Citroën DS
If I lived in Europe, I’d have an early-70s DS as a daily driver:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aF8Q0g15NY8
No conventional jack – the hydraulic suspension lets you lift one tire at a time if you have a flat. It was the first car designed so the engine slid under the frame (instead of into your lap) in a collision. It was the first mass production car with power front disc brakes. An amazing achievement – and front-drive, naturellement. It was so radical that they sold 12,000 the day it was introduced, in 1955.
I love those Citroens, although they’re so rare here that I’d never considered the possibility of actually owning one.
@IanJ: I’d never have one here … it would be very tough to get someone to work on it. In Yurp, however, they have mechanics who will work on them – well, those who aren’t in old folks home.
Bloggie, did you see the piece in Jalopnik about the Top Gear crew shooting a story atop the the unpronounceable Icelandic volcano just before it blew?
@Dodgerblue: Yes I did (if it’s Jalopnik, it’s safe to assume I’ve seen it). You’ve got to admire those crazy Brits, even if a lot of that show is staged (it is).
Oh, and I should have said – the self-leveling suspension allows the car to be driven if a wheel falls off.
@blogenfreude: Well, see, that’s the thing. If I had one, I’d be willing to tool up to work on it myself. I don’t so much mind working on old cars, but modern cars are a fucking nightmare.
Citroen has always had interesting suspension choices. I still love that the 2CV uses swinging weights instead of hydraulic shock absorbers. I’d probably get a 2CV before a DS, if given the choice, simply because the 2CV is considerably quirkier.
@IanJ: If you get one, I’ll be right over with my torque wrench. It’s packed away somewhere ….
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