60 years old and still one the prettiest cars ever made.

The space age Citroën DS will be celebrating its 60^th birthday at the capital’s premium classic car show

To some it is the most beautiful car of all time, a ‘Goddess.’ To others, it was the most technically advanced car of its era, a revolutionary machine that was years ahead of its time.

Today, almost 60 years after its birth, the Citroën DS still has the ability to turn heads like few other classic cars.

The DS (pronounced Déesse, the French word for Goddess) was launched at the 1955 Paris Motor Show where its avant-garde design stunned show goers. Some 743 orders were taken in the first 15 minutes of the show opening and by the end of the first day that total had risen to an incredible 12,000.

At a time when most cars were rear-wheel drive and running on old-fashioned ‘cart springs’, the DS19’s futuristic specification featured front-wheel drive, hydropneumatic self levelling suspension, a semi-automatic gearbox and even a fibreglass roof to lower the centre of gravity.

To celebrate the diamond anniversary of the car that, according to French philosopher Roland Barthes, looked as if it had ‘fallen to earth’, the DS will be enjoying several significant birthday parties during 2015. These special celebrations will kick off when the original DS takes centre stage at the inaugural London Classic Car Show in January.

The homage to the DS and its sibling the ID (pronounced Idée, French for Idea) will include a number of different examples including the Break or Safari estate car and the highly collectable convertible or décapotable.

And bringing the story right up to date, the London Classic Car Show marks the UK debut of the new, stand-alone DS brand. The separation of Citroën and DS was announced on 1 June and the two marques exhibited side by side as two distinct brands for the first time in Europe at this month’s (October) Paris Motor Show. The aim of DS is to return the French automotive industry to the ranks of the premium carmakers, which could mean some future classics along the way.

Held at ExCeL in London’s Docklands from 8-11 January 2015, the London Classic Car Show will kick-start the New Year with a feast of mouth-watering and rare classic cars, many of which will be driven up and down The Grand Avenue, a highly original runway driving through the heart of the show.

While other car shows are static affairs, at the London Classic Car Show the exhibits will be brought to life. So as well as seeing the cars in action, visitors will be able to enjoy an orchestra of engines as they are fired up.

And with a number of V12-engined Ferraris, V8 American muscle cars and historic racing cars promised, the result will be one heck of a symphony!

The London Classic Car Show is the latest creation from Brand Events, the company behind all-action car shows like Top Gear Live. Grand Avenue will not be the show’s only innovation.

As well as special features from show curators TV chef James Martin and Top Gear’s James May, the London Classic Car Show will be running an investors’ forum explaining how a well chosen classic car could be a much better investment than stocks and shares… as well as being much more fun.

Tickets are now available from the show website – www.thelondonclassiccarshow.co.uk – where early bird discounts reduce the on-the-door standard entry price from £25 to just £22.50.

Also available are family and group tickets, premium entry packages and access to the exclusive Preview Evening on the opening night, Thursday 8^th January. Premium Tickets, which have limited availability, will give visitors access to The Grand Avenue’s premium viewing area, a complimentary drink, Fast Track entry and complimentary cloakroom and a free copy of Octane magazine.

Fiat Group Automobiles UK has just opened ordering for its latest addition to the Fiat 500L family

• All-road look, raised suspension, specific equipment and Traction+ control system which increases the vehicle’s handling on difficult terrain and in low grip conditions
• City Brake Control system supplied as standard
• Prices range from £17,095 OTR for the 1.4 95 hp petrol up to £19,590 for the 1.6 105 hp MultiJet diesel

Fiat Group Automobiles UK has just opened ordering for its latest addition to the Fiat 500L family, the Fiat 500L Trekking. The new model combines a new stylish look and features Traction+ technology, an innovative traction control system that improves handling on difficult and slippery terrain thus guaranteeing excellent performance when setting off. The new model offers the same functional and practical qualities of the Fiat 500L, but has a more dynamic and aggressive look.

Prices start  at just £17,095 OTR for the 1.4-litre 500L Trekking  – a price that is £700 more than the Lounge trim level but includes a number of  additional style and safety features as standard.

Standard features on the 500L Lounge model includes 5-inch touchscreen radio with Bluetooth, six airbags, ESC (Electronic Stability Control) including ASR/MSR, Hill Holder, ABS +EBD, body-coloured electric door mirrors, cruise control, leather gearknob and steering wheel, automatic dual zone climate control, side mouldings, rear parking sensors, electric rear windows, automatic lights with rain sensors, front fog lights and rear armrest.

The new top-of-the-range 500L Trekking is loaded with even more features and adds 17” alloy wheels with Mud and Snow tyres, Traction+ system, specific suspension together with privacy glass and City Brake Control as standard providing customers with great value in terms of equipment and safety.

