This information about the Citroën GS and GSA (collectively known as the GS/A) will hopefully be of interest to both G Series enthusiasts and those new to these remarkable cars. I have not included the rotary engined GS Birotor as it is much more than a GS with a different engine and there is only one GS Birotor on the road in the UK at the time of writing. For more on the Birotor see our ‘About Citroën’ page in the main menu or click here: Rotary Power
About the author
I am Graham Wilson, the Registrar for the GS and GSA (GS/A) in the G Section of the Citroën Car Club in the UK. I have never worked for Citroën and I am just an enthusiast who now only does the most basic maintenance on my old Citroëns. I bought my first classic Citroën, a 1985 Visa Special with a twin-cylinder engine in 2004. I then purchased a 1978 GS Pallas C-matic in 2005 followed by a GSA Special 1129cc in 2007 and finally a BX 16 automatic in 2013. I still have all four of these cars as well as a 2015 C3 Picasso 1.2 PureTech Exclusive which is complemented by an electric car for local use. I can appreciate cars that are not Citroëns.
Below is a photo of my 1978 GS Pallas C-matic. It is not a hatchback: the boot lid is vertical.
The front of the GS is shown below
The next photo is my 1981 GSA Special 1129cc. This is the only known UK specification 1129cc GSA Special that is thought to be on the road. Note the plastic bumpers rather than the stainless steel ones on the GS as above.
The photo below shows the GSA’s rear hatch.
Why the GS is different from most other cars
Citroën fanatics might expect me to praise the suspension, steering, aerodynamics etc but that is not where I am going: I think that the GS is remarkable as it is one of a very limited number cars made after World War II that was effectively totally new in all areas when it was conceived. I see these ‘all new cars’ as some of the most interesting ever made as they start with as near a clean sheet of paper as possible. I have owned several ‘all new cars’ such as the Hillman Imp and more recently the original Mercedes A Class and at present a BMW i3 electric car with range extender engine. Totally new designs may not be perfect, especially when first introduced, but they typically do some things better or in a new way and the GS certainly did that as explained a little further down these notes.
Market position of GS and the later GSA
The GS was designed to fill the gap between the small Citroën 2CV based cars and the much larger DS-based family of cars. The GS is a car in the Citroën C4/VW Golf/Ford Focus class that we have today and was a direct competitor to the then somewhat smaller Golf in the 1970s. The GS started production in 1970 and had developed into the hatchback GSA by 1979. The two models ran together for a short while during the transition. Arrival dates in the UK were somewhat later than the initial production dates.
The GS is a saloon with a huge boot (‘trunk’ for US readers) for the size of car. It was complemented by a 5-door estate car and a 3-door van.
The GSA was a development of the GS and has plastic bumpers rather than stainless steel. It was available as a 5-door hatchback, 5-door estate car and 3-door van.
Other variations othe GS/A do exist but they were never present in significant numbers in the UK.
Why you want a GS or GSA today
The GS in particular can look very attractive but above all, the GS and GSA are both comfortable and wonderfully rewarding and interesting to drive:
- They have hydropneumatic suspension which means they are a very comfortable ride on the UK’s often poorly maintained roads.
- All the seats are comfortable: I travelled in the back of our GSA Special and it was as comfortable (but obviously not as spacious) as the rear of a big Citroën C6 that I had been in a week earlier.
- Both GS and GSA have wonderful steering that gives superb directional stability on a motorway: it nearly steers itself down a motorway and the GSA is better than the GS. It goes round long curves – as when one motorway joins another – with great stablility. The original curved section of the M6 joining the M1 south was a good example: in the GSA my wife never commented but in any of our modern cars that we have owned at the same time as the GSA, she said it never felt as safe and stable as a passenger. To put that in perspective we are comparing a 1981 GSA Special with a 2011 VW Golf.
- You have good visibility out of the car and very good headlights.
- The boot (trunk) is large for the size of car as the spare wheel is in the engine compartment.
- With the possible exception of the GS C-matic, performance is perfectly OK today. There is a 0-60 mph time of about 15 seconds that compares with today’s cheapest small cars with about 60 or so bhp. Official top speeds are typically in the mid-90 mph area. Cruising at 70 mph is not a problem, but 60-64 mph is much quieter. The engines are doing 4,000 revs at 60 mph. One motor magazine managed 108 mph in an 1129cc car with 55bhp.
