Wednesday, February 4th 2009
Return of the Goddess
Citroen is unveiling a new logo and a new range of cars inspired by its iconic DS model in Paris tomorrow, a move it hopes will rekindle the public’s drive for nostalgia, invigorate the car-buying public and boost ailing sales.
Citroen, which is launching the range on the capital’s Champ Elysee, will also reveal an updated version of their chevron logo.
One of the most iconic and beautiful automotive designs of the 20th century, the original DS of the ’50s was as much a symbol of hope and rebirth as a car. Favoured by former French president Charles de Gaulle, it was the car that was carrying him when he survived an assassination attempt in 1962.
It was also adopted by many European stars of the time, including actress and sex symbol Brigitte Bardot. The DS soon became an emblem of France’s economic renaissance during the postwar boom.
The DS, which originally played on the word “deesse” (meaning goddess) was an innovator in engineering concepts that are now commonplace in automotive design, such as complex power-steering, directional headlamps, driver comfort and suspension systems.
The much-loved DS was phased out in 1976.
The new range will be aimed at the more affluent end of the car market and the DS initials will now stand for “Distinctive Series”. Launch of the revamped DS is rumoured to be some time in 2010, initially the vehicle will be launched as a concept flagship for the series.
As a fan of the DS (but not particularly French cars) I’m looking forward to this launch. It will be interesting to see what they do with the Citroën brand too. I’ll keep you posted.
Posted by Richard on Wednesday 4th of February 2009 at 3:49pm
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