# Please ID This French Car **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 14, 2014, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-id-this-french-car/698499 "2014-09-14T21:24:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-id-this-french-car/698499/1 "2014-09-14T21:24:29Z")
I had [this car](http://green.autoblog.com/2009/05/01/co-sub-2-sub-based-tax-has-already-affected-the-average-french/) as an offbrand-Matchbox car as a kid. I somehow always knew it was French, but I have no idea of the make and model. Can someone fill me in? I believe they were common in the 1960’s-1970s era. (Correct me if I am wrong.) Please enlighten me! ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-id-this-french-car/698499/2 "2014-09-14T21:27:37Z")
It’s a Citroen DS. ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-id-this-french-car/698499/3 "2014-09-14T21:27:49Z")
A Citroen DS, perhaps? Edit: Damn, ninja’d 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-id-this-french-car/698499/4 "2014-09-14T21:28:04Z")
Citroen, in a style that continued for about 20 years, in the 60s-70s. I think first introduced in about '55, going from memory. ---
**Author:** ![DingoelGringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@DingoelGringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DingoelGringo)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-id-this-french-car/698499/5 "2014-09-14T21:29:47Z")
I am not 100% certain, but looks like a Citroen to me. They sold a lot in Panama while I was growing up there. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-id-this-french-car/698499/6 "2014-09-14T21:40:10Z")
A friend of mine owns one - very interesting machine. Self-leveling hydropneumatic suspension, inboard disc brakes, different wheel spacing front vs rear, headlights turn with the steering wheel. An old saying is “The DS is a vehicle designed by a clever engineer who once had an automobile described to him.” ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-id-this-french-car/698499/7 "2014-09-14T22:40:07Z")
One trick that can help in searches that relate to pictures or things shown in a picture, is to take the URL of the image (in this case: [http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2009/04/citroends.jpg](http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2009/04/citroends.jpg)) and plug it into Google Images (after first choosing/clicking the ‘search by image’ icon (the little camera in the corner)). When you do that for the URL of your picture, [here’s what you get](https://www.google.com/search?tbs=sbi:AMhZZisIgFDO0rUZbzDC478NdMTBWnSqUvyX2Bo5D5q3iAmAGHjHrxZJqh_1v7uo1ujGzeYmtmbBPqG3nO1gpxh8Pb_17j9qkuZ_1JUaq7ehMgvXHgwfsCEqnljDPs2jeZDLGxZXW2y85nVv1au_1Db1BAukuplJ-m154mmsFcJpPlaIbawzLFSOujmY2l_1kUxH7xCW8LzKwzWthpvOdurfRkFzWerp49CLPg2uZkZ6zNEuejdhdMBDNPkOAsQIEEAMGyihhwrCDehVMkf8a9Foe8LYsoO80eTvwhuoepakYKOfHeSP0WbkdoOC1hlBZoHCYHDhtmlTIe8GLPVUuiM86e2MoiJAquzJ8t9tMaU2fDXJzZtKl2dseiTrQZhum7ypds85svX6XNHiKOWLbK8Q4p6cUsixDOd4Cbb8FZjPBKATlAZA2-0foMcwkKvXPx1KkgLYBBP7KhjBAr7_1zEsE65FPcKyShGr5ZWrAEdDnDTPyj7Sa_1JnIKbHKeGXbT1UEQODZfQhiIYI6W8OAL-iekB200JL8w1gmWPKRY3d3oTk8CSGWDzr2mM97S15GmrKgL8LyOj8uD8igzfqaXOnPpLNlsb19tE6WcdJnxnDX4OISPDLPGLkpn2blo2qfL9qs6DJ6VQI3bYulGf_1su4upKhs-xXEQUA3hk6emDDJ87DXmeBuvz4R50c6_1918oSQnWbnB0wE8mRobeNV707sT5A4aVeR5uMZlYMVW5B-mTWfcDAae4kDaDf9qGFItwUzpKLHrat551MXGAQ2xSzNFZAmCHR-j0TXDNs5P5NpMX_1uZVsR8yVpD8KXMVndK3YhE7BP0L-mCuWd3ZEspigMXBYebDIOg7R-5HSmC4Oocpt0aasHbF-_1ZHyn0fiRlJsfz4mBUcnTOVaYaWdrcXmrfQ-ja-RB7BktrbOaHy6Dzep2HFqm7E5V3JTlmzoUDZRVY5EPYiiwLLq3homt2AMzZrlHaLwXwSx5qUgEQ3wu4M4LcN-2vI8R_1tjmJEPvMT1N31QlSPuANoCtHPfh5B9Lw9oBXPl6tWzkCSAEQPncHF8-eeH7PImyvDfHgRLQxNFgeUATj_1DiPVgErDkt6qLC6iVU-ab-cwDk5c6OcILAIlRXjMoT0uPG8BKVXreT-ch3dYNqDSRu6TxCom5SggLd0cCh_1wHrOxQi2Qyxf3R8outezE0a4u27liBlUvQV3t5mFl-dsEHTTS0O4AFkZSO73Vzs7C2_1cuJQYlfvnHIVDqon76oK1tn61LT8q9upIY3UfNc4lzz-an_1VAqHkUyMs7XRPCQkhavZYuD1d4MEF00lmOzPV7F5TRYlN8k99AayFc0E5aq5LP1o0Xo8pKaSch0rEblEM35FNblt6KHAbPPC5v85SMjeAGJuO_144-mIj1gfhxFtCWXQPUUhk8SsEThGzVZlzHn1STRVKEXd5sm3e0jPuQR0egSkiC6NF7AZiL9AEIMcO5-lo_1879OKIC1Ay6M5HHDM_1cBaOOFxxhZ_1Bx-7gN5brAVBuPj3mHDB4doztV_106aY2CPJViQGN1H78-8NDPRBBEuHMKA-A). Neat. ETA: The URL of the picture also contains the name of the car! ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-id-this-french-car/698499/8 "2014-09-15T20:05:10Z")
> [@KarlGauss](#): > > One trick that can help in searches that relate to pictures or things shown in a picture, is to take the URL of the image (in this case: [http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2009/04/citroends.jpg](http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2009/04/citroends.jpg)) and plug it into Google Images (after first choosing/clicking the ‘search by image’ icon (the little camera in the corner)). > > When you do that for the URL of your picture, [here’s what you get](https://www.google.com/search?tbs=sbi:AMhZZisIgFDO0rUZbzDC478NdMTBWnSqUvyX2Bo5D5q3iAmAGHjHrxZJqh_1v7uo1ujGzeYmtmbBPqG3nO1gpxh8Pb_17j9qkuZ_1JUaq7ehMgvXHgwfsCEqnljDPs2jeZDLGxZXW2y85nVv1au_1Db1BAukuplJ-m154mmsFcJpPlaIbawzLFSOujmY2l_1kUxH7xCW8LzKwzWthpvOdurfRkFzWerp49CLPg2uZkZ6zNEuejdhdMBDNPkOAsQIEEAMGyihhwrCDehVMkf8a9Foe8LYsoO80eTvwhuoepakYKOfHeSP0WbkdoOC1hlBZoHCYHDhtmlTIe8GLPVUuiM86e2MoiJAquzJ8t9tMaU2fDXJzZtKl2dseiTrQZhum7ypds85svX6XNHiKOWLbK8Q4p6cUsixDOd4Cbb8FZjPBKATlAZA2-0foMcwkKvXPx1KkgLYBBP7KhjBAr7_1zEsE65FPcKyShGr5ZWrAEdDnDTPyj7Sa_1JnIKbHKeGXbT1UEQODZfQhiIYI6W8OAL-iekB200JL8w1gmWPKRY3d3oTk8CSGWDzr2mM97S15GmrKgL8LyOj8uD8igzfqaXOnPpLNlsb19tE6WcdJnxnDX4OISPDLPGLkpn2blo2qfL9qs6DJ6VQI3bYulGf_1su4upKhs-xXEQUA3hk6emDDJ87DXmeBuvz4R50c6_1918oSQnWbnB0wE8mRobeNV707sT5A4aVeR5uMZlYMVW5B-mTWfcDAae4kDaDf9qGFItwUzpKLHrat551MXGAQ2xSzNFZAmCHR-j0TXDNs5P5NpMX_1uZVsR8yVpD8KXMVndK3YhE7BP0L-mCuWd3ZEspigMXBYebDIOg7R-5HSmC4Oocpt0aasHbF-_1ZHyn0fiRlJsfz4mBUcnTOVaYaWdrcXmrfQ-ja-RB7BktrbOaHy6Dzep2HFqm7E5V3JTlmzoUDZRVY5EPYiiwLLq3homt2AMzZrlHaLwXwSx5qUgEQ3wu4M4LcN-2vI8R_1tjmJEPvMT1N31QlSPuANoCtHPfh5B9Lw9oBXPl6tWzkCSAEQPncHF8-eeH7PImyvDfHgRLQxNFgeUATj_1DiPVgErDkt6qLC6iVU-ab-cwDk5c6OcILAIlRXjMoT0uPG8BKVXreT-ch3dYNqDSRu6TxCom5SggLd0cCh_1wHrOxQi2Qyxf3R8outezE0a4u27liBlUvQV3t5mFl-dsEHTTS0O4AFkZSO73Vzs7C2_1cuJQYlfvnHIVDqon76oK1tn61LT8q9upIY3UfNc4lzz-an_1VAqHkUyMs7XRPCQkhavZYuD1d4MEF00lmOzPV7F5TRYlN8k99AayFc0E5aq5LP1o0Xo8pKaSch0rEblEM35FNblt6KHAbPPC5v85SMjeAGJuO_144-mIj1gfhxFtCWXQPUUhk8SsEThGzVZlzHn1STRVKEXd5sm3e0jPuQR0egSkiC6NF7AZiL9AEIMcO5-lo_1879OKIC1Ay6M5HHDM_1cBaOOFxxhZ_1Bx-7gN5brAVBuPj3mHDB4doztV_106aY2CPJViQGN1H78-8NDPRBBEuHMKA-A). Neat. > > ETA: The URL of the picture also contains the name of the car! Thank you for the tip! Neat, indeed. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-id-this-french-car/698499/9 "2014-09-15T20:55:43Z")
Yeah, our French teacher around 1970 had one of these - I think he brought it with him from France. We called a “Citron”. It always looked like it was struggling uphill. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-id-this-french-car/698499/10 "2014-09-16T02:36:35Z")
The oddest feature of those was the single-spoke steering wheel, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-id-this-french-car/698499/11 "2014-09-16T07:27:56Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > A friend of mine owns one - very interesting machine. Self-leveling hydropneumatic suspension, inboard disc brakes, different wheel spacing front vs rear, headlights turn with the steering wheel. I had a ride in one of these (or maybe a later/different model, but with many of the same features) - when parked, the car sinks down on its suspension and when started, you have to wait a few seconds while it pumps back up - a process which seems to happen alternating between a little at the back and a little at the front. Many people have compared it to the experience of riding a camel as it stands up. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-id-this-french-car/698499/13 "2014-09-16T07:54:52Z")
