1972 CITROËN DS 21

Design by Flaminio Bertoni

2,175cc OHV Inline 4-Cylinder Engine
Single Carburetor
115bhp at 5,500rpm
4-Speed Semi-Automatic Transmission
4-Wheel Independent Pneumatic Suspension
4-Wheel Hydraulic Disc Brakes

*Rare, North American market DS 21
*Produced in the final model-year of US market production
*Sophisticated chassis with futuristic Flaminio Bertoni-penned coachwork
*Equipped with air conditioning


THE CITROËN DS21

Citroën's magnificent, space-age DS turned the motoring world on its head when it launched at the 1955 Paris Auto Salon. Onlookers at the show were stacked ten-deep, gendarmes were called in to control the crowds and visitors began waving their Francs at Citroën representatives to get their deposits down on this most remarkable machine. With such a scene unfolding, it would be easy to assume the DS was an exotic sports car or highly exclusive limousine for the elite. But in fact, Citroën's stunning new creation was a mid-priced family sedan, taking and more than 12,000 deposits on the first day of the show! Despite the humble purpose, the DS was a technological tour de force, featuring hydraulic suspension (pioneered on the Traction Avant's self-leveling rear end), high-pressure self-centering steering, semi-automatic gearbox, radial tires, and four-wheel disc brakes. It was wrapped in a gorgeous, futuristic body penned by Italian sculptor Flaminio Bertoni and French aeronautical engineer Andre Lefebvre. The great French theorist and aesthete Roland Barthes described it as having "fallen from the sky." The DS would go on to become an enduring symbol of French ingenuity, creativity, and Avant Garde style. More than a million were built over 20 years, with everyone from middle-class families to heads of state counted among the proud owners.


THE MOTORCAR OFFERED

This elegant and sophisticated Citroën DS 21 4-door Sedan was completed at the Parisian
Ste Ame Citroën manufacturing facility during December of 1972. The DS was built for the North American market, in the final production year Citroën would market these futuristic machines in the American marketplace. The rare DS 21 looks stunning in its Sky-Blue exterior with white roof, and matching blue and white velour interior. Original ID plates and finishes in compartments attests to a well-preserved example, most likely kept as a special interest car in past decades as opposed to a daily driver. Air conditioning is fitted to keep the passenger cool and comfortable.