1969 DS commercial study: customers who left and customers who came from the competition

In this document

Customers who left the DS

The study opens with a survey of former DS customers who bought another car. Regarding comfort, 22.6% see no improvements to be made, but 52% would like an improvement in suspension comfort, 25% in road holding on wet ground and at high speed, and 21% in seat comfort p. 110.

The reasons that prevented the repurchase of a DS are dominated by "too many troubles - maintenance too frequent" (70%), low trade-in value (43%), and a "violent resentment towards our commercial services" (33%) p. 110. Technical criticisms focus on the engine (power, flexibility, responsiveness) and the fragility of the bodywork (paint, rust) p. 110.

Attitude towards the DS

44% of the former customers surveyed (51 out of 115) state that they would have bought a DS again if modifications had been made, primarily a "more powerful - more responsive engine" (57%) p. 111. A noted quote: "This clientele does not like to be overtaken at the start by lower-priced cars" p. 111. Regarding the design, it is specified: "The perfection of the 'DS' line is not in question, they simply desire another one" p. 111.

The characteristics missed after leaving remain general comfort (70%) and road holding/front-wheel drive (56%), with the hydraulic gearbox being missed by only 13% of former owners p. 111.

Market and customers from the competition

A table compares registrations for October-December 1967 and 1968:

p. 112

For 1968, 278 customers coming from competing brands were visited (121 DS, 157 ID). 68.59% chose the DS 21, including 34% in the Pallas version, and 3/4 of DS buyers opted for the hydraulic gearbox; power steering equips practically 100% of the IDs purchased p. 113. Comfort is cited as the primary reason for the choice, with the note: "it is the one that strikes the most and by far" p. 113. Only 0.82% of these customers complain about the commercial attitude of competing brands, against 11.3% for those who left Citroën (DS survey Feb. 1969) p. 113.

In use, braking, directional headlights, power steering, and safety are more appealing, while towing qualities and the front fairing take a back seat p. 114. The majority of this clientele previously came from a 7 or 8 CV model p. 114.

Context

The DS, launched by Citroën in 1955, owes part of its reputation to the hydropneumatic suspension designed by Paul Magès, as well as to equipment that was rare at the time, such as power steering or directional headlights linked to the steering wheel. At the end of the 1960s, the brand faced increasing competition from German (BMW, Mercedes) and Swedish (Volvo) manufacturers, in a context where the complex maintenance of Citroën hydraulics is often pointed out as a barrier to customer loyalty.

Archivist's perspective

This document does not bear the signature of Paul Magès and belongs more to the commercial department than to the design office; however, it illustrates, in negative, the market reception of the technical innovations he brought: the hydraulic gearbox and the suspension appear as little-contested assets p. 111, 113, while mechanical reliability and maintenance remain the weak point perceived by the clientele p. 110.

It is likely that this type of survey fueled, internally, reflections on the developments to be made to hydraulic systems, in continuity with previous work on hydraulic operational safety and on hydraulic leaks noted a few years earlier.