There used to be a Citroen DS near where I lived. A horrible old woman who lived in our village, Mrs Warren, had one. My brother used to mow her lawns. Anyway, at that time I considered it the ugliest car I had ever seen, and, though I have seen worse since, even now I still dislike it a lot. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-id-this-french-car/698499/14 "2014-09-16T16:28:14Z")
I’m sort of surprised at the question on these boards. Giles drove one\* on Buffy until Spike wrecked it, and Duncan MacLeod drove one on. Highlander when they shot in France. \*they used a coupe and sedan. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-id-this-french-car/698499/15 "2014-09-16T16:48:40Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Anyway, at that time I considered it the ugliest car I had ever seen, and, though I have seen worse since, even now I still dislike it a lot. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![jharvey963](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/54ee81/32.png) [@jharvey963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jharvey963)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-id-this-french-car/698499/16 "2014-09-16T16:49:12Z")
You know, I had always heard that “Citroen” was French for “lemon”. Turns out that “citron” is lemon in French. J. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-id-this-french-car/698499/17 "2014-09-16T17:28:27Z")
It is Dutch for “lemon” (presumably from the French), and André Citroën’s father was Dutch. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-id-this-french-car/698499/18 "2014-09-16T20:09:15Z")
> [@epbrown01](#): > > I’m sort of surprised at the question on these boards. Giles drove one\* on Buffy until Spike wrecked it, and Duncan MacLeod drove one on. Highlander when they shot in France. > > \*they used a coupe and sedan. The obnoxious bully nerd in _Real Genius_ also drove one, and the intrepid team out to save the world drives it onto the military base claiming it’s a rented car… ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-id-this-french-car/698499/19 "2014-09-16T21:57:06Z")
> [@md2000](#): > > The obnoxious bully nerd in _Real Genius_ also drove one, and the intrepid team out to save the world drives it onto the military base claiming it’s a rented car… And lets not forget the far more attractive [Citroën Traction Avant 11](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citro%C3%ABn_Traction_Avant) that featured so prominently in the French film [Diva](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diva_(1981_film)) ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-id-this-french-car/698499/20 "2014-09-16T22:08:12Z")
Darn. When I saw “French car,” I was hoping [it would be this](http://i33.servimg.com/u/f33/11/23/66/80/bmw-is10.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-id-this-french-car/698499/21 "2014-09-16T22:29:05Z")
I recently visited the High Museum in Atlanta during their Dream Cars exhibition. One of the cars they were featuring was the [1934 Voisin C25 Aerodyne](http://media.cmgdigital.com/shared/lt/lt_cache/thumbnail/615/img/photos/2014/05/15/65/23/052114_Dream_Cars_HS15.JPG). Pretty easy to see it was penned by the same designer who moved on to Citroen later. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-id-this-french-car/698499.md?page=2)