Remembering the Classics: The Citroen DS19
With its futuristic design and nifty high-tech features, the 1955 Citroen DS19 was ahead of its time.
It’s more than 50 years now since the French automaker Citroen brought out the model designated DS19.
As soon as it came to market, my husband Fred was entranced. He swore that he would get one of those cars. We were living in France at the time, so he came across numerous DS19s to drool over. It took about a year, but eventually one was put up for sale, secondhand, from a civilian member of our Canadian Forces community, and so we became the proud owners of the dear car we called Snoopy.
Snoopy got his name because he had a rather long nose, just like the lovable beagle made famous by Charles M. Schultz in his comic strip Peanuts, starting back in the 1950s. Our Snoopy had one truly singular feature—he could raise himself up off the wheelbase and lower himself down again. The suspension included a variable-height adjustment that could be used for clearing road hazards, fording streams, or even jacking up the car when changing a flat. And, most conveniently, the driving height of the vehicle was adjustable from inside the car. This feature was not so much needed in France, but was wonderful back in Canada, as Snoopy could rise over snowdrifts with ease!
In many other ways, the DS19 was an exceptional car. Easy to drive, comfortable and ahead of its time in the 1950s, Snoopy was the best car we ever had.
Next, find out the most popular car the year your were born.
