Note from Paul Magès to Henry-Brabant on the tests of car 1028 (1 November 1964)

In this document

This handwritten note is addressed by Paul Magès to Mr. Henry-Brabant, for the purpose of tests on the prototype car "1028". It lists four points of attention before the test, followed by the tester's feedback.

Magès' note

Magès first warns about the steering: "The 1028 has a steering system of the same type as the one you have already tested but more direct and with a different return"; he recommends caution "at your first turns in town!" p. 53. An annotation in red specifies that this steering is "obtained by flat cam levers", with an angle of "55'" p. 53.

He then points out a synchronized 1st gear and a new clutch corrector, with a practical instruction: "on a hill shift 2nd → 1st foot on the accelerator" p. 53.

Third point, the dynamic correction low beams, to be tested "if possible"; an annotation in light blue specifies that it is a "test prototype without timer" p. 53.

Finally, Magès warns about new shock absorbers which "may lose their current quality during your trip" p. 53.

The tester's feedback

Dated "1.11.64", Henry-Brabant's feedback comments on each device. On the steering: "This steering almost transforms the car into a motorised vehicle [...] particularly in town as soon as one is a little used to it. No fatigue. The steering law is very well adapted"; he nevertheless wishes for "a slightly more pronounced return in sharp turns" and notes the difficulty of habituation for "the client" p. 53.

After "30 km", on the dynamic correction low beams on a hill: "it is VERY pleasant", with a "slight surprise" of "vertical vibrations of the beam" quickly forgotten; "In high beam it is also much more pleasant" p. 53.

A final assessment, not precisely dated ("?"), concludes: "Very interesting and complete tests, the 4 devices transform the car. The one for the dynamic correction of the headlight beam also seemed conclusive to me" p. 53.

Context

The model year "1028" likely designates a test vehicle numbered according to Citroën's internal practices, the company where Magès spent the majority of his career as an engineer. In this context outside the document, it is known that Citroën developed on the DS power steering systems and lighting with directional headlights and a self-levelling system, innovations of which this document seems to constitute a test milestone — without the document itself specifying the production model concerned.

Archivist's perspective

This note clearly illustrates Magès' working method: formulating precise instructions before a test, then collecting written and annotated feedback, sometimes underlined in red to highlight key points. The dialogue between the engineer and the tester, here Henry-Brabant, gives a vivid image of the development process for hydraulic and lighting devices.

It seems that this test phase is in line with the work on steering and suspension control mentioned in the road test of 2 to 5 April 1962, even if two years separate the two documents. The mention of "dynamic correction low beams" probably echoes older reflections on the uses of hydraulics mentioned in the note of 11 September 1959.