the 80-90s and the 2020 we were suppose to be driving flying cars and living on the moon.. so next year should be crazy
Jay Leno is just the perfect guy to do this kind of presentation. He has a lot of respect for smart engineering and for craftmanship - no matter what kind of vehicle is concerned and in what country it has been manufactured. The combination of knowledge, respect and humour is just great. Thank you Jay! It is a pleasure to watch these videos!
I had two of them in the seventies,and I can say that I never had more comfortable cars to drive since.And so reliable on the road,fantastic braking and steering. My best feelings in driving.
I don't think I've ever seen JL in love with any car as much as this...it oozes from his pores and yet it can't even do a burnout. Vive la France!!
i'll bet it can with the Maserati engine.
CIAO MEN , I HAVE 86 MODELS CITROEN 1:43 1:24 RALLY , PLS SUBSCRIBE .
You pronounce "DS" in French language exactly like the word "déesse" which translate to "goddess", so Jay is in love with a goddess.
@@dragosCJ thank men pls subscribe
@@ungurdani8346 can you stfu
My uncle in Italy had the top of the line model in the early 70’s and it was like something from the future, I’ll never forget it.
Jay Lenos garage is one of the few channels where one can actually learn about the vehicle pretty thoroughly.
I had a 77 DS. It was the most comfortable car I've ever driven. The only car I've had which I could drive from Melbourne to Sydney and then feel that with a cup of coffee I could get back in and drive it back again. Road holding was superb and the turning circle was beyond belief.
Hum, DS were produced until 75. At least, in France.
@@strato9223 You're quite right, mine was a 75 DS23, one of the last built. I bought it in 77. I still see it around town occasionally. It looks as though it was built this morning.
I didn't know I needed a Citroën DS until I watched this video.
CIAO MEN , I HAVE ALL CITROEN 1:43 RALLY , PLS SUBSCRIBE .
CIAO MEN , I HAVE 86 MODELS CITROEN 1:43 1:24 RALLY , PLS SUBSCRIBE ..
I m French and im 44 year old, when i was a kid my grandfather has one of these, the rising car suspension ,the shape and the feeling when on the road is something one need to experiment.
The DS is an antique. The last were produced in 1975, 46 years ago. A few ID ambulances were sold as 1976.
I pray that Citroen, someday, does another run of this car. Maybe with some modern internals (could even be electric) but with that same body. I only learned about this car, properly, about a week ago but I already think its one of the most beautiful looking cars ever made.
Being born European but raised in the U.S., it wasn't unusual for our parents to send us back to the old country for the summer. In '82 my dear old dad bought us a Citroen CX . During a drive we popped a tire doing 150+kph(roughly 90mph) on the highway. We had no clue until we stopped for fuel and notice the tire had a small tear. The Citroen's suspension was so good the car was balanced on 3 wheels with no lose of control.
I've got a CX, cracking motor, the smoothest ride ever. The only folk making hydropneumatic these days are rolls Royce and only on the top of the range
true
Didn't notice a flat? I'm glad you were not on the road near me.
once sat in a new cx gti with black and white leather seats and a cxprestige in our local dealership when they were new.never seen that quality in any car since shame about body protection.
@@paulh7589 What geektoro says is true if you were ever driving in one of these and blew a tire the car is so well tuned you will not lose control of the car the suspension system compensates so quickly with the other wheels it takes almost all weight off the damaged tire and redistributes it to the others literally the safest car you can drive from the standpoint of a blown tire!!!!
My grandfather (bless him) once used a DS of one of his clients all the way to the south of the country (Italy) to go on a seaside holiday. The funny thing is that somehow the heater got on at full power but, being a client's car, he didn't want to mess it up so he never tried to turn it off, so basically he went on vacation with the heater fully on to the south of Italy in the midst of summer. Riding in a DS in the early '70s on the Autostrada, I think that you were truly one of the kings of the road, it must have been so cool. I really like this car, I'd love to own one of these in the future. Hopefully.
Certainly wasn't very "cool" for your grandfather with that heater on lol
@@geley5285 That's for sure, but I think that he was very glad that he had to pay a small price for that level of magnificence ;)
I always heard and knew this car was different, but never realized how unique and creative the engineering was that went into this automobile!! That suspension setup actually makes so much sense….What an amazing car!!! Thanks Jay!😎👍
Citroen DS 21 has been my favourite since I was a child (born in 1955 like myself). Top legend till now, the most iconic car of all times.
When introduced in 1955 the DS Citroen was very innovative and way ahead of its time. It’s biggest problem was the extensive use of hydraulics making it expensive to maintain. I traveled hundreds of miles on dirt roads in Africa in early 1960’s and the car would just glide along as if riding a magic carpet. A really fine car.
Citroen never would seal the hydraulic system reservoir. As the fluid level fell and rose, moisture and oxygen along with dust is sucked through the vent hole in the reservoir cap. The cars from 1954 until 1967 used brake fluid Liquide Hydraulique Vegetale (castor bean oil and methanol), Liquide Hydraulique Synthetique (basically DOT3 brake fluid) and LHS2 (improved lubricity), 1969 in the USA. The later cars used LHM (Liquide Hydraulique Mineral), very similar to ATF, hydraulic jack oil, Red Oil (used in older airplane landing gear struts and many industrial machines), except dyed green.
@@algrayson8965 wow you know yer stuff. Tres bien dits.
Hi. ,Thank you for sharing 👌.
@@music-hx5lf by⁰b b
@@algrayson8965 no
It's great how Jay describes and shows the car. Makes you feel like you're on a Sunday afternoon cruise with him.
Whatever the car he's road testing, he makes us all want to by one! So addictive!
I just adore this guy and all the positive stuff he has to say. Anything I’ve read about him has been pleasant, his show was good, he’s a car guy, and he finds things to appreciate in everything.
Mr. Leno I would like to congratulate you on the show and the way you are presenting. I simply adored your impartiality in the whole episode. Usually car shows in different countries tend to promote the "local production", but you sir, you give credit when credit is due no matter where the car comes from.
I always thought: if there is one car they need to remake to the current specifications, it's this one! It's so against mainstream; I love it!
I had a '71 DS 21 in 1976. It was the finest car I ever owned!
If they can do the GT40, they can do this.
citroens latest DS5 was inspired by this
@@minoassal I didn't know that. Sadly it didn't trigger that link, seeing often the DS5's....
One of the best modifications for a DS is an all electric drivetrain - even a weak electric motor moves this thing well because of it's low weight and great aerodynamics. It also becomes dead quiet with an electric motor since the suspension doesn't squeak like metal springs would.
We used our 1968 id 19 when my mother got very ill. We drove over 800 km (500 miles) in one go averaging 140+ km/h (87 mp/h) and it didn't even think about breaking down. One hell of a car.
Hi, I'm from Europe, Belgium, Holland and France. I've driven this car in Europe, it was so well adapted to the French roads and the "Péage" Motorways. You didn't feel the bumps of the old rfrench country roads, you weren't driving you were floating, and on the motorway it was just "flying". It takes a while in the morning to build up hydraulic pressure, no problem, you needed a cup of coffee anyway, cause it was so comfortable. Without the hydraulic pressure the DS just doesn't allow you to drive away. I was brought to boarding-school in this car every monday by a Bank Director, and picked up every Friday at the bank. Amazing how we could have a fantastic conversation in the car, and the "safety feeling" just incredible. I would like to thank you so much for putting the best car ever on the Internet. Normally I don't watch items on YT, but Jay Leno's Garage has got my full attention now. Later on whe had the DX a modern dark blue son of the DS, with the hydraulic system, it was floating on the roads like a battle ship, one single wiper, which was a hype then, de-icing in one minute. Ater boarding school I got so tired that, and felt so safe, I was like sleeping in my living room, so silent and comfortable. I heard of Jay from the shows, but never followed or watched it, now I discovered his Garage, Imust admit I respect the incredible knowledge, history, tutorship and mechanical insight of Jay. Keep it running Jay! Kind Regards from Spain (Mallorca). You got a good fan here!
A relief that Leno, unlike many comedians, does not always try to be funny. I like his nerdy side.
That is the key to lenos success. He is a nerdy guy like most of us..
He is a nerd just like me as I too worked on these cars in a shop in Houston(1970-75mostly SMs) while in between jobs managing pizza huts I always looked forward to getting to work on these so I could do the post work checkout drive while the ‘other’ “kid” mechanics wanted to work on the mustangs and the chevy’s Cameos RS everyone thought I was a nut case or a French sympathizer my French was and still is as bad as J’s spoken “French” it wan’t the vocabulary for me but I never got the but my pronunciations were wrong 90% of the time as confused as I was I realizes now that my pronouncitions were actually not that bad it was the tense and gender that I kept getting messed up on even-after studying the language for 4 years in college in my last year “orals” I truly wanted to fly to France on the concord to experience that too and take an emersion language course- but it simply didn’t happen...Interesting enough the D3 was reintroduced but in a limited number of global markets, like in tijuanna Mexico in the 1990’s $70KUSD one could buy a new SM but you couldn’t cross the boarder with the car especially into California! Most French car manufacturers pulled out of the US market due to the costs associated with getting an import licensing done was excessive except for Renault sold as the Nissan Maxima built in Japan is really an SM but without all the good stuff that makes it an SM or a French car. 10 years ago I was a stoaway on a trip to France for my fiftieth birthday and SMS ere seen everywhere one I noticed on the autobahn between strausburg FR and Wiesbaden I was driving a CC 6-speed 2.0 Diesel engine before this car was brought into the US by VW more than a year later it had no model name badge then finally it was called the ‘cc’ Car and driver said it’s styling looked like a SS helmet but it looked more like a tank like the ones shown on the bridge signs displaying how many tanks can cross the bridge at one time and which way the each tank can be going to do so... anyway I noticed the SM was yawing along at speed bouncy bouncy up and down nose pitch o the suspension system was no longer analog controlled by somehow digitally done but chasing it’s bounce or perhaps the aerodynamics was causing a ‘flutter’ in the suspension that was causing it to over react! Not sure but still would hav loved to drive the new one... which looked more like the Nissan maximum than a SM...