- This next point is one that is seldom mentioned by classic car enthusiasts: compared with many cars of its day, it was safe. I think it would be reasonable to state that if you want a classic car from the 1970s to early 1980s, then the GS/A is one with fewer safety concerns. You can have a puncture in a front tyre and then steer and brake safely without any electronic gadgetry. A rear puncture has minimal effect and, on a high suspension setting, a GS can even run with one rear wheel not fitted. Compared with today’s cars, it would score well on active safety such as good visbility, safe handling and steering but not so well on passive safety which is when it hits something or it is hit by something. However, the fuel tank is protected inside the rear subframe and the engine will slide below the floor to a certain extent because it slants down towards the rear of the car and I have been told by an ‘expert’ that even the doors are remarkably strong for their period.
- Rejoice in the fact that the GS/A does not have fundamental issues with safety items like brakes. One of its more famous competitors, when both cars were new, had problems with the brake servo being on the opposite side to the brake pedal and, as I know from experience, even at low mileage from new it was very hard to stop the car quickly and it got worse as the 30,000 mile mark was passed. It is amazing how the motoring press ignored such issues at the time but the club supporting that car today knows how to cure it and that includes adding metal reinforcement to the bulkhead to stop it flexing. If you look at braking distances from 30 mph, a road test of a GS in 1975 showed it stopped in 9.11m. Compare that with recent road tests such as Audi Q8 in 10.9m; Fiesta 1.0 in 9.8m or a Skoda Kodiaq in 11.1m. There are new cars that are as good as the GS such as the 2019 model Peugeot 508 at 9.0m. The point is that a GS/A will stop well, even by today’s standards.
- There are essential parts still being made for the GS/A by the Chevronic Centre Ltd in the UK and it should be possible to keep a GS/A on the road for the foreseeable future. That is not something that can be said about many later cars. One of the reasons for this is that most of the mechanical parts of a GS/A will fit any model.
- Prices are sensible: around £3,500 should purchase a really good car. They may not appreciate much but if maintained well, the car should not depreciate over the years.
The problems you may face with a GS or GSA today:
With a total of only about 100 GS/As on the road in the UK in 2018, you would be driving a car that few garages or mechanics or rescue services would know about. You could argue that they lack ‘image’ compared with the original Citroën DS range but the GS/A is much more affordable and provides a possibly better driving experience. I am not blind to the weaknesses of the GS/A as listed below.
- These cars rust. Even if you put new old stock (NOS) doors etc on the car, the parts are still very old and seams may be hiding rust that cannot be seen or stopped easily. Even with the best underseal and wax injection, you would be asking for trouble in the long term to drive on salty slush. However, I can say from my own experience that NOS doors/wings/boot lid on our GS have survived well for over 13 years but they have been looked after properly. Remember that at the time these cars were sold new, most cars only looked good for three years, were just OK for six years and were often scrapped at nine years.
- The GS and GSA do not like strong sunlight: in particular, the rear seat backrest’s top – when made of cloth – should be kept covered as much as possible to avoid fade/rot. The steering wheel also needs to be covered if left in strong sunlight.
- The plastic chrome gutter trim does not seem to like either sunlight or rain and will go a milky colour that usually starts at the ends. These items need a lot of care to keep looking good and there are no identical new gutter trims available as they are too expensive to have re-manufactured. In fact all plastic and rubber trim needs treating regularly to stay looking good.
- Clutches can judder a little when setting off. The ‘experts’ have their views on what causes it and how to solve it. Even the GSA Pallas I had when the cars were new suffered with this problem.
- The steering is not power-assisted and can be very heavy while parking when virtually at a stand-still but as soon as the car moves, even slowly, it becomes acceptable. Some cars are worse than others: my GS is lighter than the GSA.
- The ventilation is poor on the GS and the very early GSA with a modified GS round-dial dashboard. This is because they lack a central duct for cold (and hot) air. The later GSA has an excellent central vent and a 3-speed fan rather than one fan speed for hot and a separate fan switch for cold air. If you can withstand the noise from open windows on a hot day, you may not think this is such an issue. You also have to put a muff on the front of the car in cold weather. When new, the heating was not seen as particularly good by motoring magazines as the engine is air-cooled. What I can say is that on a cold day my GS gets warm air to the screen faster than modern cars I have owned but the volume of hot air cannot match a modern car’s heat output. Beware that you need to keep a watch on exhaust leaks in the area of the heat exchanger if you do not want to suffer in the car from exhaust gases. When I have suspected a problem, I have used my house’s CO detector fastened to the passenger headrest to check for unwanted fumes.
- Be aware that the original 1015cc engine has less in common with the other engines.
