Summary table of the number of Citroën cars with hydropneumatic suspension (end of 1988)

In this document

This handwritten sheet with a Citroën letterhead provides a quantified summary of the number of cars equipped with hydropneumatic suspension built up to the end of 1988 p. 1. The table, organised by model, lists:

Handwritten braces explicitly group DS+ID and CX+BX to form intermediate subtotals p. 1.

In the right margin are additional calculation notes: an estimate of approximately 16 [illegible] per car for 100,000 km, a total of 31,000,000 spheres and 25,000,000 suspension cylinders, as well as a cumulative hydraulic power estimated at approximately 22,000,000 HP, or about 16,000,000 kW p. 1.

The document is signed "René Chausseyrud" and dated "2/4/89" p. 1.

Context

The hydropneumatic suspension, invented by Paul Magès, was introduced for the first time on the Traction 15-Six H, tested on 3-5 April 1954 (Test of the 15-Six H), then generalised to the rear of the DS presented on 6 October 1955 and to the entire high-end Citroën range (ID, SM, GS, CX, BX). This system, based on spheres and suspension cylinders under hydraulic pressure, remained a technical signature of the brand for several decades. Paul Magès himself worked at the Citroën design office until his retirement in September 1974 (photographs of Paul Magès' retirement), about fifteen years before this quantified report was established. René Chausseyrud, whose name appears as a signatory, is not documented elsewhere in this archive; his precise role at Citroën is not specified here.

Archivist's perspective

This table probably constitutes an internal summary document, established for industrial reporting or communication purposes, recording the extent of the dissemination of Paul Magès' invention over nearly 35 years of production p. 1.

The figure of more than 6.3 million equipped vehicles, as well as the additional calculations on the number of spheres and cylinders produced, provide a concrete measure of the industrial impact of the hydropneumatic suspension p. 1. It seems that this document was designed to put into perspective, at the very end of the 1980s, the technical legacy carried by this iconic invention, while its inventor, retired in Ramatuelle since 1974, was leading a second life there as a municipal councillor.