To emphasise its sporty outdoor character, the 500L Trekking features specific front and rear bumpers, side skirts and mouldings, air intakes, skid-plate and standard fog lights for an even more aggressive and dynamic look.

The Fiat 500L Trekking has a raised suspension of 13mm to enable it to drive over rough ground more effectively and is equipped as standard, with new 17” diamond alloy rims with 'snowflake' Mud and Snow tyres ensuring maximum road holding and traction, even in the toughest grip conditions.

The interior on the Trekking version features new high-tech fabric seat upholstery with eco-leather inserts. Customers can choose between two different combinations: magnesio grey fabric with brown leather inserts or black fabric with white inserts.

The new Fiat 500L Trekking is available with a choice of seven body colours including New Age Cream, Bossa Nova White, Dark Wave Black, Heavy Metal Grey, Opera Red, Beatbox Green and the brand new colour,  Hip Hop Yellow, which is unique to the Trekking model.

Customers are able to choose between a body colour, White or Black roof and there are a total of 17 colour combinations including 10 bi-colour.

The engine line-up for the Fiat 500L Trekking will be the same as on the standard 500L, with a choice of four low emissions engines (Euro 6 petrol and Euro 5+ diesel), with Start&Stop as standard on TwinAir and MultiJet engines. The full engine line-up comprises the award-winning TwinAir 0.9-litre petrol (105 hp), 1.4-litre 16-valve petrol (95 hp), 1.3-litre 16-valve MultiJet diesel (85 hp) with manual or Dualogic transmission, and 1.6-litre 16-valve MultiJet diesel (105 hp).

Traction+ system

The key feature of the new Trekking version of the Fiat 500L is its adoption of Traction +, Fiat’s innovative traction control system that improves traction over harsh and slippery terrain and costs far less than conventional 4x4  systems.

The new Traction + system uses the advanced hardware present on cars equipped with ESC, but is far more than a simple extension of ESC. Thanks to special algorithms for controlling and managing the braking system, the control unit electronically simulates the behaviour of a self-locking electromechanical differential. Software optimisations and the fact that force is applied through the normal (hydraulic) braking circuit makes the system’s action more progressive than that of conventional systems. Though performance is easily comparable, the system is much lighter. The system is activated using a button on the dashboard, and can be operated at speeds of up to 19 mph.

Under conditions of low or zero grip from any drive wheel, the control unit detects slip and commands the hydraulic circuit to apply braking force to the slipping wheel, thus shifting drive to the wheel on the surface offering better grip. This makes it easy to drive, maintains directional stability and control, and ensures the best possible traction even over the roughest surfaces with poor grip.

City Brake Control

The Fiat 500L is one of the safest cars on the road today, as demonstrated by the prestigious Euro NCAP 5-star rating with an overall score of 83/100.  The Fiat 500L Trekking  is the first car in the Fiat range to provide City Brake Control as standard- it is an option on Panda and the rest of the Fiat 500L range. This system is designed to reduce the effects of low-speed collision in traffic.  By sending out laser impulses and registering how quickly they’re reflected, City Brake Control can detect remotely how far the car is from other obstacles.

This information is gathered by a sensor behind the windscreen which then transfers it to an electronic control unit for processing. If the control unit thinks the car is going to have a collision and the driver isn’t doing anything to stop it, the brakes are applied. Depending on variables such as weather conditions, road surface and tyre condition, a crash can either be avoided or the consequences minimised. It operates at speeds between 3 and 19 mph  so it won’t cut in during parking manoeuvres or at speed when it could create a dangerous situation.

City Brake Control operates on the braking system providing three additional functions: Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), Prefill and Brake Assist. Using the same laser sensors as City Brake Control, the AEB assesses the position and speed of obstacles and whether they pose a threat or not. If it decides that they do, it applies the brakes automatically while reducing engine torque if the accelerator pedal hasn’t been released.

The Prefill function primes the braking system to give a quicker response when the AEB system takes over. Brake Assist uses sensors to recognise emergency situations and alters the brake pedal’s response to achieve quicker braking in an emergency.

“We are delighted to introduce the Fiat 500L Trekking, the latest addition to the Fiat 500L family,” says Elena Bernardelli, marketing director, Fiat UK.

“The new 500L Trekking offers a reinterpretation of the 500L design, with  high-impact style elements and added safety features.

"The new model will appeal to style conscious families who require the space for five people combined with functionality and practicality."

On the road pricing for Fiat 500L Trekking is as follows:

Model                                                   Total OTR Total
1.4 Trekking (95hp)                            £17,095.00
0.9 TwinAir Trekking (105hp)           £18,590.00
1.3 MultiJet Trekking (85hp)                 £18,590.00
1.3 MultiJet Dualogic Trekking (85hp) £19,490.00
1.6 MultiJet Trekking (105hp)                 £19,590.00