- Performance of the GS C-matic is marginally acceptable today as it takes >18 secs to 60 mph. This is particularly noticeable on hills where a real third gear on a 4-speed gearbox would be used rather than using the C-matic’s torque converter assistance on top (third gear). Setting off is quite prompt – certainly with my GS C-matic – but the change from first to second is slowish and cannot be rushed and this change can be needed on a larger roundabout. If you set off in second gear, the initial response is much slower compared with using first gear but with no change of gear needed up to 60 mph or so, a C-matic can surprise some modern cars on roundabouts and, living in Milton Keynes, I have had plenty experience of roundabouts! Let us keep this in perspective though as compared with my 34bhp twin-cylinder Visa, the GS C-matic is ‘fast’. The C-matic has a ‘points box’ that affects whether the gearbox works as intended. I have had interesting discussions about whether or not the air temperature at which those point gaps are set has an effect on the gearbox – I think it does. My C-matic was jumping out of bottom gear and adjusting the ‘points box’ cured it. There are about six GS C-matics on the road in the UK out of about 60 cars in total. For the GSA it is three C-matics out of about 44 cars in total on the road. I suspect that this is a higher percentage of GS/As with a C-matic gearbox now than when sold new. Why? The C-matic did not have a traditional clutch that needed replacing. Many cars would be taken off the road or scrapped when the clutch failed as it was a long, expensive job at a main dealer. If the car was rusting as well, no wonder the cars had a short life.
- If you do not like low gearing, most GS versions may not be ideal for you. They typically have 15 mph per 1,000 revs in top gear; that means 4,000 revs at 60 mph. I find that 60-64 mph is the sweet spot for relaxed cruising on a motorway. My GS engine is like a turbine at 4,000 revs but not every 1222cc may be as good. Our GS was actually quieter than my modern 2011 Golf petrol engine was at 4,000 revs. You do need to use the gearbox to keep the car in the torque band but this is less so with the l299cc engine.
- Despite what some Club members say, I do not find it easy to work on a GS/A; I therefore let specialists do the job. I do some work on my GS/As, for example, changing light bulbs and the battery but fitting new ignition points on a GS is not – I can assure you – like doing it on a Hillman Imp or Ford Anglia where access is easy and you can easily see what you are doing.
- If you want to niggle: the GSA hatchback’s boot has quite a high vertical rear panel so you have to lift items over it to put them in the boot; some people may not like this but I find it preferable – especially when we used to camp – to the GS saloon that has a boot where you often have to get on your knees to reach to the back; this is particularly the case when the car has sunk on its suspension after a few hours.
- You really do need to look after a GS/A and if you do so, they should be reliable. I was told by a GS/A mechanic that once you get a GS/A ‘sorted’ it is a reliable car compared with some other classic Citroëns.
Conclusion: the GS/A’s potential rust issues preclude it from serious use all year round if you want it to survive looking good. However, that can be said for most classic cars from around the 1970-1980 period. I do not believe that hosing the car down underneath after travelling in a salty slush will do much good: there are so many nooks, crannies and ledges that you could be just forcing the saline solution into more places where it is not wanted but other enthusiasts may not agree with me. The GSA scores with the practicality of a hatchback compared with GS saloon’s boot. Other than the very early cars, the GSA has better heating and ventilation and a higher top gear than the GS in most versions. The GS counters with what most would see as a more attractive body with classic car features like stainless steel bumpers. Thus I tend to use the GS more in the spring and autumn and the GSA more in summer.
Basic facts for the UK Citroën GS
Production started:
1970 but arrivals in the UK seem to begin in 1971.
Production ended:
1980 and possibly a few vehicles were made in 1981.
Total production:
Approximately 1,896,000
Number taxed and on the road in the UK:
Approximately 60
Body types:
Saloon (Berline); Estate (Break); Van (Entreprise)
Dimensions and weight of GS Saloon (dimensions also for Service Van):
Metric: Length 4.120m; width 1.608m; height 1.349m; kerb weight 925 kg
Imp: Length 13’ 6.25”; width 5’ 3.25”; height 4’ 5”; kerb weight 2039 lbs
Dimensions and weight of GS Estate:
Metric: Length 4.120m; width 1.608m; height 1.349m; kerb weight 935 kg
Imp:Length 13’ 6.25”; width 5’ 3.25”; height 4’ 5”; kerb weight 2072 lbs
Luggage capacity of GS saloon:
Rear seats up: 464 litres; 16.4 cu.ft
Luggage capacity of GS Estate:
Rear seats up: 708 litres; 25.0 cu.ft
Rear seats folded: 1501 litres; 53.0 cu ft
Luggage capacity of GS Service Van:
1660 litres; 58.6 cu ft
Turning circle between kerbs all versions:
9.4m; 30’ 10”
Tyres:
145-15 ZX radials all versions
Engine:
All have a flat-4, air-cooled engine with a fixed fan (not driven by a drive belt).
