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Citroen DS Pallas Sedan 1975

General description : Much as it had with the Traction Avant in the 1930s, Citroen shocked the world yet again when it introduced the revolutionary DS to the public at the Paris Auto Salon in 1955. In creating the DS, Citroen management pushed the engineering team and designers to think outside of standard conventions and turn the automobile industry on its head. With the extensive development required, they risked the very existence of the company. When it appeared in Paris for the first time, the world was taken aback at what Citroen created. At a time when the average American upscale family car had a separate frame and leaf spring rear suspension, Citroen’s front-wheel-drive sedan featured monocoque construction, four-wheel independent suspension, and four-wheel disc brakes. But the pièce de résistance lay in the central high-pressure hydraulic system that controlled the power steering, disc brakes, and damping for the hydropneumatic suspension. Also available was a brilliant semi-automatic gearbox that utilized an automatic, hydraulically controlled clutch. Encapsulating all of that technical wizardry was a space-age body designed by sculptor Flaminio Bertoni and aeronautical engineer Andre Lefebvre. The shape was 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.” Attendees of the Paris show responded with enthusiasm, placing twelve thousand deposits on the first day alone.

For all of its technical and aesthetic brio, the DS was not intended as a one-off show car or a limited production halo car reserved for a few wealthy buyers. In practice, it was quite the opposite as the DS served as a mid-priced, mass-production family car for general consumption. Citroen produced more than 1.4 million examples in the car’s incredible twenty-year run. Throughout production, engineers continued to refine the car’s styling and mechanical specification. The many variants of the DS including the standard sedan, the luxurious Pallas, the stripped down and simplified ID, and the cavernous Safari wagon, along with many coachbuilt variations. For 1968, Robert Opron redesigned the front end, incorporating the now-iconic swiveling driving lamps behind aerodynamic glass covers. The Citroen DS is a regular addition to lists naming the most beautiful or most significant cars of the 20th century, and one drive is enough to appreciate why the DS stands as France’s most celebrated car, a beautiful blend of art, engineering, and Avant-Garde thinking.

The 1975 Citroen DS23 presented here is an outstanding original car from the final year of production, featuring numerous desirable options. This “FG-Series” model has the 5-speed manual gearbox and the most powerful engine offered in a standard DS: The 130 horsepower, fuel-injected 2.3-liter inline four. This well-maintained European market example spent much of its life in Switzerland, and it presents in marvelous, highly original condition finished in black over natural Pallas leather trim. The body is crisp and straight, with beautiful paintwork and detailing. A minor touchup or two can be found on inspection; however, the overall presentation is gorgeous.  Stainless steel bumpers, wheel covers, and trim all present in excellent condition, showing some light polish marks yet remaining straight and in fine order. It rides on excellent Vredestein Sprint Classic radials, which give a period-correct look paired with modern performance ability.

As a top-line Pallas model, this car has all of the posh, luxurious trim. The natural tan leather is excellent, showing light creasing in the seating surfaces that is consistent with this being a low mileage original example. The same tan leather covers the door panels, and armrests, and presents in similarly excellent condition. Carpets are clean and tidy, and in the rear, they retain the correct ultra-plush foam underlayment. Such details make being a passenger in a DS an absolute delight. Later models such as this feature a textured plastic instrument panel, which in this car is excellent and crack-free. Similarly, the delicate switches and controls are in fine condition, showing this car has enjoyed a charmed existence.

Detailing under the bonnet is appropriate for an original, well-maintained example. The engine bay is tidy and shows signs of regular maintenance, retaining the original Bosch electronic fuel injection and correct fittings and hardware. Paired with the torquey engine is the preferred 5-speed manual gearbox, operated via a column mounted lever. The hydraulic system works as it should, raising the car off the bump stops shortly after startup, and cycling through the various ride height settings swiftly and smoothly. The high-pressure hydraulic disc brakes and power steering also operate as they should, allowing for effortless, relaxed motoring.

After more than a million examples built over twenty years, the DS never seemed dated or old-fashioned thanks to continual refinement of the original concept. This car is a beautiful example of the ultimate specification DS, featuring all of the improvements and upgrades made through the years that kept the car on the cutting-edge. Well-maintained and a delight to drive, this desirable DS23 Pallas is sure to reward its next keeper with miles of luxurious motoring.

https://hymanltd.com/vehicles/6382

1975 Citroen DS Pallas Sedan is listed sold on ClassicDigest in St. Louis by Mark Hyman for $58500.

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