He doesn't need to try, he is naturally funny.
Well, that's the thing. He isn't exactly funny
he never was. good car guy though
Thank you so much for the memories. My dad bought a Citroen exactly like that in 1971. Living in Quebec the winter was really bad. I remember a trip up north in the province where everybody was stuck in the snow an waiting on side of the road for snowplow. My dad just raise the suspension an then we where the only one who could ride in this wheather . We could hear people yelling at us :)
Except that not riding high enough is almost never the reason that cars get stuck, go off the road, or cannot go on. If the snow is so deep that the average cars underbelly is touching it, then it's already too deep for most cars to travel though without 4WD and/or tire chains. Most cars get stuck or have to pull over long, long before the snow is anywhere near deep enough to bog a car down in it. If you were traveling while others were pulled over, it's almost certainly because you had front-wheel drive, and probably better tires or chains, while 99% of cars were still RWD in 1971. FWD is more controllable and puts the weight of the engine over the drive wheels. VW Beetles were good in the snow for the same reason, excpet being rear-engine as well as RWD, once you DID start to skid it was very difficult to recover. Point is, you traveled while others were stopped due to the FWD, not due to the suspension being able to raise. That probably helped very little.
@@kelharper7971 I had a French made Simca Bertone fast back in '64. It had a rear engine like the VW, so I could drive straight in 2 ft of snow with the light front end planing over the snow and the heavier rear tires diggen' in. It also got fifty mpg 40 yrs before hybrids. Makes me a believer that the oil companies own the auto industry. 🤑🤑🤑
@@kelharper7971 What you said is true but I know with experience (52 years driving in those conditions) that a raised body configuration was a definite help. It's not so much the fact that there would be an even high amount of snow on a road but that you would encounter a snow drift, your car would then lose it's momentum and be bogged down with it's underbelly jacked up. With less weight on the wheels, even under the engine, the tires would not have enough traction to pull the car out from a standing position. Radial tires, not in use at that time on american models, were also part of the deal.
A friend had one of these in the early 70's and it
always amazed me how smooth it rode and how thick
and plush the carpeting and padding under it was.
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My friend in high school, Mike Curtis, drove Citroen’s. His dad operated a repair shop for Citroen’s. Mike drove a Citroen to a Van Halen concert at the Cow Palace and was looking for a parking spot. He found one but some left several cases of empty beer bottles in the parking spot. There were some people nearby watching him park into the spot. He used the hydraulic suspension to raise the car and pull in over the bottles. Then he lowered the suspension and had the wheels off the ground until the bottles broke. He got quite the laughter from that. Mike was always a crazy individual and I still remember this story of his to this day! Seeing this video reminded me about Mike and the various Citroen’s he would drive.
I love everything with this car, showing clearly how today’s industry doesn’t care about users or customers but profits
Too many regulations regarding safety and efficiency will constrain designers way beyond their capacity to make new and interesting things.
CIAO MEN , I HAVE ALL CITROEN DS 1:43 RALLY , PLS SUBSCRIBE .
André Citroën the founder was saying "once an idea is good, the price doesn't matter", and after he died, the Michelin company, main owner Citroën, which was totally agreeing with this philosophy, continued to path the way in the same direction. Unfortunately, they invested so much money in developing the Wankel rotary engine in the 70's, meanwhile the petrol crisis arrived and they abandoned it. Then Peugeot , with a little help from the French Republic bought Citroën. Until the beginning of the 2000's, Peugeot (PSA Group) let Citroën did Citroën things, but nowadays, Citroëns are just sort of different Peugeot's. Let see in the future how it will be because Citroën released 2 years ago a totally new suspension with 20 new international patents. And the DS brand which is the luxurious Citroën brand will perhaps let us discover new innovations. Future will tell.
@@wowtomobile9898 even before the 2000s, Peugeot got their hands into Citroën to make them build more mainstream cars. They forbid Citroën to redesign the CX, and when they did in secret the Citroën designers were let go and replaced by Peugeot designers.
Did Citroën still make impressive cars? Of course. The C6 I own is a true marvel of Citroën engineering. But Peugeot influence was felt immediatly after they aquired Citroën.
The worst thing Peugeot did is letting the SM die completely instead of letting Citroën safe it. The SM is the most beautiful car ever made imo.
My dad had a Citroen XM years ago. To this day it is the best riding car we ever had, and on the outside it looked like a spaceship.
