Vehicle Description
Chassis No. 4350009
Body No. 7550
It is often said that the car in which you arrive is a statement
about the individuality and interests of the owner. So, what about
the individual who arrives in a Citroen DS 21? They've likely owned
a number of unique, special cars; this isn't their first classic.
They're interested in the unusual, the thought-provoking, something
refreshing, and something that is truly unique in its mechanical
execution. Well, what about that person who arrives in a DS 21 with
custom coachwork, invigorating to even those who have seen it all?
This DS 21 Concorde with Coachwork by Henri Chapron is such a car,
one of approximately 35 produced is an unusual antidote for the
mundane.
Ordered by French architect Jean Lavail on 15 October 1965,
Monsieur Lavail's DS 21 was given commission number 7550. Likely
heavily involved in the specification of his new coachbuilt Citroen
pullman, Lavail specified several additional extras on top of
Chapron's Series II bodywork finished in a two-tone livery of
Midnight Blue with its pavillon and malle finished in a contrasting
Shell Gray for 33,860 French Francs. In addition to the unique
color scheme, Lavail chose a set of five Robergel wire wheels,
similar to those seen on earlier Facel Vegas, recessed Marchal
iodine fog lights, and a Superplaque license plate made of stamped
metal. Inside, an interior trimmed natural leather was chosen,
smartly contrasting with the nautical exterior and featured
optional Jaeger gauges, electric windows, and a high-end Radiomatic
TA3 P8 FM stereo with an automatic Hirschmann antenna. With 5,815
Francs in additional extras and tax, Lavail's stylish new Concorde
totaled just over 40,000 Francs. The equivalent of an impressive
$8,000 at the time, it was completed on 10 December 1965.
Likely spending the majority of its life in France, prior research
indicates that it is believed to have changed hands in 1985 before
landing with a Citroen mechanic who likely saw the rarity before
him and gradually returned it to running condition at the turn of
the century. A repaint was reportedly conducted by Garage Meyer in
France before the car's export to the United States. Sold to its
most recent caretaker in 2022, this DS 21 Concorde is a remarkable
automobile, not just for Citroen's ingenious technical advances in
hydropneumatic ride quality and its semi-automatic transmission but
for Henri Chapron's rarely seen, unique interpretation of a French
avant-garde classic.
