"The middle seat facing backwards was intended for the translator," explained Mr. Huille.
There is no privacy glass between the chauffeur and rear passengers, which is pretty rare in a presidential car. Of course, this limousine is bulletproof, which explains its extreme weight.
General de Gaulle loved the exceptional attributes of the Citroën DS -- and the French public found out why during the failed assassination attempt at Petit Clamart. On this occasion, the famous hydropneumatic suspension saved the president’s life, allowing the chauffeur to keep accelerating at full throttle despite the fact that the gunmen had blown a couple of tires.
A DS… for the ice!
Barely out of the presidential DS, Mr. Huille invited us to drive Bjorn Waldegaard’s ice racing DS 19 for a few laps on the Citroën karting track, next to the assembly plant. No need to ask twice, Sir!
This is the car that allowed Waldegaard to finish second at the 1972 Chamonix Winter Round despite losing a wheel during the final. The hydropneumatic suspension again worked wonders!
The wheelbase was 9-centimeter shorter and the engine was a race-prepared, Maserati-built, mid-mounted V6 that produced 250 horsepower.
From inside, the sound of this beast is sublime and exhilarating. On the other hand, the shifter isn’t very precise, the steering wheel is huge and there is way too much assistance. But it doesn’t matter -- what a delight! Throttle response is immediate and the revs jump from 1,500 to 5000 rpm in the blink of an eye.
Driving the DS 19 is somewhat unsettling. The steering features an automatic centering mechanism, which means that when you turn the wheel and let it go, it returns to the center position all by itself.
There is no privacy glass between the chauffeur and rear passengers, which is pretty rare in a presidential car. Of course, this limousine is bulletproof, which explains its extreme weight.
General de Gaulle loved the exceptional attributes of the Citroën DS -- and the French public found out why during the failed assassination attempt at Petit Clamart. On this occasion, the famous hydropneumatic suspension saved the president’s life, allowing the chauffeur to keep accelerating at full throttle despite the fact that the gunmen had blown a couple of tires.
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A DS… for the ice!
Barely out of the presidential DS, Mr. Huille invited us to drive Bjorn Waldegaard’s ice racing DS 19 for a few laps on the Citroën karting track, next to the assembly plant. No need to ask twice, Sir!
This is the car that allowed Waldegaard to finish second at the 1972 Chamonix Winter Round despite losing a wheel during the final. The hydropneumatic suspension again worked wonders!
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| Yours truly driving the fantastic 1972 ice racing DS. |
The wheelbase was 9-centimeter shorter and the engine was a race-prepared, Maserati-built, mid-mounted V6 that produced 250 horsepower.
From inside, the sound of this beast is sublime and exhilarating. On the other hand, the shifter isn’t very precise, the steering wheel is huge and there is way too much assistance. But it doesn’t matter -- what a delight! Throttle response is immediate and the revs jump from 1,500 to 5000 rpm in the blink of an eye.
Driving the DS 19 is somewhat unsettling. The steering features an automatic centering mechanism, which means that when you turn the wheel and let it go, it returns to the center position all by itself.
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