Citroen DS21 Pallas

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The most radical machine yet to appear in the 70-year history of the motorcar, the DS caused an absolute sensation when it was unveiled in 1955, offering a glimpse of a braver, brighter future in a world still labouring under drab post-war rations and restrictions.

A quantum leap for car design with its futuristic looks, amazing hydro-pneumatic technology and other far-reaching innovations, it still ranks as one of the world’s greatest industrial designs. The self-levelling suspension used clever nitrogen filled spheres and hydraulic oil with a system of valves and pumps to keep the car at a constant height, giving fully independent suspension and effective damping all at the same time. As if this wasn’t clever enough, the hydraulic pressure was used to power all sorts of things, from the brakes to the steering - even assisting with the gearchange and the swivelling headlights on some models.

As late as 2009 the DS was voted “most beautiful car of all time” by a panel of 20 famous designers including Giorgetto Giugiaro, Paul Bracq and Ian Callum. So right was the initial concept that it remained in production substantially unaltered for two decades.

Dating from 1967, this DS21 has the upmarket Pallas spec with leather seats and the desirable combination of old-style dashboard and ‘shark’-style headlights which was only available for one year. It was imported to the UK in 1997, our vendor acquiring it in 2016 just after it had received a £4,000 respray and a new headlining. During his ownership he has lavished much money on the car including a £4,000 spend in February this year which included a full service, new clutch kit, new rear suspension spheres plus numerous other jobs (invoices on file).

The history file includes various bills back to the mid-1980s when the car was still in France, an original owner’s handbook in English and five old MOTs, the last of which expired in May 2018 with no advisories recorded, the car now being MOT exempt. A most attractive DS all round, it is only reluctantly for sale because the vendor has nowhere to keep it at home and grates at paying the fees in the managed storage facility that he currently employs. Bid vigorously now and his loss could be your gain…