These GS pages are maintained by Jure and
Miki, who own several GSes each. We are brothers
and our dad bought his first GS in the early
70s, shortly after the car came into production.
Dad certainly had no idea what he started
back then...
The Citroen GS was introduced in 1970 and
stayed in production until 1986. In 1979,
it was slightly redesigned (facelift, introduction
of hatchback) and the name changed to GSA.
We live in Slovenia which was one of the
few places where the GSes were manufactured.
Nowadays they have almost completely disappeared
from our roads, but every now and then it
is still possible to spot a real well preserved
example, possibly still driven by the first
owner.
This picture shows Miki and his GS Pallas.
The GS was the marque's first attempt in
the lower midsize car segment and it turned
out to be a very successful project. The
car became one of the best selling Citroens,
second only to the 2CV, which was in production
from 1948 to 1990. In the 60s, the Citroen
marque was selling the extremes: cheap, basic
2CV and derivatives (Dyane, Ami, Mehari)
and expensive, luxurious DS/ID. There was
nothing in between. However, the middle class
people were becoming more and more affluent
in those days so the 2CV-like vehicles were
not the right answer for everybody's wants
and needs anymore. The new car segment was
born.
The GS actually arrived rather late (in comparison
with competitive marques' offerings), but
it was packed with interesting and unusual
features:
I have driven many modern lower midsize cars and was not exactly impressed with them; this list of features makes the GS more than competitive even after 30 years. In fact, due to the hydraulic suspension, the GS might well be the most comfortable car in the lower midsize class that has ever existed. The GS brakes are worlds apart from most contemporary cars: they are much better, of course. The hydraulic suspension allows an almost perfect combination of comfort and roadholding, and this is where most car makers still struggle and make tradeoffs. There is a general misconception that soft suspension is good for comfort but not for roadholding. And vice versa: stiff suspension will make the car handle well, but the driver and the passengers will feel each little bump in their backsides. This myth is especially widespread among cafe-racers, automotive press reporters and alike. Hydraulic-sprung Citroens are proof that it is very possible to achieve both goals: comfortable ride and excellent handling.
The engines in the GS were available in four
sizes (1015, 1130, 1222 and 1299cc) and the
power output ranged from 50 to 65 bhp. Nowadays
the typical compact car engine size is 1.6
or 1.8 litre, so the GS engines might not
seem like much, but the GS can surely reach
very illegal speeds with ease. When it was
introduced, it was regarded as a quite fast
car. The GS is a light-weight car compared
to today's compact cars: it weighs between
900 and 950kg (depending on model), while
modern cars usually weigh at least 1200kg.
Apart from light weight, the GS has good
aerodynamics and this allows it to go fast
even with seemingly underpowered engine.
For a limited time there has been a performance
version of the GS: the GS Birotor. It was
powered with a rotary (Wankel) engine. Only a limited number
of cars was made and after some time, they
were all bought back from customers by the
Citroen company in order to avoid the obligation
to provide service for these unique GSes.
They were disassembled, however a very small
number has escaped this sad fate and Birotors are
now considered a real rarity and a true collectors'
item. .
This is Jure, taking his GSX apart for annual
tune-up and service. March 2002.
Nowadays the generally accepted opinions
and views on car safety appear rather twisted
to me. Mr. or Mrs. Normal wants to drive
a car packed with airbags and other passive
safety features. On the other hand, active
safety of modern lower midsize cars looks
pathetic in comparison with the GS. It appears
that most people think: "I'm very likely
going to hit things and other cars or be
hit by them. So I need good protection againts
impacts." Very few people think this
way nowadays: "I need a car with good
handling and brakes so that I can avoid hitting
things and other cars or be hit by them."
When GS was introduced, the passive safety
features were not nearly as elaborate as
they are today, but active safety is plentiful
in the GS. Personally, give me a car that
will allow me to stay out of trouble any
day...
The greatest improvement of road safety would
of course be to teach people how to be safe
drivers, but sadly things don't seem to go
in this direction. The cars are turning into
armoured tanks filled with airbags; this
gives the drivers very wrong feeling that
nothing can hurt them. The new cars also
go quieter than ever and they're becoming
faster and faster. Power steering and all
the electronics mean the driver is more and
more isolated from the real world and is
losing the feeling for speed and handling.
Insurance adds its bit: people can cause
serious accidents with massive damage nowadays
without being held responsible in any significant
way. The insurance company will cover the
damage; the offending driver will get fined,
but that's it. When people are not held properly
accountable for their stupid ways anymore,
they *will* behave irresponsibly. Which will
eventually not be good for their own health
either, as at speeds higher than a certain
limit, no airbags and no impact protection
system can help them anymore.
Off of the soapbox now... (-: