Citroën DS Pallas

A fine, fine machine. I've talked before (see the article on the Citroën Traction Avant) about the pioneering spirit that seems to pervade the company, and this really is their finest moment.

The DS was made for nearly 20 years, and in that time - between the DS19 and the DSpecial - the key change was in the fascia, the headlamp cover. There were other cosmetic enhancements such as the lengthening of the rear wings from 1960 model year onwards and then internal changes such as the new gearbox and engine in the late '60's, however the core essence remained the same.

Roland Barthes, a French philosopher and theoretician, wrote in 1957, that cars, for the most part were the modern version of the great Gothic cathedrals. That the automobile had taken the place of these great superstructures as the primary design focus of our age. They surround us and interpolate with our lives to such an extent that we all have views and an objective stance on their very presence. I need say no more than the fact that he was - apart from being a proud Frenchman - a huge fan of the DS.

The Pallas was a model that incorporated key luxury features such as leather, body trim and noise suppression. It's technological advancements are well documented: direction-swivelling headlamps, hydropneumatic suspension that auto-levelled, independent and inboard suspension system, to name a few, but it's impact on the world of design is beyond that. Voted alongwith the Mini, Beetle, 911 and Model T as one of the five 'cars of the Century' in 1999, it doesn't sit in the Louvre. And it doesn't need to, as with millions sold, you shouldn't have to go to a museum to see one. A rare confluence of factors that allowed an iconic, benchmark car that not only advanced car design technically but visually, means that it became a worldwide seller.