The XM, incidentially, is the most unreliable car ever sold under the Citroën name (and the most unreliable car PSA has ever made throughout the entire combined history of Peugeot-Citroën-Talbot). They were notorious for electrical failures, and in some cases even caught fire. For the XM they innovated on the hydropneumatic suspension with electronic leveling sensors and an extra sphere that allowed it to switch between hard and soft suspension depending on the quality of the road, but thanks to that fancy suspension combined with the unreliable electrical system, many of them ended up having suspension failures where the car would slouch to the one side or constantly wobbled back and forth when stopped on a hill because it kept trying to level the car out. They were great cars when they worked properly, but the problems were so widespread that they reworked the whole suspension system to make it more reliable and dealers had to swap out parts for the more reliable versions whenever the cars came in for the regular service. They never attempted that version of the system again, and for the C5 they went back to the old tried and true system
@@thesteelrodent1796 His suspension did fail once, the car just layed on the ground, haha.
warms the soul to watch Jay fully enjoy any one of his rides
Anyone landed here after Tyler bought the ID? My god, what a gorgeous car! Thanks for the awesome review, Jay!
My father had a CX station (Familiale or Break they called it) in the 80's. We were a family of 6 children. We fitted all eight in it! In the summer we went all the way from The Netherlands to Portugal in that car. I was in love with that thing.
A friend of mine used to have a Citroën DS which he used as a daily driver. When he sold it had 1.5 million kilometres on the clock! All with the first engine.
How the hell did you get verified?
Haha that's what I'm wondering
Although I don't think Citroen had a US importer, a number of people imported them over the years until the emissions and safety regulations in this country became too hard to meet. I knew three people who owned both ID 19 and DS 21 models. There was a citroen specialist shop in Santa Cruz so owning them in the bay area wasn't impossible. I did some work on a couple, they are actually simple and not hard to care for. The hydraulic system is very well designed and everything is serviceable and repairable so long as you can source the parts. Was absolutely amazed how comfortable these, and French cars in general, actually are.
Nirodim [ROAD TO 500] interesting
Nirodim [ROAD TO 500] chicascalientess
I think this is the episode where Jay is the most enthusiastic about a car !
A car guy’s car guy. Shows the love and does his research.
My grand father had one in England back in the late 1960s. My brothers and I would badger him to put the suspension up and down as we were totally mesmerised. A fantastic car, thanks for a great video Jay.
as a kid these cars were like magic to me :)
our neighbour use to drive one and i remember hanging out near that car so we would get to see it go up before it drove away.
I've always admired this car's style, but I had no idea it included all these innovative features. Thanks, Jay!
Love these cars. Would love to see them make them again. I have a friend whose father had an SM and when he passed away his son inherited the car and he still has it.
I love how Mr. Leno is so enthusiastic about cars, and how he genuinly wants to share with us his cars and knowledge about them. Thank you Mr. Leno.
Absolutely wonderful, Jay this is your vocation, that TV show thing, nothing in comparison to your ability to convey the love of cars and the engines and mechanical aspects all in one. splendid
But of course.
Thanks - this is one of the cars I asked for in the comments on the 1,000,000 subscribers video. Cheers Jay.
Me too...
Evan J
It's just so cool isn't it? - I've been watching his videos for a while now, and every now and then I could see this in the background.
ME TOO!!! OMFG!!!! i Saied i wanted to see french cars especially Citroen or Renault! He read our comments!
Me too. Truly innovative and different. I drive a Xantia every day :)
A R12 or R8 Gordini
Love that you used the actual music from the Ds "headlight" commercial.
True petrolhead
Don't u mean gasoline????
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Revisiting the video one year later, becoming enthroled once again by Jay's narrative.
A fabulous Car, a Fantastic Host.
Harvard should hire you -- your teaching skills are amazingl
Has long been my dream car. Having just ticked over 50, I don't know that I will ever be in a position to have one in the garage - it's nice to keep the dream alive.
Wow! What a masterpiece of engineering! It looks like the ultimate car.
For me the most beautiful Car in the world, thank you!!!
My five year old son loves this episode. Thanks Jay and everyone at Bigdog Garage.
I've always loved these cars. We had a dealership close to my home. I knew that it was special back in 1968-69. I couldn't convince my parents that we needed one.
Possibly the most beautiful car ever made. And the innovations for 1955 - disc brakes, inboard discs on front to reduce unsprung weight, hydraulic system for suspension, brakes, steering and gearbox for clutchless gear changes.
I drove hydropneumatic Citroens for nearly 30 years; if you put heavy loads in the boot, the car sank down at the rear but as soon as the engine started, it levelled itself...magic.
The last one, a C5 mark 1, had computer controlled suspension with sports mode and virtually flat cornering - was like running on rails.
Still don't understand why Citroen abandoned this suspension or the swivelling lights.
Great video and commentary! Thank you.
The DS/ID always had drum brakes in the rear. The station wagon (“break”) had wider and finned drums with larger bore cylinders. Only the SM, which was based upon the DS, had rear disc brakes on modified DS suspension swing arms.
