Tests in Algeria of the hydropneumatic suspension on Traction Avant (1954)
A film of tests conducted in Algeria in 1954 to test the heat resistance of the hydropneumatic suspension, just before the launch of the DS 19.
Film preserved and broadcast by the Paul Magès Association
Presentation and original captions
Understanding this document
In this document
No transcription has been provided for this archive: the detailed content (dialogue, intertitles, captions) is therefore not accessible here. Only the segmentation description indicates that it is a filmed document showing tests, in Algeria, of the hydropneumatic suspension on "Traction Avant" vehicles, intended to verify the performance of the hydraulic system at high temperatures, in September 1954, before the presentation of the DS 19 at the Paris Motor Show in 1955.
In the absence of a usable transcription, no other elements (names of collaborators, precise locations, technical details observed in the image) can be reliably restored.
Context
Historically, it is known that in the years leading up to 1955, Citroën carried out numerous intensive test campaigns to prove the reliability of the hydropneumatic suspension, a system invented by Paul Magès, before its integration into the future DS 19. Tests in hot climates, particularly in North Africa, were a common practice in the automotive industry to validate the resistance of hydraulic circuits to extreme conditions. These 1954 tests are in direct continuity with the development work carried out by Magès since the hydropneumatic suspension plans with differential interaction of 1944 and the first tests of the 2 CV with hydropneumatic suspension of 1946, in the same year as the test of the 15-Six H, before the presentation of the DS on 6 October 1955.
The presentation of the DS 19 at the Paris Motor Show in October 1955 is a well-known milestone in automotive history; this film would be situated, according to the description provided, in the preparatory phase of this event. This information pertains to the general historical context and not to the observed content of the document itself.
Archivist's perspective
This film seems to document a crucial, yet little-seen stage of the development of the hydropneumatic suspension for the general public: field testing, far from laboratories, in severe climatic conditions. It likely illustrates the working method of Paul Magès, who was committed to validating his inventions through real-world tests before their industrialisation.
In the absence of an available transcription, this reading remains cautious and will need to be confirmed by an in-depth examination of the images themselves.
This document finds a natural echo with The first steps of the DS 19, 8mm film by Paul Magès, which belongs to the same development period, as well as with The fabulous story of the DS, by Serge Dubor, which places these tests within the broader narrative of the model's genesis.
