There's safety in numbers 

1.Large diameter front disc brakes which do not fade or distort.

2.Full power operated braking system.

3.Disc pad warning light on the dashboard.

4.Twin circuit braking system.

5.Parking and emergency brake operating separate disc pads.

6.Featherlight pedal pressure. 

7.Brake pressure automatically distributed between front and rear according to load.

8.Special air ducts to keep brakes cool.

9.Twin headlamp system. 

10.Long range quartz iodine driving lights.

11.Driving lights linked to steering for directional control.

12.Self-levelling headlamps.

13.Specially contoured seats to prevent driving fatigue. 

14.Sun visor adjustable to shade front door windows. 

15.Safety design door handles. 

16.Panoramic screen with slim pillars.

17.Calibrated braking distance chart on speedometer. 

18.A single spoke steering wheel for a clear view of the instruments and warning lights.

19.Gear selection by finger-tip control.

20.Demisting duct for side windows.

21.Two position mirror. Anti-dazzle setting for night driving, normal for day.

22.Combined two speed windscreen wiper and electric screenwasher controlled on the steering column. 

23.Electrically heated rear window for constant clear view. 

24.Frameless side-windows for increased visibility.

25.A wide front track for high cornering stability. 

26.Weight concentrated on front wheels for maximum adhesion. 

27.The automatic height correctors maintain a constant ground clearance whatever the load being carried.

28.Air-cushion suspension provides perfect road-holding and extreme comfort. Built-in shock absorbers for efficiency and reliability.

29.The extra long wheelbase gives the ultimate in stability and roadholding. 

30.Rack and pinion steering for precision control. 

31.Steering power assisted to reduce fatigue.

32.Michelin XAS radial-ply tyres are standard fitting.

33.Front wheel drive like all Citroën cars since 1934.

34.Safety single spoke steering wheel collapses under impact. 

35.Rigid rear and side chassis members of great strength for maximum passenger protection.

36.The extra weight of the chassis platform lowers the centre of gravity.

37.Both engine and boot compartments are specially designed to absorb shock on impact.

38.The spare wheel is mounted in the front protection zone to act as buffer on collision.

39.The perfect aerodynamic shape offers maximum high speed stability.

40.Fuel tank placed forward of the rear wheels, protected from collision and in its own compartment. 

41.The price of safety starts at £1420.

Some cars have some. Others have others. Only the Citroën has them all.  

This is a reconstruction of a newspaper advertisement by Citroën Cars Limited circa 1967 - 1969. My reasons for reconstructing and showing this ad are many. 
The first thing that struck me was that in this era of the sound-byte, it is far wordier than anything that might be produced nowadays. 
The second thing that struck me was the inconsistent hyphenation employed in the word road-holding (items 28 & 30). 
Leaving aside the examples of the copy writer's hyperbole - "the perfect aerodynamic shape" - it is clear that this ad was written by an enthusiast, rather than a "professional". 
Is this one of the first examples of an ad majoring on safety? Obviously this pre-dates any of Volvo's safety-oriented campaigns. While on the subject of Volvo, I recall an interview with a pair of senior people from Volvo and Citroën published I believe in CAR on the merits of active versus passive safety - you can guess who was in which corner. If anyone has this article I would greatly appreciate a copy. As I recall it, Citroën's stance was that the dynamics of the vehicle's handling and roadholding, coupled with predictability of responses should result in a vehicle that will be able to avoid accidents while Volvo's view was that accidents are unavoidable and therefore one should design a vehicle that will minimise the effects of an accident on the human frame. 
Of course the truth lies somewhere between the two.
I also recall reading an American publication entitled "Europe on $5 & $10 a day" which warned readers that they should beware of European cars, particularly the Citroën DS which may appear to be moving very slowly when in fact it may be travelling at speeds in excess of 100 mph. It also warned drivers not to tailgate the DS because its braking abilities far outweigh anything that an American car can do. 
Presumably many of the 40 safety-related items listed were sufficiently unusual in the late sixties to warrant a mention. By my calculations, at least 30 of these features are to be found on the XM .
Interestingly, there's no mention of seatbelts in the ad although they were a standard fitting (I believe) - certainly all my father's DS's of this era were fitted with them. As a layman with little knowledge of vehicle construction, it appears to me that with the exception of air bags and side impact bars, there have been few improvements in vehicle design from a safety point of view. 
Since this ad predates the mid seventies oil crisis and is safety oriented, it is hardly surprising that "the perfect aerodynamic shape" offers only the benefit of "maximum high speed stability" without any mention of low fuel consumption. Finally, that "perfect aerodynamic shape" was eventually matched by Ford with the introduction of the Sierra in 1981 - both had a Cd factor 0.34.

© Julian Marsh 1995 (parts Citroënian 1995). 
A version of this appeared in the Citroënian, the magazine of the Citroën Car Club in 1995 and can also be found in the Citroën Connection .