Description
DEPOSIT TAKEN: 31/ 10/ 2024 At its debut at the 1955 Paris Motor Show, the Citroen DS didn’t just raise a few eyebrows; it genuinely stunned its audience and set a new benchmark for automotive design in the post-war, space-age era, introducing engineering and aesthetic breakthroughs that went on to influence designers and engineers for decades to come. No wonder 12, 000 advance orders were taken. It got its futuristic good looks from designer Flaminio Bertoni and the French aeronautical engineer André Lefèbvre styled and engineered the car. The Paul Magès-developed hydropneumatic suspension might appear complex but it is actually easily understood. Comprising an engine-driven seven-cylinder axial pump that pressurises a high-pressure regulator and six-nitrogen-filled spheres, the result is a ride that was akin to floating on a magic carpet. Ridiculously, as you will read later, you could even remove a rear wheel and the self-levelling system would allow you to drive as if nothing had happened. This bonkers but hugely impressive system also powered the brakes (which were operated by, of all things, a mushroom button), steering, clutch and - we’re not making this up - the gearbox. Only the engine, which was a hemi-head straight-four derived from the Traction Avant, was of a recognisably conservative design. But the DS didn’t stop there. Oh no. What else? How about dynamic headlights that followed the front wheels around corners, a dashboard with revolving orbs for instruments, and its status as the first European production car to feature disc brakes? During its 20-year production cycle it won a Monte Carlo rally, lost its roof (the Décapotable), gained an estate rear-end (the Safari) and stretched to seat eight people in three rows of seats (the Familiale). There were also budget versions (ID), ambulances, and even bulletproof government variants as seen in The Day Of The Jackal. This stunning UK supplied RHD example of the iconic Citroen DS23 Pallas - Chassis No: 01 FE 4134 and Engine No: the details below was supplied new by Anglia Garage in Ipswich and registered to its first owner in Lavenham, Suffolk on 5th October 1974. He only kept the car for one year and it was subsequently sold by Chrysler & Hillman dealer M W Crisp of Saxmundum in Suffolk to a Mr Samuel Wheatley of Moor Park, Northwood in Middlesex in 1975. Mr Wheatley kept the car for 27 years and it was regularly serviced and MOT'd every year during his ownership and there are numerous invoices and every MOT certificate from 1977 to date in the file. Mr Wheatley sold the car in September 2002 with a genuine 60, 430 miles recorded on the speedometer to a Mr Robin Redcliffe from Christchurch in Dorset and he immediately embarked on a full body restoration of the car. Works included the removal of all body panels and the interior and it was restored using new Doors and Wings sourced from Citroen and the whole car was stripped to bare metal and repainted in Bleu Dorient (from its original White) to an extremely high standard. It was fitted with new stainless steel light trims, sill mouldings, rubbing strips, bumpers, door handles and new tinted windows. The interior was completely renewed with Magnolia Connolly Hide piped in Blue, new headrests and centre arm rest, new door panels, new cloth headlining and new wool carpets. Mechanically the car was found to be in very good order, but it did receive new suspension spheres, a new exhaust system, new tyres, a new steering rack and a new petrol pump and a full service and the total cost came in at £21, 000 according to his notes in the history file, which in 2003 was a pretty significant sum! Soon after completion of the restoration, Mr Redcliffe advertised the car for sale in the Sunday Times Classic Car section on 3rd August 2002 and it was sold to the current owner from Solihull on 23rd August 2003 with the mileage at approximately 60, 465 miles, so it really was
