1971 Citroen DS21 Series 3 Safari Estate
1971 Citroen Safari Estate for sale, purchased personally by Mike Brewer from Wheeler Dealers as a light project to send to the UK since they fetch up to 40k in Europe. But with his plate full he has decided to let it go here instead.
Italian sculptor and industrial designer Flaminio Bertoni and the French aeronautical engineer André Lefèbvre styled and engineered the car giving it some of the most cutting-edge features such as its hydropneumatic self-leveling suspension, cornering headlamps, front-wheel drive, and the first mass-production car equipped with 4-wheel disc brakes.
The I4 2,175 cc motor starts and runs beautifully. It is smooth and quiet and clean-burning. The rare Semi-Automatic 4-Speed transmission shifts smoothly up and down through all of the gears. The disc brakes work well and the suspension raises and lowers as designed. It feels robust and reliable and with the front-wheel drive and famous hydropneumatic self-leveling suspension making the handling smooth as glass.
The exterior is complete and presentable falling into the driver-quality category. The consumer-level white repaint has imperfections and can be best described as a 10-footer. The car used to have dealer-installed aluminum body side molding typically sold in the '70s and '80s so we pinstriped to cover the unseemly rivet holes left behind. The wheels and tires look great along with the trim, glass, and lenses and this unusual icon gets the attention it deserves wherever it goes.
The inside is a mix of old and new. The original headrests are included though not installed. The lights, gauges, and wipers are in working order. The seats look to have been redone sometime in the distant past and are comfortable. The door panels and rugs are presentable as well. The headliner was replaced at some point and has a non-factory appearance. All in all, it is presentable and comfortable.
Some fun facts about the Citroen DS, after 18 years of secret development as the successor to the Traction Avant, the DS 19 was introduced on 5 October 1955 at the Paris Motor Show. During the 10 days of the show, the DS took in 80,000 deposits; a record that stood for over 60 years until it was eclipsed by the Tesla Model 3 in March 2016. The DS also placed third in the 1999 Car of the Century poll recognizing the world's most influential auto designs and was named the most beautiful car of all time by Classic & Sports Car magazine. Restyling for the 1968 model year was by Robert Opron giving it a more streamlined headlamp design, a notably shark-like appearance. This design had four headlights under a smooth glass canopy, and the inner set swiveled with the steering wheel allowing the driver to see "around" turns. While the Tucker Torpedo was the first to try this, Citroen was the first to mass market it.
This is a wonderful and very collectible old classic DS21 Safari and includes a plethora of spare parts and bits. For more information contact Left Coast Classics owner, Donn Dabney at 707-332-8331. The car is located in Sonoma, California. (License plate not included).
VIN: 3577047
