70 years of Citroën DS at the Lorraine Museum

The DS has evolved over the years, especially at the front, with additional headlamps on some models and a few minor modifications. The main change to the DS line came in 1967, when the front fenders were redesigned to incorporate 4 under-window headlamps. On higher versions, the inner headlights are able to rotate to follow the road profile.

The DS also underwent several mechanical evolutions. Originally, the 1900 cm3 engine was none other than that of the Traction, slightly improved. Citroën succeeded in upgrading it to a 2.3-liter engine boosted by an electronic fuel injection system. In the 20 years of its existence, the engine’s power has practically doubled, and its performance remains comparable to that of its competitors, despite the venerable age of its propulsion unit. The DS brought many innovations with its introduction, and would continue to innovate throughout its career, as with the aforementioned directional headlamps and electronic fuel injection.

One of the stars of the show is certainly the DS convertible “La Croisette”, created by coachbuilder Henri Chapron on the basis of the first DS. The “La Croisette” convertible retains the sedan’s tapering stern, unlike other Chapron versions with raised rear wings that make the car look less elegant (personal opinion). Only around 15 units of the “La Croisette” convertible were built, which just goes to show how rare this car is.