Photo Credit: Citroën Media / Classic, iconic  Citroën DS on display at recent  Paris auto show.

By Gary Raynaldo   DIPLOMATIC TIMES

No new French automobiles have been sold by France’s PSA Peugeot Citroën SA and Renault in the United States for about a quarter of a century. The Peugeot 405 was the last Peugeot sold in the United States between 1988 and 1991. Declining sales amid lukewarm enthusiasm for Peugeot’s thin product lineup along with the popularity of fuel-efficient Japanese imports like the Toyota Celica, Nissan Sentra, and Honda Accord sealed the fate of French cars in America. Peugeot went from selling around 20,000 cars per year in the US in the 1980’s to a paltry 5,000 in 1990. In 1991, Peugeot packed up and left the North American market for good. Among complaints about Peugeot’s cars were that they had frequent equipment failures, and lacked standard features American drivers take for granted such as a sunroof, power windows and seats, and air conditioning. Renault, France’s other major car manufacturer, pulled out of the American market in 1987. Renault was in partnership with the American Motors Corporation which manufactured and sold a sub-compact called the Alliance.

Credit: Wikipedia / The  Peugeot 405 was the last Peugeot sold in the United States between 1988 and 1991

China Supplants The U.S. As The World’s Largest Auto Market

In 2010, China became the biggest automobile market in the world, driving ahead of the United States and putting the brakes on a century of American dominance. Globally, China is the largest automobile market, both in terms of demand and supply. In 2017, China produced almost 25 million passenger cars and around four million commercial vehicles.  For Peugeot Citroën, like most other global car manufacturers, China represents a large chunk of sales.  The Unites States continues to represent a very lucrative market to any foreign automaker, with imports comprising about 55 percent of the American automobile market, according 2014 data.  The Japanese commanded 36.9 percent of U.S. auto sales, followed by Europe with 9.5 percent, and Korea with 8.9 percent. Volkswagen was the top selling European brand auto sales in America, followed by Mercedes and BMW. Audi, Bentley, Land Rover, Rolls-Royce, Jaguar, Volvo, and Porsche were among other European brands sold in America.  French automobiles are conspicuously absent from the pie. It makes no sense for the French to be left out of the action.

France  Peugeot Citroën  Revives Iconic DS Line  To Become a Global Premium Automobile Brand 

Iconic DS gets modern make over with new DS class  (Photo/Citroën Media)

Over the past few years, there have been rumblings and rumors of Peugeot Citroën returning to American shores but nothing committed to paper as of yet.  Meanwhile, in October 2015, Peugeot Citroën  entered  its luxury DS brand into the Iranian market. PSA Peugeot Citroen later reached a deal in 2016 to open a plant producing 200,000 vehicles annually in Iran. Fellow French automobile manufacturer Groupe Renault signed a $778-million deal to build 150,000 cars a year at a factory outside of Tehran.  Iran’s first DS store opened in the capital city Tehran .  However,  Iran’s domestic auto market is stalling amid renewed US sanctions imposed last year.  Peugeot Citroën also month opened the first DS store on the African continent with a new outlet in Tunis, and PSA is expanding into Namibia.  Peugeot Citroën is banking on its revived DS product line to become a global premium brand to compete against the likes of Mercedes and BMW. The DS just might be what brings a French presence back into the American automobile market.

Credit: GroupePSA /   DS is a French brand born in Paris with the “ambition of embodying French luxury savoir-faire” in its cars.

 Revolutionary, Iconic Citroën DS (famously called the Goddess) Continues To Captivate Classic Car Enthusiasts

Credit: Pinterest / The Citroën DS , with its aerodynamic design and cutting-edge technology, was described as being way ahead of its time when introduced in 1955.

The DS celebrated its 63th anniversary last year.  On Oct. 6, 1955, the DS was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show under the vault of the Grand Palais. The vehicle, with its aerodynamic design and cutting-edge technology, was described as being way ahead of its time when introduced in 1955.  “DS” was a pun on the French word  “déesse” which means Goddess.

“The streamlined sedan seemed like it was flown in from outer space when it debuted at the Paris auto show in 1955,”

Jens Meiners wrote in the February 2009 issue of Car And Driver. 

