by Ken Nelson…..Many people who judge the build quality of a car do so by examining the size of the gaps between the body panels.In looking at the DS in comparison, they might well gasp at the large door gaps.How could Citroën let the DS with such wide-gap workmanship leave the factory?The answe ...

by Ken Nelson.....We'll all miss André – he was a real visionary for Citroën.These remembrances are from André directly - told to me when I visited him sometime around year 2000: 1.  Seems André had only been in business in Buffalo for a short while, around probably the late '50s/ea ...

by Ken Nelson.....Regarding the brake button advantages, the hydraulic system (steering, brakes, suspension) is a high-pressure system – at 2500 psi (IIRC). Braking force is modulated by the foot pressure applied to the button, rather than how far the pedal travels.In a panic stop situation, brin ...

By Ken Nelson.....A lot of car people make the snide comment "I wouldn't be caught dead in a DS" due to its appearance, so I tell them this story:You're right, you wouldn't be caught dead in a DS in a head-on.You'd most likely live through it.  A friend of mine was driving his DS in France yea ...

 by Ken Nelson.....The French seldom do anything without having a very good reason. Imagine what happens in a head-on collision when your body slams into that steering wheel.Remember the DS was introduced in 1955, when no cars I can think of had belts, let alone shoulder belts.Granted, there's ...

Ken Nelson is a Citroënvie member who owns many Citroëns, including a 1963 DS 19 Cabriolet that he has put many miles on and modified structurally to minimize body flex.  His career has been to come up with ideas for Detroit automotive companies and his interest stems from his father buy ...

Citroënvie member Ken Nelson wrote to say that he bought most of the parts in the Napa Valley auction that we mentioned were for sale on March 11.  Ken says he really doesn't have the room for them and is willing to offer them to others who might need some very early parts.  All of the parts are ...

(Requires paid member status to access.) For those of us with a Traction Avant, early Citroën D model, 2CV (or variant) or even a Panhard, the ability to balance tires on rims can be a perpetual challenge.  Modern tire balancing equipment requires that the rim have a center hole to permit the ...