The hydropneumatic suspension was not cost-effective. The extreme precision of many of the components, the blocs (“spheres”) added up to higher cost of manufacture. The market was not willing to pay extra as roads were greatly improved from the bombed, rutted roads following WWII. Conventional steel spring suspension had advanced greatly as well.
@@algrayson8965 thanks for the correction. Have amended my comment. My hydraulically sprung cars had discs all round (BX to C5). I now have steel sprung cars which have good suspension, but every so often on a piece of rough or badly cambered road, I get reminded that it is not quite a match to the old hydraulics!
beutiful? A 59 cadillac is beutiful, this i dont even have a word for, the design is not for everyone.
@@chevyguy1422 Nice comment but a 59 Cadillac is too OTT for me!
@@chevyguy1422 The Citroën D series and SM were designed as aircraft. Automobiles are primarily aircraft as at speeds above 40-45 mph aerodynamic drag becomes the consumer of the majority of energy consumed by moving the car. A ’59 Cadillac Sedan or Coupe DeVille is about as aerodynamic as a storage building on a trailer.
My Dad had a ’55 Cadillac Fleetwood limo for a while. He had a ’71 Sedan DeVille, a ’66 Sedan DeVille, which I drove for a couple of years until a car driving at night without lights totaled it. I had a ’68 Sedan DeVille w/black leather. The 472 motor died from the chronic valve train problem. I had a ’76 Sedan DeVille that had the 500 in³ motor with Bosch D-Jetronic EFI. Its injectors kept springing leaks, so I found Nippondenso injectors that had the same specs but they had barbed fuel connections that I turned down to fit the Cadillac fuel rail. So I am familiar with Cadillacs, thank you.
I thought that they were all ugly. However I don't choose cars for their styling. I really don't care about what a car looks like, within limits.
Thank you so much for this great presentation. I totally agree with you. Citroen DS is just a fantastic car. My dad always had one DS when I was young. The last one was a DS 23 Pallas Electronic injection. The confort is so different from other cars. We also had the cases designed to fit the trunk. This was a very difficult moment for me and my sister when dad decided to sell it. We had no place to park it and I really regret. Hopefully, Citroen always kept innovation and confort effort in all its cars. My Citroën Picasso, which is very confortable, very quiet, takes some innovations from the DS. For exemple, it has turning lights with the wheels. The gearbox selector is just over the steering wheel. It also has new stuffs. The center of the steering wheel doesn't turn with the steering wheel (I really like this). The gearbox is like a hybrid automatic/manual with an hydrolic system which passes gears for you. This last decade, Citroen and Peugeot restarted to build really great cars (just look at the e-legend concept from the Peugeot 504). This is very nice. Please, keep having true pleasure with your beautifull DS and don't hesitate to share photos and videos on it (your car is really in exceptionnal conditions). Kind regards from Paris.
The way J talks about cars is more seductive than anything else a person could ever experiance. I respect a man who truly has a passion and projects that in his presentation.
This was fantastic. My grandparents were French and as I kid, I spent a lot of summers with them. This was my grandfathers car... I remember going from Orleans to St Gilles Croix de Vie in this car (not a short ride). I was too young to drive it, but I remember how smooth the ride was, and that was the early 70's. My Pepere loved this car, and this brought me down memory lane. Thank you!!!!
+Monique V vous parlez encore français ? quand j'étais jeune j'ai connu un enfant qui vivait aux usa et venait en france revoir sa famille pendant les vacances . Il rigolait en voyant nos petites voitures en france.
+stephen10 Je parle francais encore...Je commencé à venir en France au début des années 1970
when did they stop being french?
Even on the video you can feel the extreme flexibility of the suspension, the comfort of the seats and the impressive silence of this car!
On the other hand, those who are prone to seasickness, this car is not for you, because in the rear seats you will need to bring a bag in case of discomfort, that's why some people loved Citroën and its suspensions while others preferred harder suspensions!
It's the perfect car for long trips on highways and also to drive on mountain roads, because its handling is legendary!
Its exterior and interior design are timeless, it is a true work of art, the reflection of an era, just like art deco!
Citroën has always been ahead of its time, as much by its engineering as by its design, a great national pride for this company!
(From the UK) I had a 'Powder Blue' DS19 early 60's and loved it to bits, one feature I don't think you mentioned was that the front seats folded back perfectly flat, to make a very comfortable double bed. The one I had was upholstered in Velour Material. Did many miles in Europe in it. Found the maximum height setting useful a couple of times going through floods that no other car could have managed.
Gosh! Nostalgia feeling with this car. This car reminded me of my upbringing in South Eastern Nigeria in the early 70s, as my father drove one in navy blue with a white roof and shining chrome wheels. This car was technologically advanced for its day. It used to turn heads whenever my father dropped me off at my boarding school, with the wheels folding in when stopped and packed, the turning headlamp, the air conditioning, which was unheard of at the time, and the semi-automatic transmission. Also had the cassette cartridge as part of the radio system (a significant invention at the time before the cassette tape). The most comfy car ever, with seats so plush and soft that it feels like you're lounging on a sofa.
