In 1970, were the times on the departure. The Jumbo flew, the American was on the moon, the English had their Hovercraft and together with the French, the Concorde, Gary’s Gift was the first man in the country faster than 1000 km/h, and Germany was looking forward to the Olympic games in Munich in 1972. One of the most important new cars of this year’s Ascona/Manta, VW K70, the Range Rover and the Citroën SM is still another model from the French manufacturer, who came in 1975 under the wing of Peugeot, the GS next to the Opel.

Boris Schmidt

editor in the Department “technology and Motor”.

F. A. Z.

The compact, 4,12 meters long GS the missing link between the small Citroën 2CV, the Ami 8 and the upper classes of cars should be DS and SM. Previously had been working on a vehicle in this size, the project is “F” but died in 1967. It was then stamped within three years of the GS from the ground, whose model name is usually explained with “Grande Série”. Author Marc Stabèl (“Citroën GS & GSA. Citroën’s avant-garde mid-range Cars“) has another Theory: G result is simply F, and GS have just fit well to DS.

however, in the autumn of 1970, in production of the previous GS came in the spring of 1971 for the 7600 Mark after Germany, is an automotive milestone. For the first time, the hydro-pneumatic suspension (like the DS) came in a “small” car and, in addition, disc brakes all-round, even in higher classes of course, while the front-wheel drive was at least in the case of Citroën is already Standard. From a Design standpoint – weird stern, but nevertheless, Luggage compartment lid – filled, the GS is certainly the expectations you had in a new Citroën. He seemed to be much more modern than other cars of this period.

pictures of the route 50 years : Citroën GS

it was Motorized with a air-cooled one-liter boxer engine. The brought but 54 HP and helped the car to a top speed of 147 km/h. the engine was Praised at the time, both from the “mirror” of the F. A. Z. for his quiet run, were but air-cooled engines at the time, per se, according to. “French Auto-engineers have now managed what was left of their Wolfsburg colleague failed so far – they constructed an air-cooled Motor that makes little noise,” wrote the Hamburg-based news magazine.

Even more unusual than the four-cylinder Boxer, the design of the dashboard was, however, quite in the style of the DS defined the avant-garde: The F. A. Z. said on 26. August 1970: “New and original, the speedometer and the hand brake. The speedometer is ovoid formed, and, so to speak, the Egg of Columbus. Under a constantly illuminated magnifying glass the speed is increased in an approximately three-inch-high section. This window, whose light intensity is adjustable, allows a rapid and error-free Reading of the speed.“ This unusual Layout you do not want to impose on the English market from the start, the right arm got classical instruments, which in any other Form, in 1976, generally speaking, in the GS make a Comeback. The hand brake was integrated into the dashboard.

A classless car for everyone

Until then, had established the GS to be very successful. After 12.620 units in the year 1970, the annual production figures were henceforth always six digits, with a record of nearly 260,000 copies, remarkably, in the ninth year of production. The GSA, so to speak, the new edition of the GS, was not more in demand-so, from 1979 to 1986 575.457 GSA emerged, both GS’s together come to nearly 2.4 million units in 16 years of construction, the attainment of many individual car models. Especially in his home country of GS was something like the VW Golf, a classless car for everyone.