Description
COLLECTION CARS | THE SUMMER SALE
SUNDAY 21 JUNE 2026 15:00
ESPACE CHAMPERRET, PARIS
LOT 22
1968 - CITROËN DS 21 M CABRIOLET
Chassis no. 4494044
Estimate
€170, 000 - €200, 000
Italian registration title
A French masterpiece: the DS cabriolet.
At the launch of the DS open-top, the press was fulsome, Le Figaro headlined “Shocking novelty: a drop-top whose line is particularly pure.” Paris-Presse added: “A feast for the eyes.” Building on all the technical innovations of the saloon, no European cabriolet would match the beauty but also the comfort of the DS for many years, aided by the superiority of its Citroën hydropneumatic suspension, ahead of its time. In total, 1, 365 factory cabriolets based on the DS 19 and DS 21 were built between 1960 and 1971.
The DS 21 cabriolet shown here was registered in France in 1968, originally equipped with a manual 4‑speed gearbox. It was registered 279 QZ 27 when, 11 years later, she left France for Italy where she was bought by a music engineer who used it in the summer and drove it sparingly. He moved to the USA and, unfortunately, could not export the car there, so he resolved to sell it in Milan 19 years later.
The second Italian owner bought the DS for his daughter and used it very little as well; from 1997 to 2006 it shared a garage full of sports cars… The car was restored, on a very solid base, in the early 2000s. The current owner bought it in 2006, at which time the odometer showed around 150, 000 kilometres original.
A substantial amount of mechanical work was undertaken to enable confident long-distance running. Between 2023 and 2024, many works were carried out including replacement of the clutch, timing chain, engine mounts, braking and hydraulic systems, steering box, etc… All supported by invoices, visible in the file. It is also noted that it possesses its Citroën authenticity certificate.
Today this exceptional DS is in extraordinary condition and, above all, its operation is flawless; our test will illustrate this, driving a DS cabriolet on a summer evening is always a memorable moment.
