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The space age Citroen DS will be celebrating its 60th birthday in London

21 Oct 2014|3,283 views

The Citroen DS of yesteryear will be celebrating its 60th birthday at the inaugural London Classic Car Show in January.

The original Citroen DS (pronounced Deesse, which is French for Goddess) of the mid-50s would be celebrating its 60^th Anniversary at the forthcoming inaugural London Classic Car Show in January.

With its space age design and futuristic specification, the Citroen DS has won many admirers over the past 60 years

Deemed to be one of the most beautiful and technically advanced cars of its time, the Citroen DS was launched at the 1955 Paris Motor Show where around 743 orders were taken in just the first 15 minutes of the show opening. And by the end of the first day, that number had risen to an incredible 12,000 units.

At a time when most cars were rear-wheel driven and featured 'cart springs', the DS19's futuristic specification featured front-wheel drive, a superior hydropneumatic self-levelling suspension, a semi-automatic gearbox and even a fibreglass roof to lower the centre of gravity.

To celebrate the diamond anniversary of the car, the Citroen DS will be enjoying several significant birthday parties during 2015 - kicking off with the original DS taking centre stage at the inaugural London Classic Car Show in January. The homage to the DS and its sibling the ID (pronounced Idee, French for Idea) will include a number of different examples including the Break or Safari estate car and the highly collectable convertible.

In addition, the London Classic Car Show would also mark the U.K. debut of the new, stand alone DS brand - which was announced back in June. The aim of (new) DS branding is to return the French automotive industry to the ranks of the premium carmakers, hoping to create some future classics in the process.

Held at ExCeL in London's Docklands from the 8^th to the 11^th January 2015, the London Classic Car Show will kickstart the New Year with a feast of rare classic cars, many of which will be driven up and down The Grand Avenue, a highly original runway driving through the heart of the show. Also, unlike most motor shows, visitors to the London Classic Car Show will be able to enjoy an orchestra of engines, from Italian V12s to American V8 muscle cars.

The original Citroen DS (pronounced Deesse, which is French for Goddess) of the mid-50s would be celebrating its 60^th Anniversary at the forthcoming inaugural London Classic Car Show in January.

Deemed to be one of the most beautiful and technically advanced cars of its time, the Citroen DS was launched at the 1955 Paris Motor Show where around 743 orders were taken in just the first 15 minutes of the show opening. And by the end of the first day, that number had risen to an incredible 12,000 units.

At a time when most cars were rear-wheel driven and featured 'cart springs', the DS19's futuristic specification featured front-wheel drive, a superior hydropneumatic self-levelling suspension, a semi-automatic gearbox and even a fibreglass roof to lower the centre of gravity.

To celebrate the diamond anniversary of the car, the Citroen DS will be enjoying several significant birthday parties during 2015 - kicking off with the original DS taking centre stage at the inaugural London Classic Car Show in January. The homage to the DS and its sibling the ID (pronounced Idee, French for Idea) will include a number of different examples including the Break or Safari estate car and the highly collectable convertible.

In addition, the London Classic Car Show would also mark the U.K. debut of the new, stand alone DS brand - which was announced back in June. The aim of (new) DS branding is to return the French automotive industry to the ranks of the premium carmakers, hoping to create some future classics in the process.

Held at ExCeL in London's Docklands from the 8^th to the 11^th January 2015, the London Classic Car Show will kickstart the New Year with a feast of rare classic cars, many of which will be driven up and down The Grand Avenue, a highly original runway driving through the heart of the show. Also, unlike most motor shows, visitors to the London Classic Car Show will be able to enjoy an orchestra of engines, from Italian V12s to American V8 muscle cars.