The Car Guy of Benchfield
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Reader's Rides
Citroen DS
Year unknown-- Owned by HA Wingate Sr. until 1982
This was my grandfather's very last daily driver. He had always had an affection for odd cars such as the DS-- it was a real attention getter in the south, where the pickup truck is king. In the late seventies, my grandfather began to disappear from his home in Verbena and show up miles away, disoriented and lost. Most of the time, he took off in this car or his VW pickup. He was later diagnosed with Alzheimer's, as some of you may have already guessed.
Faithful reader Brian Cavanaugh of Los Angeles, CA sends us more info on the DS, clarifying our own erroneous information... Thanks, Brian.
The father of a friend of mine back in Florida had one of these. It was white/red. Being an engineer he kept it running very nicely. Let me tell you it was very strange-looking in small town Bible Belt Florida.
The suspension was hydraulic, unlike American cars. And because of that it would lose pressure when not running and that's what made it lower itself to the ground. And it raised all four corners, not just the back. You could even raise it higher to drive through rain-flooded streets.
It had a 4 cyl. motor, but that thing would get up and go. With the three of us in the car he easily took it up to 100mph., maybe even 120mph., I don't remember. And it was one of the cushiest, smoothest riding cars I've ever been in.