My Papa adored French cars, particularly Citroen and Peugeot, whereas his colleagues drove Mercedes as their luxury vehicles. He drove a Peugeot 204, x2 404 (white salon and a red family 7-seater station wagon), 504 GL, 505 SL, and 605 GL. The Citroen DS, however, was reserved for special occasions. LOL.
I think it's a cool car. The removable fender reminds me of how you access the spare tire on some Vespa scooters. Certainly Jay has some vintage Vespas he can show off?? Italian engineering is as oddball and unique as French engineering.
Cool seeing you here. Huge fan of your videos
thanks Sam!
***** I, too, am a fan of TAOFLUGELHORN.
Maybe Jake Lennon and me can do a collab video together sometime!
***** was just watching one of your videos this morning :)
Hello Jay. I served my 4 year apprenticeship in Aberdeen, Scotland with a C&G scholarship. Most of that was based around the DS. A true innovation. Rolls Royce still to this day use the same Citroen branded green accumulators as this car has.
Just watched this video again as I have a love for Citroens as well as Jay Leno's enthusiasm for cars. . The "bongos" in the commercial that demos the lights were actually a Gretsch Jazz drum set, played by the great Art Blakey with his band The Jazz Messengers.
I knew it was a drum set (snares were turned off on the snare drum and was riffing between that and the upper tom tom), but didn't realize it was Art Blakey. Thanks for sharing that factoid. What was the name of the song? I've been trying to find the solo, but haven't been successful.
Yea me too
so Jay, I loved your video, firstly because I am French, my father drove a DS and I worked as an artistic director on the Citroen budget. Everything is great in your video, the only downside of the DS is its engine which is a little anemic, but if not yes this car is a myth, and Citroen has created at least 4, the traction, the DS, the 2CV and the SM. You had the idea of putting in line two advertising spots, the creator of these advertisements was an artistic director named Robert Delpire, believe me he was not on acid but very inspired, like the brilliant André Citroen
I'm heartbroken that we sold my dad's Citroen, but I'm delighted that Jay has taken such good care of it. If I had kept it, it would have been a survivor. In Jay's hands, it thrives. Maybe someday I'll find another....
This was your father’s car previously?
Hi, Philippe! This is Will's son. I was wondering if anyone in our family had commented on this video, and here you are! I sent this video to Will back in 2015, but I don't know if he ever saw it - he said his computer at the time was not able to watch UA-cam videos. I think I'll send it again to be sure he sees it. The old Citroen certainly looks happy now! I just wish Jay had kept the "We think your car looks funny too" license plate frame...
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@@compu85 Yes it was. Dad bought it new in France. We drove it around France for the summer, and then brought it back. Dad drove it for many years.
This is just wonderful - I love the detailed description and the history!
My dearest childhood friend studied in France on two occasions, at Grenoble and then Sorbonne. In Grenoble she and her friends would frequently hitch rides, and she says they were always so excited when a DS would stop to give them a ride.
When I lived in London, Ontario in the mid '70s, a friend ran an independent dealership that sold BMW, Alpha and the occasional Citroën SM. He went on and on about the SM. Sadly, I never had the opportunity to ride in one. When I win the lottery I will have one of each!
What a beautiful car...
One of the most iconic cars of all time.
Still in love with it after seeing it in 1985, it belonged to my school pal's dad
Dad (in the Army Stationed in Germany) and I went to the Citroen factory Paris in 1962 and picked up a new DS 19 Wagon. Brought it back to the states in 63' No one had ever seen anything like it. Radial Tires no one had ever seen before (hey buddy your tires are flat) Dad would work the suspension up and down and people freaked out (first low rider). Later he had a DS 21.Had front axel problems didn't spend much time on the road, took six months to get the parts. Otherwise a Beautiful. Wish had one today. I do still have the original Citroen key fob. Also saw a 2CV for sale the other day, I want.
Lovely car. I was lucky enough to own a DS21 some years ago and loved every moment of driving and just admiring it. Mine was sky blue with a white roof - just epic.
Jay's DS has one of the coolest interior and exterior colors. Love the deep red body with ivory colored roof which is mirrored in the interior.
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Having spent much of the 50s and 60s being driven around France by my parents, I can assure you that the roads were terrible. That's why that period of french cars had interesting and innovative suspensions. Now the roads are brilliant and the cars are dull! C'est la vie.
