Description
The Citroën DS. A car that in 1955 was so far ahead of its time that rivals probably had to pause and ask themselves exactly what had just happened. And today? Today we still find it utterly fantastic. This DS21 from 1971 is finished in Rouge Cornaline with a roof in Blanc Meije. A beautiful combination of deep red and bright white that allows the car's distinctive bodywork lines to shine in full. Add a tasteful cloth interior and you have a Citroën that shows exactly why French elegance is so hard to match. Our customers usually don't seek a car that is exactly the same as someone else's. They seek character. A personality of their own. Something that suits them and not the rest of the world. This Citroën fits that vision perfectly. When the DS was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show on 6 October 1955, it caused a sensation. Within fifteen minutes hundreds of orders had been taken, and by the end of the first day the tally stood at around 12, 000. That was hardly surprising. While many other manufacturers were still building on familiar designs, Citroën presented a car that looked as though it had arrived straight from the future. The design came from Flaminio Bertoni, while André Lefèbvre was responsible for a significant part of the engineering development. Together with hydraulics specialist Paul Magès, they created a car that was not only visually revolutionary but also pushed technical boundaries. The aerodynamic bodywork, front-wheel drive, disc brakes and remarkable hydropneumatic suspension made the DS one of the most advanced production cars of its era. And that suspension remains, of course, the great story. Instead of traditional steel springs, Citroën used a system of hydraulic fluid and nitrogen-filled spheres. As a result, the DS could automatically correct its ride height and absorb bumps in a way that must have felt almost unbelievable at the time. The result is a driving experience often described as floating. But in the most positive sense. The DS glides over the road with a calm that you rarely encounter in other classic cars. Speed humps, poor road surfaces and long distances are dealt with remarkable ease. Where other cars clearly let you know what is happening beneath the wheels, the Citroën seems to prefer not to draw attention to it. This example is also specified as an Automatique. And that is a combination we find particularly appealing. Whereas many DS models feature the well-known hydraulically operated manual gearchange, this version has a fully automatic transmission with the familiar D position. You select Drive and the car takes care of the rest. Under the bonnet sits the 2. 2-litre four-cylinder of the DS21. An engine that suits the car's character. It doesn't need to perform sportingly to impress, but provides sufficient flexibility to keep pace comfortably with traffic. In this example the engine runs beautifully and quietly, exactly as we like to see in a well-cared-for DS. This Citroën was thoroughly restored in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Since then the car has been carefully maintained by specialists, and extensive documentation has been preserved. The engineering is ingenious and calls for people who understand how the various systems work together. A well-maintained DS is, after all, one of the most enjoyable classic cars to drive. The exterior condition also delights us. The paint in Rouge Cornaline has a lovely lustre and, together with the white roof, forms a particularly handsome whole. The bodywork details, trim and remaining finishing present very neatly and show that the car has been treated with care over the years. The interior is every bit as appealing. The cloth upholstery is in lovely, well-kept condition and gives the cabin exactly the warm, comfortable atmosphere for which the DS is renowned. The distinctive dashboard, the iconic single-spoke steering wheel and the characteristic controls complete the picture. Everything feels different from a conventional car. And that is precisely the point. Because whoever buys a Citroën DS is not choosing the easy route into classic motoring. You are choosing a design with a strong personality, a remarkable engineering history and a driving experience that is truly unlike anything else. A car with which you not only drive differently, but also come to look at motoring differently. And perhaps that is the finest compliment we can pay a classic. Interested? Contact Gallery Aaldering today and discover this beautiful Citroën DS for yourself. We export our vehicles worldwide, so do ask about the possibilities.
