Description
A little history: In 1949, Citroën decided to part company with Deutsch and Bonnet. The founders of D. B. then looked for a promotional formula to maintain their brand's visibility and attract new drivers. The Monomill concept was officially launched on 28 October 1953 at the Palais des Sports d'Hiver in Paris, inspired by demonstrations of small American 'Midget' cars. They created the first single-make championship in the history of motoring, in which all the vehicles were strictly identical in order to put the drivers in the limelight.
This innovative concept for the time came to an end in June 1955, paving the way for future single-make championships. The history of the D. B. Monomill is a history of innovation in French motor sport. The Monomill I am offering you is a historic RACER 500 series single-seater racing car. It is in an exceptional state of preservation, with a recently rebuilt engine and a crystal-clear history: offering a high degree of authenticity, our example has a front mask made of glass polyester laminate, the first models produced having an aluminium front mask. The car began its racing career on the Aix-les-Bains circuit on 6 June 1954 in the hands of Alexandre Dussert, who won the regional drivers' cup. It then raced at the Grand Prix de Caen on the La Prairie circuit on 25 July. On 15 August, he raced for Jean Lucas at Narbonne-Plage. Sold by D. B. in 1955, it then competed in various events for its new owner, Wladimir Brodsky. It then joined the collection of Bernard Consten, from whom Bernard de Ligny acquired it in 2001. Its previous owner, who devoted himself to the VHC Rally, did not use the DB, which was overhauled and stored in 2019. I was able to acquire this little marvel in 2022, and it has been stored in a safe place ever since. This single-seater MONOMILL competition car has no road registration, its chassis bears the number 536, its engine the number 1744 - 45158 and its bodywork the emblematic number 72. The French blue colour is original. The removable driver's seat is in red imitation leather with white piping and is in good condition. The original wooden steering wheel, Michelin XAS tyres and leather bonnet straps are all authentic. The Panhard 850cc twin-cylinder engine has recently been rebuilt and will need to be run in. The history of the D. B Monomill is that of an innovation in French sport. This extremely well-preserved competition racer is a moving reminder of this great epic, and is highly prized as it is eligible for all competitions involving classic vehicles. Today, authentic D. B. racers can be counted on the fingers of one hand.
All you have to do now is imagine yourself behind the wheel... An important plus: the D. B. association, made up of enthusiasts, keeps precious information on the vehicle and can obtain or have made the original spare parts.