Now French cars ride the best on Indias bumpy roads. Your innovations are not going to waste!!😆
Is that why ??? almost every French car advertising has a fresh ploughed field (something my grandma used to do on a gravel dirt side Service road with her bright brilliant red Cadillac Cooper DeVill as a young child to check on my grampa doing field work ) as the back drop or by a pond doing a picnic and most Italian ones from the same time frame are with the sea side windy Mountain Road like it’s some bond or F&F film it’s cool looking but driving a 60’s dodge most of the time I don’t do it or see the sea the Americans and German ones are ether on a empty hyway or suburbia or down town NYC aka big city were I don’t really like driving my dodge as it doesn’t fit and park as easily as say a Austin mini 1000 and it’s common to see some hot chick being flirty mostly naked or at least suggestive and or doing at least one burnout and or tire squealing and so far that’s funny because I’ve never had any “ hot single girls” with me and only squealed the back couple of times ish trying to not get ran off the road or t-boned or locked up the brakes for the same reasons
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I live in S.W. corner of Indiana, the roads and streets are always terrible due to our widely changing weather in the seasons, hot humid summers and then wet, very cold winters. Then many huge heavy trucks and industrial vehicles smashing the roads to pieces constantly.
They fix a road and it doesnt stay nice for long.
I needed one of these cars here. Lol. I had no idea about that unique suspension system. I have never heard anyone explain it before.
@@richardprice5978 Peugeots are known for supple suspensions but they don't compare to hydraulique Citroëns. Peugeot did use the Citroën hydropneumatic suspension on the rear of a station wagon in the 1970s.
Thanks for the memories. Many morning spent on the autobahn driving to base and never lost a drop of coffee, lol
"The ride quality of Citroens were so impressive that Rolls-Royce licensed the hydropneumatic system."
that hydropneumatic suspension is the reason why it's better to speed up at speed bumps in a ds lol
you could do 80 km/h on a speed bump and hardly feel a thing
@@edbo10 Had Citroen BX once, When airborne through doing 60mph/100kmh or more over a hump in the road, it would self level while in the air for a second! and bounce alot upon landing, not ideal for Rallying ;)
@@punto182 self level in the air because you can't spill your passenger's drink lol
I had a 1989 BX it was great, yes it wasn't fast but it was a 1.9 diesel (no turbo) and I loved it that engine would go on forever. They are pretty much classics now, I wish I still had it.
@@nothingsurprisesmeanymore After the GSA 1.3 petrol we used to have BX facelift 1.6 TRS (96 BHP) version 1st registerd in January 1988 sadly no aircon but what a car! I miss it. One of my uncles had back in the 90`s 2 ZXs one was 1.9D (70 BHP i think) and later on newer ZX with 1.9TD (90 BHP). Also great cars etc. So I know what you`re talking about. Back in 2019 at one Citroën dealer an elderly gentelman brought Xantia 1.9TD (90 BHP) with 750 000km on the clock for regular maintenance! That was really bullet proof engine!
My absolute favourite episode . These Citroën were reserved for the creme de la creme in the "Little Paris" ( Bucharest),back in the day. Used to see them being a kid in Bucharest.
My father had a '72 (I suppose, considering it had A/C) and it was the BEST. His was a sable/grey colour, single tone. It had a Blaupunkt radio and rich light brown leather seats, rather fuller than in Jay's car. I suspect we had a deluxe model. And we had it in Canada, so the smaller front headlamps would indeed follow the steering wheel. To this day, we reminisce more about this car, the DS than any other.
By the way the 'DS' designation is a pun of sorts; in French "DS" is pronounced "DAY-ESS" which in turns means DEESSE - "Goddess" or as Jay said "Nicknamed the Goddess". (The first E should have an accent acute over it)
I loved my 1971 DS21 had it when I was stationed in Germany. It is more comfortable then my Lexus LS. Thanks Jay for a trip down memory lane. I drove all over Germany, Switzerland and Italy …what a great ride. No speed limit on the autobahn in many areas of Germany.
My all time favourite automobile. In my opinion, the most beautiful. Probably the only car I desire.
Jorge Morillo I would say the 61 Jag E type is the true beautiful, but this look nice too!
Thank you for a fascinating look into a little understood and much maligned car. By myself, for one. I now have a newfound appreciation for the car. Thanks much, Jay Leno.
One of my all time favourite cars! Jay has good taste and his car knowledge is second to none.
Jay, oh Jay!!! Your DS is to die for!!! She is a beauty, with this perfect leather upholstery, the rear shades, the double round headlights and this deep red body paint. Plus, you look great driving her! As a French youngster growing up in the 70s, I still remember to this day the ride in my grandfather's black DS with red vinyle uphostery to this day. It was completely surreal, I found myself lost on a cloud as a young kid. This memory has remained with me to this very day. And I love your sense of humour, lightly mocking our accent and using extracts from the popular, hugely successful "La Grande Vadrouille" movie. Thanks so much for all your love for cars.
My grandparents had one of these cars back in the early 70s. My sister and I used to call it the marshmallow mobile. It was luxurious and very comfortable. We loved when it would rise up after the car started, it was like an amusement park ride. Very cool. Thanks Jay for your great videos.
