Thursday, June 24, 2010

citroen ds


my little guy is sick today, and as is the custom i try to get the sick ones a little something to help ease the illness. i just happened to remember that i had stuck a matchbox car in my dresser drawer for such an event. it's a 1968 citroen ds. i've always been a fan of the citroens. the 2cv is the french equivalent of a vw bug, fiat 500 or ford model t. but the ds, now that's a style machine. and not only good looking, but well engineered too. with variable ground clearance (yes, in 1968) and its special oil-air mix suspension, the ds not only looked cool, but appealed to the engineering folk as well.
perhaps that's why the matchbox people placed the following little blurb on the back of its package. "you just received an urgent call! the lift is broken in the eiffel tower and 20 tourists are trapped. your citroen ds with its hydro suspension can take sharp corners on the winding paris streets and get you to the scene in no time. as the city's top engineer, when you're onsite consider the problem solved." i guess this little scenario is meant to inspire all the math kids to keep doing well in school so that someday they too will get to drive a
citroen company car.
but what about all the non-engineer types? maybe i could formulate my own scenario. "it's may, 1968 and you and all your non-conformist bohemian friends have been up all night planning the big confrontation with police at the sorbonne. your citroen ds with ample room for radicals and all the flags and signs they'll carry is the perfect mode of transport. and should things go bad at the demonstration you'll know the airstreamed design and oleo-pneumatic suspension will help you and your team escape the oppression of de gaulle's goons and live to fight another day!"

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