The DS’ hydro-pneumatic, self-leveling independent suspension and steering gave the driver or passenger the sensation of being on a hovercraft or in a low-rider as the front and rear wheels are adjusted up and down. The DS would seemingly glide over rough, bumpy roads. Think of a military tank navigating over rocky, desert terrain with soldiers inside comfortable and not bouncing around and its main gun firing with pinpoint accuracy and you get the ideal. Many military vehicles use the same hydro-pneumatic suspension invented by Citroën. I drove my brother’s Chevy Impala low-rider through the streets of San Francisco during college which was kind of cool.  I have never been in a military tank but was fortunate to have taken the old, now defunct hovercraft that used to cross the English channel to France while I was on a reporting assignment in Europe back in the day.  It was a smooth ride from Dover to Calais despite a bit of rough, choppy seas. Citroën invented hydro-pneumatic suspension to offer superior ride quality on a variety of surfaces and road conditions. It has also been used under license by other auto manufactures like Rolls-Royce in its Silver Shadow line and in Maserati’s Quattroporte brand. In 1999, a jury of representatives from the world of design named the Citroën DS  “product of the century” placing it ahead of the Apple Macintosh computer, the Boeing 747 and the Biro ball point pen.  Its range of innovative technologies included power steering and disk brakes and the use of aerodynamics to reduce fuel consumption.  Its new technologies made other cars on the market seem outdated at the time. During 20 years of production, Citroën manufactured 1,456,115 DS vehicles.  The French Citroën DS was named the most beautiful car of all time by Classic & Sports Car magazine in 2009.

DS Credited With Helping Charles De Gaulle Escape Assassination Attempt In 1962

French President Charles De Gaulle riding high in his presidential DS. (Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons)

The DS was also credited with foiling an assassination attempt on French President Charles De Gaulle in 1962. President De Gaulle was riding in his black Citroën DS in a Paris suburb when he was ambushed by a hail of machine gun fire.  The car went into a front-wheel skid. De Gaulle’s chauffeur accelerated out of the skid to safety despite two tires shot out.  De Gaulle kept his head down and was unharmed. His DS was riddled with 13 bullets. PSA Peugeot  Citroën , in a recount of the incident, wrote:

“The qualities of the DS also mattered, with the vehicle remaining stable while accelerating on a rain-soaked poorly-surfaced road with two flat tyres.”

France PSA Has Yet to Revive The Citroën DS In The True Spirit of The Original ‘Goddess’

Despite the car’s illustrious history, PSA has yet to revive the Citroën DS in the true spirit of the original. PSA revamped the iconic DS in name only in 2010 with production of a line of mid-size and upscale cars.  The current Citroën DS autos bare no resemblance to the sleek, ultra-cool original.  Meanwhile, other car makers have successfully produced revamped versions of classic models such as the Volkswagen Beetle, the Fiat 500 and the Mini by BMW. They all closely resemble their original designs. Many car enthusiasts believe that the launch of the recent DS-inspired line had more to do with revamping the French car manufacturer’s brand image than resurrecting the iconic classic.  Die-hard fans of the original DS continue to hope that PSA will take a bold risk and remake the legendary car that will honor its beauty, class, and cutting edge automotive engineering. PSA will have to achieve this if it wants to return to the American market with a big splash and take a bite out of Asian and European brand auto sales. French cars will also have to compete with the likes of established American automakers such as Ford, Chevrolet, Chrysler, GMC, Jeep, and Cadillac. PSA will also have to invest a massive amount of capital in setting up dealerships and marketing the brand to Americans.

But then again, France is already a highly-esteemed global brand in itself. Unlike the British, many Americans love all things French. They think nothing of dropping serious dollars on expensive French wine, champagne, cognac, and the latest fashions from Paris. Even the bottled water they drink must be from France. The potential is there for French cars to return to the American market. U.S. auto sales for the period ending September 2015 rose to a 10-year high, spurred by low oil prices and a strong economy. Sales of luxury cars like Mercedes, BMW continue to rise  faster than the overall new-car market .  Meanwhile, Volkswagen’s brand took a hit amid  a scandal over its emissions. Toyota is emerging as a powerhouse , and was crowned the world’s top-selling automaker recently,  selling nearly 7.5 million vehicles, and over taking Volkswagen which was in the No. 1 spot for the first half of 2015. VW makes the Beetle and Golf cars, and also has the Porsche, Bugatti and Audi brands. Perhaps the time is ripe for Citroën to prepare a Napoleonic attack on competitors to secure a piece of the American automobile pie.  Vive La France! 

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