The Goddess

Let’s begin by saying that the design of the Citroen DS 19 is one of the most astonishing leaps in design history. No publication about design can omit the DS 19, no history of the car would be complete without the DS 19, any and all historical accounts of France, and of French culture must include the DS 19; it is simply a marvel.

It is perhaps difficult to understand this fully when looking back from a modern vantage point; this car design has affected everything since. So to help you, consider what the DS was replacing…

The Millau

In the south of France, there is a deep 2 km wide valley in the Massif Central Mountain Range at Aveyron divided by the River Tarn. The French government decided an alternative to the nearly saturated Rhône Valley route was needed — as well as a solution to the notorious N9 Millau bottleneck — and so they approved the idea proposed by the owners ‘Compagnie Eiffage du Millau Viaduct’ (CEVM) and the client ‘SETEC’ to cross the Tarn gorges by a viaduct/ road bridge, saving 30 minutes under normal conditions and up to almost 4 hours on some weekends in the summer.