Citroën dashboards 1

Citroën's dashboard design has often been as avant garde as has ever been encountered in a production car. The choice of front wheel drive with the gearbox being located ahead of the engine has led to some novel gearchanging mechanisms ranging from the `push me pull you' change of the Traction and 2 CV and derivatives, through to the powered change of the DS and the column shift of the ID (the latter, while being unconventional today was fairly normal in the 50s, 60s and even into the 70s. The single spoke wheel was first introduced in 1955 in the DS and was to continue in use until the mandatory fitting of airbags killed the concept at the beginning of this decade. Other innovations included the lunule or PRN minor controls and of course indicators that did not cancel themselves automatically.

Wooden dash in Slough built Traction.
The minimalist dashboard of the Traction was embellished with extra instrumentation and wood on cars built at Slough.

Dash from 1955 2CV.
The minimalist theme was continued in the 2 CV . 

Dash from 1955 DS 19 .
As revolutionary as its external appearance and hydraulic systems was the interior of the DS. The DS dashboard was the largest nylon moulding ever employed in a motor car. The gearchange lever is located between the wheel and the instrument panel. 

Dash from 1958 ID 19 .
The `simplified DS' - the ID employed a dash which was simpler than that of the DS but no less avant-garde. The gearchange was by a column lever.