3 Fatal Flaws That Stopped the DS from Conquering the World - Citroen DS21 Pallas

Comments · 2.2K

• AN

  @anonymousdude01 · 1 year ago (edited)

  I have had one since I was 18, and I&apos;m 64 now. &nbsp;I&apos;m on number 11. &nbsp;I live near Detroit, work for GM. &nbsp;My current is a 65 Break, the 41st one off the assembly line for the year. &nbsp;All I can tell you, is if you&apos;re considering one, there has never been a better time to own them. &nbsp;Everything is available, from original upholstery to beautifully rebuilt hydraulics. &nbsp;It&apos;s all there. &nbsp;Panels, special nuts, etc. &nbsp;I daily drove every one of mine. &nbsp;I&apos;ve crossed the US in them. &nbsp;Once sorted, they are as reliable as a refrigerator. &nbsp;The Semi-Auto is really fun once you know how to exploit its features.<br><br> <br>Citroen Classics in Reading have everything you need and they are the nicest people. &nbsp;We go to the UK once or twice a year and always stop in to get a suitcase full of parts. &nbsp;Longstone tires has OEM rubber for the car. <br> <br>The &quot;one&quot; to get is the 1967 DS21. &nbsp;They got everything right with that year. &nbsp;Finally had the LHM fluid. &nbsp;The front is a &quot;second style&quot; front, which, once you&apos;ve owned a few, just looks right -- the later one has the steering lights, but it&apos;s kinda fiddly when you need to remove a wing. &nbsp;The 67 has the prettiest dash and all the comfort. &nbsp;It has the simplicity of a big carb, the BVM (semi auto) is perfectly sorted, enough power, etc. &nbsp;It doesn&apos;t need the earlier Michelin 400mm wheels, and the front disc brakes are the later Lockheed type instead of the proprietary clockwork ones in the earlier models (fiddly). &nbsp;You will fall in love with it. &nbsp;The club support is amazing and the newsgroup (https://groups.io/g/CitroenDSID) has been active for decades. &nbsp; <br> <br>I&apos;ve owned and restored 28 cars -- Big Six Maseratis, Iso Rivolta, Facel Vega, Alfa 101, Mercedes 112, Porsche 911s, and SM, &nbsp;and 10 Citroen D models. &nbsp;The Citroen DS is my &quot;Ride or Die&quot;.

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• RU

  @ruk2023-- · 1 year ago

  Whoever added the pop up sunroof to this car belongs in jail for a very long time

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• GL

  @glynhodgson-fo4wl · 6 months ago

  French Flare, avant- guard and futuristic design, such an inspiring car, I want one

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• WI

  @winc06 · 1 year ago (edited)

  I was in West Germany in the early 60s and I would see a Citroen DS on the Autobahn from time to time. I used to marvel that such a low horsepower car passed just about anything except the bigger BMWs. Aerodynamics. &nbsp;My hat is off to the people who love this car enough to still own and maintain them.

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• AG

  @AG-bw2oe · 11 months ago (edited)

  Dad had a Citroen GS, a smaller, cheaper and more recent version of the DS. I was a kid and I loved it, because it was very aerodinamic; it looked an acted like a spaceship (as you showed, it lifted when you started it and lowered when powered down). It had a lever to raise it when you had to go offroad. <br>Plus, the bonnet and the headlamps looked like the forehead and the glasses of my father: in my kid&apos;s mind it was like a mechanical version of him :)<br>When he scrapped it I cried for days... I have a little model of it on my desk.

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• JE

  @jedcletis9313 · 1 year ago

  This car was truly ahead of its time :)

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• MI

  @mitchurchin2 · 1 year ago

  Every Citroen I’ve ever driven, Xantia, Xsara Picasso, C3/4, BX are all cars that ride incredibly well. But the DS, for me is art. It’s so iconic, beautiful at every corner.

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• GE

  @geoffk777 · 1 year ago

  The DS did have some flaws. &nbsp;The semi-automatic had no Park position and couldn&apos;t be left in gear, (as the hydralics would return it to neutral), so you were reliant on the Parking Brake to hold it still. &nbsp;Small amounts of water could enter the hydralic system and would freeze in the winter, expanding and causing leaks. &nbsp;And the early red fluid cars had issues with water contaminating the hydralic fluid. &nbsp;All that said, the DS was a joy to drive, and easily the most comfortable car ever made, both in ride and seating comfort. &nbsp;Despite the samll engine, it would cruise all day on the highway at 80 mph, thanks to the excellent aerodynamics. &nbsp;And the winter traction was excellent (although the 66/33 weight distrobution meant that some understeer was inevitable) &nbsp;Unfortunately, the DS is also prone to rust, especially in areas with road salt.<br>The ID was also a pun. &nbsp;ID is pronounced Idee in French, which means &quot;Idea&quot;.<br>I I owned a DS and loved it. &nbsp;It remains a dream car, along with the SM and CX.

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• UL

  @ulicadluga · 1 year ago

  What I loved about French cars was the delicate gear shift on the steering wheel.

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• DA

  @dancoffey8412 · 1 year ago

  My &nbsp;parents had two in succession and then we could not get another. &nbsp;It was a sad day. &nbsp;Recall that if you wanted to change a tire you took the car up hydraulically, placed the jack in the location provided in the body, and lowered the car, which raised the tires off the road. &nbsp;It was incredibly simple. &nbsp;AND we went OFF-ROAD in the Rockies up roads that had very large rocks jutting upward and would tear the oil pan out of normal cars. &nbsp;Just raise the car and ride over the high spots. &nbsp;It was a great bed for long trips and the most comfortable car I have ever experienced. &nbsp;For those lucky enough to have experienced one, hats off to the Frenchman who made this vehicle, André Citroën, a visionary French industrialist and engineer.

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• ST

  @stephenhall3515 · 1 year ago

  Still the most perfect car design. A work of art.

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• MB

  @mbak7801 · 1 year ago

  My father got a company car and I inherited his Citroen D Super 5. What a gorgeous car to drive. Steerable headlights and a ride that was like wafting along on a magic carpet. No wonder RR licenced the suspension. Spoilt from a very early age.

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