1015cc – this was the original engine with about 55bhp at 6,750 revs!. It lacked low down torque and needed high revs too much of the time according to some road testers in the past.
1129 (1130)cc – This engine effectively took over from the 1015cc motor; it had about the same bhp but more ‘go’ at lower revs. It was the ‘economy engine’ for the GS and had a gearbox with a higher top gear than the 1222cc GS cars.
1222cc – This was the most widely sold engine in the UK GS. It had 60 bhp and was (according to many) the smoothest and sweetest of all GS/A engines. It had more torque than either of the above engines. A more powerful version with 65 bhp was fitted in the GS X2.
1299cc – Only the GS X3 was fitted with the 1299cc engine that was the main engine in the UK’s GSAs. It had a lot more torque for low rev pulling power than any of the above engines. Some owners may have fitted a 1299cc engine to a GS that was not an X3.
Gearbox:
4-speed manual – with a standard ‘H’ pattern for the four forward gears.
There are at least three different sets of gearing:
1015cc have 14.3 mph/1,000 revs in top = 4,895 revs at 70 mph;
1129cc have 16.6 mph/1,000 revs in top = 4,216 revs at 70 mph;
1222cc have 15.1 mph/1,000 revs in top = 4,635 revs at 70 mph;
The GS X2 and X3 are about 15.6 mph per 1,000 revs.
Comment: a 1222cc engine with the higher gearing of the 1129cc engine’s gearbox would be a nice combination but it was not sold in the UK as far as I am aware. For those desperate for a higher top gear, this swap would be easy compared with trying to fit a five-speed gearbox that requires bodywork modifications.
3-speed semi-automatic ‘C-matic’ – Is a manual gearbox with three-speeds but no clutch; the oil pressure in the torque converter drops as you move to neutral and then pressure builds up to drive the car as you go into the next gear. You can set off in any gear but it is not really sensible in top gear as it is too slow. There is no ‘Park’ position on the GS C-matic so you cannot leave it safely in gear on a hill; you only have the handbrake and so it is best to take extra care and carry a chock of wood like I do to put behind a wheel if parked on a hill. Its top gear is about 15.1 mph/1,000 revs like most GS 1222cc cars. Note: the GS five-speed gearbox and C-matic with ‘Park’ will not fit a GS unless the bodywork around the gearbox is modified.
GS Performance – typical:
1015cc: 0-60 16 to18 secs; max 89-92 mph
1129cc: 0-60 16 secs; max 91-93 mph
1222cc: 0-60 15 to16 secs; max 94 mph
1222cc X2: 0-60 15 to16 secs; max 97-100 mph
1299cc X3: 0-60 14.7 secs; max 101 mph
C-matic 0-60 18.1 secs; max 92 mph
Fuel consumption:
If you get below 30 mpg, you are probably driving very fast or doing lots of short runs. It is unlikely to do more than 40 mpg. Be happy with low to mid 30s mpg.
The data below is from a variety of sources and shows the range of mpg:
1015cc: 23.8 – 29.8 mpg
1129cc: 29.2 – 38.1 mpg
1222cc: 24.8 – 33.6 mpg; 27.1 DIN mpg
1222cc X2: 29.4 – 34.8 mpg
1299cc X3: 27.6 – 35.7 mpg
C-matic 26.9 mpg urban; 38.2 mpg @ 56mph
Note: estate models are slightly worse on performance and mpg.
Brakes:
The GS has disks all round; inboard at the front on either side of the gearbox. The handbrake works on the front wheels on separate pads. There are tales of MOT testers who do not know the GS/A who have failed the car for having an ineffective handbrake because they expected the rear wheels to be braked on the rollers.
Suspension:
Hydropneumatic on all four wheels; front has wishbones and the rear has trailing arms.
Basic facts for the UK Citroën GSA
Production started:
1979 but arrivals in the UK seem to begin in late1980.
Production effectively ended:
1985 and a few vehicles were sold in 1986.
