Year of manufacture 1970 Recorded mileage 31,300 Asking price £39,950 Vendor DD Classics, Richmond, London; 020 8878 3355; ddclassics.com WHEN IT WAS NEW Price £2490 Max power 125bhp Max torque 135lb ft 0-60mph 11.2 secs Top speed 114mph Mpg 21-28
Every time I see a Citroën DS, it’s an ‘I want one’ moment. There’s no mistaking its shape that, when launched in Paris in 1955, must have been so bold and daringly different. French philosopher, essayist and literary theorist Roland Barthes even wrote that it seemed to have ‘fallen from the sky, in as much as it appears at first sight as a superlative object’, such are its otherworldly, Flaminio Bertoni-penned looks. Unlike some with their brighter hues, this example’s simple, muted silver finish, paired with even shinier wheeltrims, only enhances its sci-fi feel – which soon turns to decadent luxury at the sight of the rich, deep-red velour upholstery within. That this Gris Palladium shade was reserved for the Pallas models just adds to its allure.
This DS21 is being offered by DD Classics and is left-hand drive, with a semi-automatic gearbox and electronic fuel injection. It was sold new in The Netherlands and remained there until sourced by model specialist Andrew Brodie Engineering to join a collection in the UK in 2014, the car having been driven back after purchase – testament, surely, to its fine condition. As part of that cache it has shared garage space with exotics including a Maserati Mexico and Citroën SM, and has been with the same keeper ever since. It has been fettled by marque specialists, including a restoration in The Netherlands, and DD Classics’ Chris Wainwright describes it as a turnkey car with “millimetre-perfect bodywork” and an original interior that is “like new, showing zero wear”. He adds: “Where the DS stands out is the ride �
