Design proposals for new nose for the DS and steerable headlamps

In addition to the work on redesigning the tail of the DS, a number of design studies were undertaken including a complete redesign of the car by Robert Opron dated 1963 (Projet D29) and various options for a new nose as sketched by Opron in 1964 and 1965.

Right a 1965 sketch for a hatchback. Citroën’s management intensely disliked hatchbacks, viewing them as utilitarian, best suited to a commercial vehicle and not befitting a car. For this reason, neither the GS nor the CX were available in this body style.
It was not until Peugeot was at the helm that the GS was restyled and fitted with a rear hatch and then renamed GSA.

Michel Harmand was a member of the design team and came up with these design proposals above right and below left and below right in 1965 and the design above left in 1967

Steerable headlamps

The opportunity was taken to incorporate steerable headlamps within the re-design.

By chance, a major headlamp manufacturer had come up with an incredibly complex electronic system to allow the lights to be connected to the steering.
Paul Magès said he could do this far more simply using cables to connect the lights to the steering rack.

On a gentle bend, the lights only turned through a small angle but on tighter bends, the inner light turned through a sharper angle.

The inner pair of lights were steered while the outer pair were aimed in the traditional manner, albeit that they were connected to the suspension to ensure the beams remained level irrespective of changes in the vehicle's attitude caused by acceleration and braking.

Above another mid-sixties design proposal