The Citroën GS & GSA
The Citroën GS, launched in 1970, repeated Citroën's tradition of shocking the public by virtue of the amount of technology to be fitted to one car - especially a small (Escort-sized)
car priced at only £1050. 1970 proved to be a successful year for Citroën launches, with the GS winning car-of-the-year, and the SM coming third.
Powered by a 1015cc air-cooled flat four engine, all alloy, but of a design much more sophisticated than the flat twin of the 2cv (including overhead cams); its 55.5 bhp at 7000rpm allowed the car to cruise at its maximum of just over 100mph, thanks to superb aerodynamics (cd of .30 for the later GSA X1 - matched only by much more recent designs). These aerodynamics owed much to the stylish shape, derived from a pininfarina concept for the BMC 1800 & 1100/1300 - a concept later to inspire such familiar cars as the Alfasud, Vauxhall Astra/Opel Kadett, Lancia Gamma & Beta; and, of course, Citroën's own
CX
Disc brakes all round (at a time when most small to medium cars still had unassisted drums at the front) were fully powered by a hydraulic system similar to that on the DS, with similar hydropneumatic suspension, providing a superlative ride. Along with the launch of the estate, 1972 saw the first changes to the car itself, with the engine taking its first increase in size to 1220cc - later cars replaced 1015cc with 1129cc and 1220cc with 1299cc - all the time producing similar performance to larger rivals. The GS also introduced the C-Matic semi-auto gearbox; unlike the
DSsemi-auto it was essentially an automatic with a manual selector, allowing the driver to change gears without a clutch.
By 1981, the GS was in need of updating - and became the GSA, with a hatchback in place of the vertical bootlid, and impact resistant black plastic bumpers. For 1982, a CX-style dashboard with rotating drums for speed and revs was brought in. The G range finally ceased production in 1985.
Citroen Car Club UK