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On 22 August 1962, at 8.20 p.m., Avenue de la
Libération at Clamart, South West Of Paris, the DS of
the Presidency of the Republic, carrying General de
Gaulle, his wife and his son-in-law, was coming at 60
m.p.h. when it was caught under cross-fire from Bastien
Thiry’s OAS Commando. The front left and rear right
tyres were punctured. The DS did not go one inch off
course. The chauffeur, Marzoux (standing in for the
faithful Paul Fontenil, then on leave), accelerated. The
DS retained all its road-holding qualities, and was soon
out of the danger area. The Head of State had just been
saved by the cool-headedness of his chauffeur, and by
the qualities of the Citroën hydropneumatic suspension.
General de Gaulle always refused armour plating on his
car. Since then, times have changed. Attempted
assassination, which used to be exceptional, has become
an almost everyday occurrence and a risk others beside
heads of states have to face: anyone in the public eye,
whether politician, diplomat or business man. In such a
context, the dream of the protection afforded by an
armour-plated Citroën retaining the intrinsic
qualities of the standard CX became more than just a
dream. It could be done. It was done.
Look at the CX above and below: nothing, except perhaps
a slight thickening of the window surrounds, can
distinguish it from the standard cars. And yet it is a
very special model: the armour-plated "Top Protection”
CX. Better still: in spite of the 980 lbs protective
material it carries (540 lbs opaque, 440 lbs
translucent), it retains road-handling qualities and
performance figures comparable to those of the standard
CX Prestige, thanks among other things to its
hydropneumatic suspension (which keeps the car at a
constant height), to its braking and to its assisted
steering. This is quite exceptional in a car of such a
category.
Produced and marketed by Citroën with the assistance of
armour-plating specialists, the Top Protection CX has
not only a passenger compartment completely lined with
either special chromium-molybdenum-vanadium steel and
several layers of aramide fibres, or with reinforced
special sandwich-glass windows of great thickness, which
allow it to be transformed into a completely hermetic
cell (unforceable owing to electric door locks
controlled from inside); but the petrol tank and the
vital mechanical parts are also protected. Moreover the
axles and wheels, the brakes, the suspension and various
other parts are specially reinforced to cope with the
added weight, and also because it is important to have
perfect confidence in their reliability in case of
attack.
Thus fitted, the Top Protection CX retains almost
exactly the outside appearance, road-holding capacity,
braking and performance figures of a standard production
CX Prestige, as well as the same interior refinements,
further enhanced by the adoption of super
air-conditioning and an improved air-circulation system
in the passenger compartment.
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