# The Paradox of Owning a Citroën DS: Eccentric Charm Over Raw Speed
A Road & Track contributor admits to an unlikely automotive passion. Despite a documented love for hardcore performance machines, they own a Citroën DS, one of the automotive world's most unconventional designs.
The Citroën DS represents a different era of automotive philosophy. Launched in 1955, it pioneered hydropneumatic suspension, self-leveling technology, and front-wheel drive. The DS prioritized ride comfort, handling innovation, and bold aesthetic choices over horsepower and track performance. Its peculiar design, with a low roofline and high beltline, turned heads for decades.
This ownership choice reflects a growing trend in automotive enthusiasm. Performance purists increasingly appreciate vehicles that challenge conventional thinking rather than simply chase numbers on a dyno. The DS delivers rewards differently than a modern sports car. It offers fluid handling, mechanical sophistication, and historical significance that contemporary machinery cannot replicate.
The attraction runs deeper than nostalgia. The DS demands engagement from its driver. Its hydropneumatic system requires understanding and respect. Modern vehicles hide their complexity behind electronic interfaces. The DS exposes it. Every drive becomes a mechanical conversation rather than a routine commute.
Owning an eccentric vehicle like the DS means accepting compromises. Reliability concerns plague aging French cars. Parts scarcity challenges restoration efforts. Climate control exists more as aspiration than reality. Yet these drawbacks paradoxically enhance the ownership experience. The DS owner accepts complexity and vulnerability.
This perspective challenges automotive hierarchies that rank cars by 0-60 times and lap records. A Citroën DS driver values different metrics. Steering feel matters more than horsepower. Suspension compliance trumps cornering limits. Historical importance outweighs contemporary specifications.
The confession reveals something