For Sale: 1970 Citroen DS21M in Saint Louis, Missouri

To create the DS, Citroen's managers, engineers, and designers risked everything on a wholly unconventional car that would turn the automobile industry on its head. Just as it had with the Traction Avant in the 1930s, Citroen shocked the world when it unveiled the revolutionary DS at the Paris Auto Salon in 1955. At a time when a typical family car had a separate frame and leaf spring rear suspension, and a live axle, Citroen's astonishing front-wheel drive sedan featured four-wheel independent hydro-pneumatic suspension controlled via a central hydraulic system, as well as powerful hydraulically boosted four-wheel disc brakes. It also had semi-automatic shifting, unibody construction, a fiberglass roof to lower the center of gravity, and space-age styling like nothing seen before or since. So incredible was the design that the famed aesthete Roland Barthes described it as having "fallen from the sky."
Yet for all of its space-age technology and avant-garde styling, the DS was not some far-away concept car. Quite the opposite, actually. It was ready for mass production, and Citroen took 12,000 orders on only the first day of the show! Citroen ultimately built more than 1.4 million DSs during its incredible twenty-year run. Citroen offered several variants throughout production, including the standard DS sedan, the stripped-down and simplified ID, and the cavernous Safari wagon. Select outside coachbuilders also embraced the DS, with none more prolific than the great Parisian firm Henri Chapron. Limousines, coupes, and convertibles emerged from Chapron's workshop, initially as private commissions. Citroen was so impressed with the quality that they contracted with Chapron to produce an officially sanctioned cabriolet.
To turn a four-door sedan into a two-doorDecapotablecabriolet, Chapron substantially reworked each car, including reinforcing the floor pan to improve rigidity and building new panels from the windscreen back. Chapron stretched the doors, made new quarters and boot lid, and revised the rear bumper to accommodate the turn signals, which had to be moved from the standard location on the C-pillar. Thankfully, the conversion cost the DS none of its drama. Hand-built in small numbers, the Chapron Decapotable is among the most exclusive and collectible variants of the DS, with exceptional examples coveted by collectors for their achingly beautiful lines as much as for their rarity.
We are delighted to offer this lovely DS21 Pallas Decapotable by Chapron; one of just 40 Usine Cabriolets built in 1970. Bearing Carrossier Number 9346, this is a genuine example and was originally finished in Swan White with red leather.This car was shipped to Chapron on October 14, 1969, and delivery to Citroen took place on November 25, and included in the file is a copy of aletter from Madame Henri Chapron, dated June 18, 2011 confirming its build. As the car was to be exported to Canada, a heating system capable of withstanding sever frost was installed. Included with the car are photos of its restoration, some service invoices, copies of its original factory specification and documents from Citroen and Chapron attesting to its authenticity.
This DS21 was purchased new at Carrier Motors in Montreal in 1971. The first owner used it regularly before putting it in storage for a number of years. In 1988, Arnold Korne of the province of Ontario bought chassis 00FA0662 from its original owner. Mr. Korne recommissioned the Citron and performed a partial restoration. In 2011, he embarked on a six-year rotisserie restoration to original specifications. Original Citroen factory parts were used, and great pains were taken to achieve authenticity in the smallest deal. The livery was changed to Metallic Red offset by tasteful tan leather, and a new brown Haartz cloth top was installed. The mechanicals were refurbished, and the DS21 has been used sparingly since completion of the work.
Today, this DS presents in beautiful condition throughout. Typically for Chapron, the quality of the coachwork is outstanding, with doors that shut with vault-like solidity and precision. The paintwork is gorgeous, and the body fitment is exemplary. Stainless steel bumpers and sill trims are in exceptional condition, and the chrome body fittings are excellent.
For 1970, the DS21 was equipped with the 2,175 cc inline four, mated to a Citromatic hydraulically assisted gearbox which was operated via a column-mounted lever. This example is fitted with the optional Bosch D-Jetronic fuel injection which was newly offered in 1970. The four-cylinder engine makes a very respectable 139 horsepower: plenty to whisk the DS along with minimal effort. The engine compartment is beautifully detailed, and it runs very well, returning respectable performance.
The DS has famously been named by journalists and designers as one of the most influential and beautiful cars of the Twentieth Century. Its groundbreaking design redefined traditional ideas of comfort and style, while the masterful work of Henri Chapron serves to further enhance the beauty ofLe Deesse.

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