CITROEN’S ‘SPACE SHIP’ BODY LINES AND INTERIOR have always seemed strangely out of keeping on a car which relies on a very old-fashioned four-cylinder two-liter engine. Conversely, what a pity that an otherwise remarkably advanced motor car should be spoilt by an archaic power unit. It is probably this clash of ancient and modern which is responsible for the Citroen ID 19 and DS 19 being overlooked as a high-performance car — overlooked, that is, until the illusion is killed by a road journey through France.

There are few cars on Route Nationale 6 more difficult to pass when they are being driven with anything approaching enthusiasm, and few capacious sedans as capable of keeping up a ‘sports car’ average over the twisty stuff. Nevertheless, it has been left to key French rallymen such as Rene Trantmann, to demonstrate the full potential of the big Citroens. and to plant in the minds of a handful of tuners the thought that here is a suitable subject on which to practice their art.

One of these is a British garage lying alongside the main London-to-Portsmouth road at Send, in Surrey. It is a garage from which, a few years ago, the exciting sound and smell of Grand Prix cars pervaded the atmosphere — the home of the Connaught. The GP car is no more - a victim of financial strangulation - but Connaught Cars continues to thrive as, among other things, a Citroen agency. And one of the ‘specialties of the house,’ to coin a chef's phrase. is an ameliorated version of the less luxuriously equipped and lower powered ID 19 and known as the Connaught Citroen GT.

The aim of Connaught. which is managed by one-time racing driver Alan Brown la Formula 3 and early Formula 2 star) is to provide, for substantially the same price as a DS 19. a car packing more punch and being more attractive to drive. and lacking only a few of the frills which tend to detract from performance.

This has been achieved. at a price in Britain of £1,598 ($4,477). which compares with £1,569 ($4,393) for a new DS 19 and £1,308 ($3,662) for a new ID 19 in production form.

The conversion falls into two distinct parts, one aimed at increasing performance and the other at improving driving comfort and appreciation. The engine arrangements include fully modifying the cylinder head, raising the compression ratio from a modest 7.5 to 1 to 8.4 to 1, matching and flowing the inlet and exhaust ports, fitting a twin-carburetor manifold to take twin SUs or Solexes (as fitted to the car tested), matching the manifold to the head, fitting heavy-duty valve springs, a modified thermometer gauge and a different distributor. At the same time. some 16 pounds weight is skimmed off the flywheel.

Other GT features are power steering (power brakes have now been standardized on the ID 19), a ‘Stirling Moss’ wood rim steering wheel, the more comprehensive DS 19 dashboard. fully reclining Microcell competition-type front seats, a Kenlowe thermomatic electric cooling fan, additional body sound proofing, extra stainless steel body rubbing strips along the sides, retractable reel safety belts and Connaught body motifs.

The transmission. with its all-synchromesh gearbox linked to the front wheels and the tremendously effective hydropneumatic suspension, incorporating a self-levelling device, are unaltered from standard. The test car was equipped with Michelin ‘X‘ tires.

Like all big Citroens. this is a long-legged car, in fact the gearing is such that the overdrive top gear can only be used for effective acceleration above about 50 mph. There is minimal torque at the bottom of the rev range but against this the lightened flywheel has not only helped to boost acceleration further up the scale, but also has speeded up crankshaft deceleration during gear shifts.

In its modified form the power unit, surprisingly, has not been bench tested for output figures, but I would estimate its maximum power as about 90 horsepower at 5,000 to 5.500 rpm. For a long-stroke ‘four’ it has a remarkable appetite for revs, and can be motored at 6,500 rpm without coming apart at the seams, not that such high revs are necessary in building up maximum acceleration. 

Third gear for the most part can be used for cruising. Citroen must be one of the very few two-liter sedans in the world capable of holding over 100 mph in ‘one below high.’

The steering column gearshift is a good example of its type. with positive, if quite long shift movements, and a strong spring protecting reverse. It rests just behind the lightweight wood-rim wheel. which is a great improvement on that diabolical one-spoke safety affair they fit on the production model. It has a thinner and smoother rim and the only jarring note is the completely uninspired hub design. The DS 19-type instruments are clear to read and quite well laid out. but surely a rev counter should be standardized on this car instead of being a listed extra.

The power steering is as well conceived as any I have tried. There is still some feel from the front wheel but that arm-wrecking steering of a non-assisted Citroen has been replaced by a delightfully light and positive control. The car can be swung from lock to lock in quick succession and despite a certain amount of body sway, an accurate line can be held without much trouble. Obviously. the ID 19 is an understeerer, but the power assistance tends to minimize the effect this at the wheel; in other words. the driver is encouraged to put on more lock a fraction sooner than if he had to put a lot of physical effort into it.

Although in no sense a racing car. I put the Connaught Citroen round Brands Hatch for a few fastish laps, and was surprised to find that even with normal tire pressures. it understeered rather less than the average Mini. and could be cornered extremely fast, even to the extent of getting the back end moving.

No one who likes to feel his brakes would happily trade a normal pedal for the button control they provide on the Citroen. but after a while it becomes apparent that there are, after all, more than two positions — on and off! But the delicate foot action. coupled with the inevitable slight time delay of a booster. means that the disc brakes. although providing adequate stopping power for the engine performance. are the least attractive mechanical feature.

The seats give a moderate amount of lateral support and a pleasantly firm ride with useful behind-the-knees padding. Full ranges of adjustment allow a very comfortable driving position to be chosen. but this is then marred by the lack of any space (on right-hand-drive models) for the left foot alongside the clutch. This criticism would not apply, of course, on left-hand drive cars.

Noise level is only a little higher than normal, and far below the point where it starts to become obtrusive. For this credit goes to careful body insulation, excellent aerodynamics, and the use of the thermostatic fan which rarely came into use during the test. The aerodynamics also must play an important role in the achievement of such a favorable fuel consumption for a car of this size and weight. a figure which suggests that a lot of smaller cars on the roads today are a good deal thirstier than they have any right to be!

A car as unorthodox and advanced as the Citroen ID or DS is either liked or loathed: there are no half-measures. Its fundamental design is such that it must show up to maximum advantage in its native land, or in countries like the United States, where an ability for effortless sustained cruising over surfaces of varying quality is held to be important. For the more exacting needs of drivers with sporting instincts, in conditions when good acceleration and ease plus positiveness of control assume greater significance, Connought's offer of a ‘GT’ conversion becomes highly attractive.

John Blunsden