Total production:
Approximately 576,000
Number taxed and on the road in the UK:
Approximately 44
Body types:
Hatchback; estate (Break); van (Entreprise)
Dimensions of GSA Hatchback:
Metric: Length 4.195m; width 1.626m; height 1.349m; kerb weight 955 kg
Imp:Length 13’ 9.25”; width 5’ 4”; height 4’ 5”; kerb weight 2105 lbs
Dimensions of GSA Estate:
Metric: Length 4.156m; width 1.626m; height 1.349m; kerb weight 965 kg
Imp: Length 13’ 7.5””; width 5’ 4”; height 4’ 5”; kerb weight 2127 lbs
Luggage capacity of GSA Hatchback:
Rear seats up: 430 litres; 15.2 cu.ft
Rear seats folded: 1387 litres; 49.0 cu ft
Luggage capacity of GSA Estate:
Rear seats up: 640 litres; 22.6 cu.ft
Rear seats folded: 1492 litres; 52.7 cu ft
Luggage capacity of GSA Service Van:
This is GS data but GSA should be similar: 1660 litres; 58.6 cu ft
Turning circle between kerbs all versions:
9.6m; 31’ 8”
Tyres:
145 SR15 all versions
Engine:
All have a flat-4, air-cooled engine with a fixed fan (not driven by a drive belt).
1015cc – was not fitted to the UK GSA by Citroën.
1129 (1130)cc – very few GSAs were sold in the UK with the 55bhp 1129cc engine and they were only in the GSA Special for about 9 months in 1981 as far as I can work out.
1222cc – was not fitted to the GSA by Citroën but may be found in a GSA as a result of engine swaps.
1299cc – this engine has about 65bhp but torque is much greater than with any of the other engines. It thus has a lot more low down power and I can assure readers that this was clearly evident a few years ago when I drove my GSA 1129cc and then a 1299cc GSA.
Gearbox:
Four-speed manual –
1129cc – geared at 16.6 mph/1,000 revs in top = 4,216 revs at 70 mph
Also fitted in many 1299cc GSA Specials.
Note: This gearbox was originally fitted to my GSA 1129cc Special (Special means ‘cheap’) and cruising at 70 mph was just about OK for someone who does not like too much noise and it was certainly better in this respect than my GS Pallas C-matic. However, when I fitted the car with a short ratio 5-speed gearbox, it became a much better motorway car and fourth gear can even be used at 70 mph. That can be useful on motorway hills when laden. In comparison, you would not want to use third gear at 70 mph on the four-speed gearbox. I was amazed to find that the 1129cc engine would pull fifth gear smoothly on a flat road at 30 mph.
5-speed manual short ratio – with dogleg fifth gear forwards on the right.
Top gear (fifth) has 17.67 mph/1,000 revs giving 3,962 revs at 70 mph. It was on the ‘X’ versions of the GSA to give a better throttle response and – it would seem – a slightly higher top speed. Top gear (fifth) was not as high (high = lower revs for a given speed) as on the normal long ratio gearbox found on the majority of GSAs. Some X models were changed from the short to long ratio 5-speed gearbox for quieter motorway cruising and that is where my GSA short ratio gearbox came from.
Five-speed manual long ratio – with dogleg fifth gear forwards on the right.
Top gear fifth gear has 18.7 mph/1,000 revs in top giving 3,743 revs at 70 mph
This gearbox provides the lowest number of revs for any GS/A when cruising on a motorway. Before anyone comments, I am not considering the Axel model’s gearbox – a car from Romania.
Three-speed semi-automatic ‘C-matic’ – with ‘Park’ unlike that on the GS. It is a manual gearbox with three-speeds but no manual clutch – the oil pressure in the torque converter drops as you move to neutral and then pressure builds up to drive the car as you go into the next gear. You can set off in any gear but it is too slow in top gear. It is geared at about 16.6 mph per 1,000 revs in top and thus similar to the four-speed GSA’s top gear.
GSA Performance – typical:
1129cc: 0-60 mph 16 secs (GS data); max 93-95 mph
1299cc 4-speed 0-100 km/h 14.2 secs; max 96-99 mph
1299cc 5-speed long 0-60 mph 14.6 secs; max 97-100 mph
1299cc 5-spd short X3 0-100 km/h 13.8 secs; max 100.7 mph
C-matic 0-100 km/h 15.6 secs; max 95-97 mph
Fuel consumption:
If you get below 30 mpg on average, you are probably driving very fast or doing lots of short runs. It is unlikely to do more than 45 mpg. Be happy with mid 30mpg overall. My 1129cc GSA with its short ratio 5-speed gearbox did 39.7 mpg on a 2,000 mile holiday to the north coast of Scotland and I was cruising at the legal limits.
The data below is UK Government mpg: Urban mpg 56 mph 75 mph
1129cc four-speed 30.1 44.8 34.9
99cc four-speed 33.2 44.8 34.4
1299cc five-speed long 33.2 47.1 37.7
1299cc five-speed short – – –
1299cc C-matic 25.2 36.2 29.1
Note: Estate models are slightly worse on performance and mpg.