The most comfortable car ever built. My dad had one. I learned to drive in this car. It was actually my first car followed by a audi quatro which was a wild change from this but to this day, my dad regretted selling the car. 94 and still driving, go dad. 👍🏻
Thanks for this pleasant report on this fantastic car I have always dreamed to own. As I'm French I could find one in France but there are not cheap if in good shape and, as I'm retired now unfortunately, I cannot afford anymore to buy one. Anyway, just some clarifications since I know that from an American perspective, all what is French is basically weird but there are sometimes some reasons:
1. The car was designed with this revolutionary suspension for comfort and road holding, not because the French roads were bad. Well, they were not that smooth at the time for sure but not worse than in the neighbouring countries. Moreover no other French manufacturer (Renault, Peugeot, Panhard ...) tried to develop a specific suspension, whatever were the road conditions.
2. The mirror is not down "because it's French" (btw it's the only car with this design) but because the back window is lower than the windshield so if it was in its usual place, the driver couldn't see what's behind. As simple as that.
3. "Being French you gotta have a cigarette lighter". Thank you for the compliment but ... no: there have always been a cigarette lighter and an ashtray on all European cars since decades. Personally I have a 6 years old VW Golf right now and it's fitted with a cigarette lighter as well, even if almost nobody smokes in cars nowadays. Anyway I can remove the lighter and replace it on demand by anything like a mobile GPS or a phone charger or whatever.
Greetings from France
I had a '59 Plymouth Fury with a dash-mounted mirror, and rectangular steering wheel. Engine was a 383 Chrysler with pushbutton automatic transmission -- the car was a sled, back when I was 18 years old. With gasoline at 39¢/gallon...what else is there?
@@larrymiller4 Thanks for your clarification: regarding the mirror I was referring to European cars, which indeed I didn't clearly specify. I confess that, as most of Europeans, I know absolutely nothing about American cars. Except some collectors (very few) interested in classic cars, there are no American cars on our roads ...
Love Jay’s presentation….like ambling next door and talking with your neighbor!
The richest family in our neighborhood had one of these, with the double head lights. The DS was expensive. Thanks Jay for telling us more about this car. I have seen many of them in my youth, but I never got the chance to sit in one.
This was a dream car in my childhood back in the 70's. A real beauty.
Thank you Jay for this video. You are right in all you say about the fabulous Citroen DS. I had a "Safari" DS23 back in the 1980s, probably the nicest car I have ever owned. The DS is probably the best car in the world just to go out for a leisurely, comfortable and gracious drive. If you ever get offered one with the semi-automatic transmission grab it - that system is something else!
This is a fantastic video that I truly appreciate, thank you so much for sharing it with us. Your insights on the DS and CX Pallas are spot-on, and I completely agree with your observations about their uniqueness, comfort, and unmistakable French character. I had the pleasure of owning a DS for a brief period, and it left a lasting impression on me. Later on, I had the opportunity to drive a CX Pallas for an extended period, and it has remained one of my all-time favorite vehicles. In a world where many car manufacturers prioritize performance over comfort, these Citroens stand out as true gems, providing a smooth and serene driving experience that's more akin to riding in a limousine than a car. After driving rough roads in other high-performance cars with stiff suspension, I can't help but appreciate the joy of gliding along in these Citroens. It's a shame that the French seem to have lost some confidence in their products, but I still believe that they make some of the best cars in the world. Vive la France!
My dream-car when I was a child growing up in Yugoslavia. There were few of them in the town where I lived and I was mesmerized by them every time they would pass by. Not long ago I had a dream I bought one of these but it was in a very bad shape and I was still so happy about it. Unfortunately I had to wake up...
Ja sad u Americi zivim tako da nisam vidio ni jednog vec 20+ godina a i dalje mi je jedno od najdrazih auta ikad.
Osamdesetih sam radio u Sarajevu i upoznao možda jednog od najsposobnijih majstora za "ajkule". Sećam se da je na Jahorinu išao bez problema po snegu preko 20 cm! Od njega sam naučio koliko je to čudesan i brilijantan automobil. U današnjem svetu jednoumlja, ovakva sinergija estetskog, inžinjerskog nadahnuća deluje nestvarno. Nije čudo što i dalje deluje vanzemaljski, kao i onda 1955-e, kada se pojavila na Pariskom autosajmu.
Aboleo80 Meni je mama pricala kako su se dijeca iz njene zgrade okupljala i gledala tzv. "žabu" (tako mi zovemo ovu ljepoticu) kako se podiže s tla i krece. Uvijek mi se sviđao, ali sada je prvi na listi auta iz snova! :D
Abo
Pozdrav iz Slovenije:
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I am watching this whole review for a 2nd time already. Will watch it again later, too. As a kid, I used to be driven a lot in a first gen Citroen 2CV w. the suicide doors. She was not a real French beauty, for sure. Fortunately here in Europe, in every country you can purchase all the French car brands. They have by far the best designs still. This DS is a masterpiece, and the Citroen-Maserati SM version was no slouch, either. The Citroen Clubs here in Hungary have many fine examples, like this one.
My favorite. Its a paradise car. I tried it, there is no comparison to any other car.
I remember this car.Whenever it was parked I would hang around to speak to the owner and they loved to talk about their Citroen with great enthusiasm .Thanks for showing this master piece .HR