Unwanted Stepchild

[Arragonis]

If we're talking body parts then the Landcrab doors found themselves at the bottom of several gene pools.

 

http://www.aronline.co.uk/blogs/cars/bmc-cars/1800-2200/those-doors/

[forddeliveryboy]

But thank God Citroen had the balls to do it. I mean, compare a DS19 with an E Series Wyvern or an Austin A50.

 

Exactly.

 

 

I favour a stainless bumper CX myself. Travelling from Lester station to Richard K's massive in a CX to collect an E34 reminded me what an incredible thing they must have been. Nearly dozed off on the 10 mile journey. SRS KOMFERT

 

 

It's difficult to imagine what a DS must have looked to 1950s eyes, let alone the roadholding, braking and comfort. Phil Llewellyn writing in CAR or one of its offspring came closest to capturing the near-unbelievability, describing the appearance of an early DS approaching at speed on a long A-road straight, from the back seat of his Dad's ancient British crock.  

 

The British took the suspension as intended for comfort, but the French engineered it for maximum grip (so speed) over a variety of surfaces, comfort was the by-product. There was an astonishing amount of undisguised hatred for the marque in the English garage trade, probably partly because many struggled to understand how it worked, many more refused to admit the French could come up with something so amazing, others dismissed them because they weren't boy-racer cars offering cheap thrills, more the machine capable of covering vast distances at high speed.  

[Arragonis]

I recommend the biography of André Lefèbvre on the DS (and the 2CV, Light 15 etc)

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Andre-Lefebvre-Created-Voisin-Citroen/dp/1845842448

 

Amazing story of a guy delivering a DS to the South of France just after launch - the LHM would leak even then.

[forddeliveryboy]

the LHM would leak even then.

 

To be accurate, it was veg oil (LHV) as used for hydraulic fluid by many back then. Hygroscopic and a bit of a nightmare in the rising and falling reservoir. As was the synthetic LHS fluid which replaced it, the problem was solved with the bright green mineral oil they used throughout the 70s, 80s and 90s. Great stuff.

[Arragonis]

Yep. The story details the efforts to refill.

[Arragonis]

Yep. The story details the efforts to refill.

Apologies this post is a waste of time and content...

[Magnificent Rustbucket]

It's difficult to imagine what a DS must have looked to 1950s eyes, let alone the roadholding, braking and comfort. Phil Llewellyn writing in CAR or one of its offspring came closest to capturing the near-unbelievability, describing the appearance of an early DS approaching at speed on a long A-road straight, from the back seat of his Dad's ancient British crock.  

 

The British took the suspension as intended for comfort, but the French engineered it for maximum grip (so speed) over a variety of surfaces, comfort was the by-product. There was an astonishing amount of undisguised hatred for the marque in the English garage trade, probably partly because many struggled to understand how it worked, many more refused to admit the French could come up with something so amazing, others dismissed them because they weren't boy-racer cars offering cheap thrills, more the machine capable of covering vast distances at high speed.  

 

 

My Grandparents had friends who lived in France and bought a DS in the 50s, trading in a Traction Avant. My Grandfather later referred to the DS as "The Flying saucer", so it is fair to say he was impressed!

[cros]

Something went horribly wrong in the Morris styling department when the 10/4 was replaced by the series M. In their attempts to embrace unitary construction the company lopped 4 inches off the wheelbase, made the windscreen more upright, the doors and windows smaller.
The OHV engine and ride were big improvements, but Morris had a nasty habit of giving with one hand and taking away with the other; when the M's replacement came along after that slight inconvenience, WW2, it reverted to a miserable side valve engine.



Irreparable damage was done by these sorts of antics, and the superb series 2 and 3 Oxford replacements never sold in the numbers they deserved, in this country at least. Those two different Oxford models were as far apart as the Escort and Focus.

[forddeliveryboy]

 

 

and

 

have evolved into stuff like this,

[LC Torana]

 

 

I'm sure my dentist used one of those

[sawdustman]

Unwanted stepchildren you say?

 

[Felly Magic]

I suspect we will see a fair few Indian clones of the old Defender, it wouldn't surprise me if TATA have already shipped all the tooling over

[richardmorris]

Tbh, any metal bumper CX would be fine - I'd suffer a 2000 Pallas but the object of double chevron porn is a full on Prestige with buttoned leather.

 

These days, an Audi A1 is considered prestigious. The human race is thus doomed,

 

The first cx I drove ( straight from a 2cv) was a prestige (auto). It was fabulous and scary. It was blue ( aren't they all?) with beige leather. As I drove we joined the m3 and the seller said plant your foot. So I did- it went from 50 to an awful lot more very quickly. He wanted £4000 in 1997.

 

I bought a Pallas a couple of years later.