Originally Posted by
njsimca
Obviously, most of the greatest advances of the DS were lost on the automotive industry in general... the amazingly complex hydraulic assists, the incredible comfort, the fun of driving the thing have never been equalled, even 50 years later. Look at the inboard front disc brakes, the high-mounted turn signals, the pillarless window glass, the safety steering wheel and, later, the incredibly simple swivelling headlights. I think Lexus has them now, but they are electrically operated, and who knows (or cares) if or how they work! There will never be a car that makes me feel quite as special as I did piloting the Goddess!
Great fun could be had, and probably great strain on the hydraulics, if you came to a stop light and (without ever taking your hands from the wheel!) held your foot firmly on the brake. (Normally, one would release the brake pedal a little, or completely, and the car would level out, as, inevitably it would be a tiny bit off level as a result of the stopping). Well, by holding the brake pedal, tremendous pressure builds up as the car tries and tries to level itself, which it cannot do because the rear wheels need to rotate ever so slightly in order for the level to change. If the brake is held tight, they cannot rotate. After a few seconds, completely release the brake pedal and the car will SHOOT up or down (depending on which direction it was attempting to go). If you then quickly press the brake and hold it in that extreme position, the cycle will begin again, and you can literally shoot up and down - it's AWESOME and makes people FREAK OUT!!
As it turns out, the curved, single spoke of the DS steering wheel rests at about 7:30 or so on the clock face, and is meant to direct (throw) the driver towards the centerline of the car in a nasty crash, presumably where he will be best protected.