With so many new car designs being unveiled at the 2009 Chicago auto show, what would you consider the most beautiful car of all time?
Perhaps a Jaguar E-type?
Or how about a Cord 810?
Surely it must be the Ferrari 250GT.
Nope.
These are all iconic cars but the the most beautiful car ever is—drum roll please—the Citroen DS.
A panel of some of the most distinguished car designers of all time was assembled by Classic & Sports Car magazine and they votes the Citroen number #1 of all time.
According to Autoblog:
"Names like Ian Callum (famous for his Jaguar and Aston Martin designs),
Leonardo Fioravanti (of Pininfarina/Ferrari fame), ItalDesign founder
Giorgetto Giugiaro, former McLaren designer Gordon Murray, former
Pininfarina chief Ken Okuyama, and Ford's European design director
Martin Smith were all part of the jury which placed the Citroen DS
ahead of the Jaguar, Ferrari and Lotus icons that rounded out the Top 10."
Automobile magazine says:
"The DS’s self-leveling
suspension, power steering, and amazing clutch and brake feel (compared
to cars of the time) helped the car achieve its status as a technical
wonder and a mechanic’s nightmare. The car’s exterior was styled by
Italian sculptor Flaminio Bertoni and became an instant classic."
Here's the rest of the list:
Citroen DS
Jaguar XK120
Ferrari 275GTB
Cord 810/812
Ferrari 250GT Lusso
Ferrari 250GT Short-wheelbase
Jaguar E-type
Lamborghini Miura
Lotus Elan
Lotus Elite (1957)
And here's a video of the Citroen DS in action from the original French commercial.
