Estate that broke the bounds of convention

Nov 23 2009 Ian Johnson

Estate that broke the bounds of convention

THE LARGE capacious estate car is taken for granted these days, but in the mid-1960s this bodystyle was taking off. And one model in particular broke the bounds of what was normal in old-fashioned station wagons.

The technically advanced and stylish Citroen Safari Estate, based on the very French and very individual DS, offered self-levelling hydraulic-pneumatic suspension for extra ground clearance at the touch of a lever.

With design by Italian specialist Bertone , the Safari became a leader in European estates aided by its advanced engineering.

It was based on the DS concept which emerged from a France deeply into reconstruction after WW2. The DS and all its variants became icons of French ingenuity, flying in the face of many, sometimes stuffy design conventions of the era.

The independent hydraulic suspension system really was a marvel of the age and at the time some writers referred to the ride as being like a magic carpet.

The estate version was introduced in 1958. It was known by various names in different markets including Break in France and Safari and Familiale in the UK. It had a strong steel roof to support the standard roof rack.

In September 1962, the design was restyled with a more aerodynamically efficient nose, better ventilation and other improvements. It retained the open two headlamp appearance, but was available with an optional set of driving lights mounted on the front fenders.

These days the Safari is a rarity, although it was very solidly built. Although not as rare as the DS convertible, it is still treasured by collectors and even now is a very practical form of everyday transport.

It was full of surprises, from its futuristic one-spoke steering wheel to the ease of wheel-changing by virtue of the suspension system. One would simply adjust the suspension to its topmost setting, insert a stand into a special peg near the flat tyre, then readjust the suspension to its lowermost setting. The flat tyre would then retract upwards and hover above ground, ready to be changed.

But the hydraulic system was not foolproof and occasionally went wrong. Its central point was a high-pressure pump, which maintained pressure in two accumulators, one dedicated to the suspension and one dedicated to the car's other hydraulic systems. Thus, in the rare case of a total hydraulic failure, the first indication would be that the steering became heavy, followed by the gearbox not working; only later would the brakes fail.

The four-cylinder 1,911cc engine of the Safari was not exactly adequate for the car's size. Originally it had been planned to use an air-cooled flat six-cylinder power plant based on the two-cylinder design of the 2CV and later there were rumours of a Wankel rotary engine being fitted.

However, monetary issues scuppered the flat six and the Wankel engine was only in the early days of its development.

The 1964 version would achieve only 70mph and to propel its eight-seat bodystyle the driver had to have deep pockets because it would struggle to better 26mpg.

Later DS engines were better and more powerful, but the Safari driver of the 1960s had to soldier on with a power unit that was getting very long in the tooth.