The Citroen DS (AKA the coolest car ever made) was a technological marvel. Launched way back in the mid-’50s, the DS was fitted with a clutchless gearbox, front-wheel-drive, cornering headlights, disc brakes, power steering, and – most amazingly – fully height adjustable, self-levelling hydropneumatic suspension that gave it an unfathomably incredible ride. The only way to improve upon it would be to literally float.
Cue Sergio Batista, whose cyberpunk Citroen DS (in Portuguese taxi livery) literally floats. Wonderful detailing and a beautifully recognisable shape make Sergio’s cyberpunk Citroen hovercar one of the coolest small scale cars we’ve ever featured. But of course it is, it’s a Citroen DS. Head to Sergio’s photostream to hail a hydropneumatic hovertaxi.
We don’t know what a French ghost looks like (it’d probably be smoking, with an attractive accent, and a penchant for striped jumpers), but we do know that if the Ghostbusters were French they’d probably drive this. Well, according to Tobias Munzert anyway.
This rather lovely Citroen DS is constructed solely from the pieces found within the official LEGO 10274 Ghostbusters Ecto-1 set, and it’s looks perfect for hunting down some gallic ghouls.
Building instructions are available and there’s more to see of this apparition-busting alternate at Tobias’ photostream. Click the link above to taaaake a loooook (in a ghost voice).
We’re not sure what ‘DS’ stands for these days, as Stellantis (what?) seems be using the brand solely in an attempt to charge 50% more for some extra chrome attached to decidedly average Citroens.
‘Deeply Cynical’? Wait, that’s not an ‘S’. ‘Dollar Signs’ perhaps? ‘Devoid of Substance’? Whatever it is, it isn’t working.
However a long time ago Citroen did used to produce the world’s best luxury cars, leading the way with hugely advanced technology, styling, and comfort.
This is one such car, the magnificent 1950s-1960s DS19, a car with front-wheel drive, hydro-pneumatic self-levelling suspension (with variable ride-height), power steering, a clutch-less gearbox, and disc brakes. All in 1955.
This beautifully presented Speed Champions recreation of the DS19 comes from Jonathan Elliott of Flickr, who has replicated the iconic French design wonderfully, even tapering the bodywork from 7 to 6 studs wide along the model’s length.
Jump to ’50s French luxury via the link above, and for comparison you can find one of DS’s current offerings here, where you can mutter dejectedly at it. Because they’re Depressingly Sardonic. Ah, that’s it!
The animals are finally leaving the farm! We’re not sure it’s for a holiday though…
Still, this is the 1960s, so at least cruel and intensive meat production isn’t really a thing yet. Arian Janssens is the builder behind this rather lovely DAF A 1900 DS truck and trailer combo and there more to see on Flickr. Click the link above to join us for a medium sirloin.
DS. The answer to the question ‘I’d like to buy a Citroen, but can I pay more money for one?’ which literally no-one has asked ever. Citroen’s modern reinvention of the DS nameplate, which is now a stand-alone brand, is – frankly – complete bollocks. But it wasn’t always like that.
This is the Citroen DS19, launched in the mid-1950s it looked like nothing else on earth, and it is very probably the car that was, and always will be, farthest ahead of its time.
With headlights that swivelled with the front wheels, disc brakes, a clutch-less automatic transmission, power steering, and incredible hydro-pneumatic self-levelling independent suspension, the DS19 was a technological marvel.
To build one in small-scale Technic therefore, is not an easy feat. However previous bloggee Anto of Eurobricks has done just that, and his little Technic DS looks as wonderfully, unfathomably, complicated as the real thing.
Squeezed inside the reasonable Technic approximation of the DS19’s remarkable shape is a fully functioning pneumatic suspension system, allowing Anto’s model to raise and lower itself as per the real car, plus of course, it can suspend the car from bumps in the usual way that suspension does.
In addition there’s also working steering which, like the real DS19, is linked to the swivelling headlights, opening doors, hood and trunk-lid, and even a basic interior. How Anto has fitted all that inside we don’t know but you can try to figure it out for yourself via the Eurobricks discussion forum.
Click the link above to jump to the full gallery of images, build details, and a video of Anto’s Technic Citroen DS in action.
DS; Citroen’s attempt to emulate the Volkswagen Group by building a car that’s identical to their ‘volume’ products, save for the badge and headlights, and charging 50% more for it. Yes Audi, we’re looking at you.
Still, Volkswagen have made it work, thanks to mankind’s preference for marketing over facts, and PSA – owners of Citroen and Peugeot – would love a slice of the premium profit margin pie for themselves.
The DS range is PSA’s answer, and it’s safe to say that so far it hasn’t been a success. It’s almost as though people don’t want to spend half-as-much again for a thoroughly average car with fancy headlights and a clever marketing campaign…
From 1955 to’75 though, ‘DS’ meant something a whole lot more. Very probably the most advanced car ever made, Citroen’s DS 19, 21 and 23 models sold almost 1.5 million units between them.
The original DS featured innovative front-wheel-drive (a rarity even by the ’70s), hydro-pneumatic self-levelling independent suspension, headlights that swivelled into corners, power steering, a semi-automatic clutchless transmission, and it was the first production car ever fitted with disc brakes. Quite a car then, and a world away from a Citroen C4 with ‘DS’ written on the back and and larger price stuck in the windshield.
This glorious machine is a 1967 DS 19, and it’s been beautifully recreated in Lego form by Jonathan Elliott of Flickr and MOCpages. His wonderful Model Team style replica features working steering, squishy suspension, opening doors and hood, and a lovely authentically detailed interior.
There’s a lot more to see of the DS 19 at Jonathan’s photostream and MOCpage – click the links above to make the jump.
We’re not sure why this classic Citroen DS and Mercedes-Benz truck have been pictured together, but they’re both lovely and thus can appear here. Peter Schmid is the builder making his TLCB debut and you can see more of the two Town vehicles above as well as his other builds by clicking here.
The LEGO Group is bringing Bionicle back for 2015! And here at The Lego Car Blog we could not be less enthusiastic about this fact. It’s safe to say we care as much about Bionicle MOCs as we do about Kim Kardashian’s Twitter feed. In other words, not at all. So here’s a classic Citroen instead!
Built by Flickr’s Massimo B it’s a late 1950s’ DS, complete with opening doors, bench seats and the famous single spoke steering wheel. You can see more of the French classic via the link above, where there is definitely no Bionicle.
