The Citroen experiences

Sir,
I have read the correspondence on Citroen cars with much interest. In 1954 I purchased a big IS in which I went over 150,000 miles with very little trouble. In 1964 I purchased a new ID which has been a grave disappointment. I have done 27,000 miles in this car and it has been serviced regularly by Citroen agents who are most competent. Despite this I have had trouble with the self-starter, the brakes and the steering. It has a number of faults in design, the handbrake is very awkwardly placed and very difficult to apply, the windscreen wipers wipe only two small peep-holes, the steering is impossibly heavy in parking.

Though the car is kept in a dry garage and waxed regularly it is already showing signs of rust. The car is pleasant to drive on motorways and foreign roads but owing to its very poor acceleration it is no fun to handle on English roads and as soon as I can make up my mind what to own next I am getting rid of the Citroen.

I may say that I have some 60 years’ experience of motoring. My father owned his first car in 1901 and I owned my first car in 1923 and between us we have owned most makes from a Silver Ghost to a T Model Ford which was used for shopping in the country. My chief requirement in a car is reliability and I have no use for a fairly expensive car which gives trouble at a low mileage.

London, E.C.4. J.E.S. Ricardo.