A DS on three wheels!
A DS on three wheels!
Thanks to its hydropneumatic suspension and weight distribution, the DS is one of the only vehicles in the world capable of traveling on 3 wheels, at reduced speed and with a reasonable driver of course!
This ability was regularly highlighted, all over the world, by Citroën dealers and private individuals*. Changing wheels is also made easier thanks to the height-adjustable suspension.
The best known is André Garnier, a Frenchman exiled in the USA. A Citroën dealer in Buffalo and then in Miami, he drove the local authorities crazy at the wheel of his 3-wheeled DS in the 1960s.
(source : https://citroenvie.com/ / https://citroenvie.com/three-amazing-and-true-stories-about-andre-garnier/)
André Garnier was so intrigued by the DS’s suspension capabilities that he once removed the entire right rear wishbone, sealed the suspensions and brakes, and drove the car around town on 3 wheels! The balance of the car was so good that he thought it would be a great way for Citroën to promote this car. To prove it, he drives a DS on only 3 wheels from Buffalo to the New Jersey headquarters! It seems management didn’t approve of his audacity – perhaps thinking Andre was crazy, or that they would have a hard time promoting safe car driving – so they dismissed his idea. Disappointed, he drove back to Buffalo the same way, then continued driving around town. Of course, he was arrested by the local police for “driving a dangerous car”. He had to appear in court, but since the police had no hard evidence against him, the judge dismissed the case. However, he continued to use the car that way and continued to be stopped by the police. Ordered to appear in court, this time he was able to demonstrate to the judge (a woman) that the Citroën could run on only 3 wheels without any problem. He invited her for a drive, and she accepted! They drove around the block, the car didn’t tip over and had no issues. When they all returned to court, the judge reprimanded the officers and asked them not to bother him anymore.
Thanks to front-wheel drive and hydropneumatic suspension, his DS was as safe on 3 wheels as any other car on 4 wheels!
André Garnier (died April 13, 2019 in Virginia, USA, aged 93) was considered the North American icon of Citroën for Chevrons fans in the United States.
A few years after the end of the Second World War, André Garnier left for America to see the country that had impressed him so much. With only 350 francs under his belt and speaking no English, he eventually settled in Buffalo, NY. There, he finds a job as a dishwasher in a restaurant with a French-speaking chef. He said he slept on the streets, saw snow for the first time, changed jobs often to learn more about America, bought a car from a junk to $20, that he would enter Canada (some people there speak French, you know) for the dances, and to be drafted to fight in the Korean War which ends when he begins basic training.
André had trained in France as a mechanic and he eventually found a job in car dealerships. He was particularly good at working on Citroëns and then opened his own shop in Buffalo where he specialized in the repair of Citroën and French cars. After 10 years in Buffalo, André Garnier, tired of the snow, decided to move to Miami and open a Citroën dealership there. It is a real success! When he retired, his dealership had 37 employees. After his retirement, he and his wife Yvette moved to Clermont, Florida. Many of André’s former clients have remained in contact with him.
(source : https://citroenvie.com/)
