Citroen D Special

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Launched onto an unsuspecting public in 1955, the Citroen DS was an overnight sensation that had the whole world gasping at its futuristic looks, amazing hydro-pneumatic technology and other far-reaching innovations.

A quantum leap for car design, it still ranks as one of the greatest industrial designs of all time and even today, cars as technologically sophisticated as this are few and far between. So right was the initial concept that it remained in production substantially unaltered until 1975.

The hydro-pneumatic self-levelling suspension had first been tried on the top-of-the-range Traction Avant. It used clever nitrogen filled spheres and hydraulic oil (rather than water as its name might suggest) and through a system of valves and pumps kept 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 on some models.

But what really catapulted the DS onto the front page of every newspaper were the futuristic good looks. Designed by a sculptor and an aeronautical engineer, the slippery shape looked (and still looks) totally ‘Dan Dare’ compared to literally everything else on the market. As late as 2009 it was voted 'most beautiful car of all time' by a panel of 20 world famous car designers including Giorgetto Giugiaro, Paul Bracq, Ian Callum and Leonardo Fioravanti.

The power units were carried over from the Traction Avant and so were not quite as ‘state of the art’, but the whole driving experience was so fantastic that it was an instant hit. On day one of its debut, more than 12,000 orders were taken, confirming that the bravery of the management to introduce such a technological ‘tour de force’ was fully justified.

Remaining in production until the arrival of the technically similar and equally radically styled CX in 1975, late model DS versions gained bigger more powerful engines, while adding yet more unconventional items such as headlights which turned with the steering wheel and automatic beam adjustment on the outer pair of headlights, taking account of the change in aspect of the car when accelerating and braking.

First registered in June 1972, this D Special has had just three owners from new and has covered only 88,000 miles to date with a good file of invoices to show regular maintenance over the years. Cream with a brown Targa leatherette interior, it has a 2-litre engine mated to a four-speed manual gearbox. Other features include headlamps that swivel with the steering, aluminium bonnet and boot, fibreglass roof and rear wings, stainless steel bumpers and a stainless steel exhaust.

The car is in very good order throughout with an excellent rust-free structure, having been Dinitrol protected from new. The vendor, an ex-Citroen dealer with a lifetime’s experience of the model, states that it has always proved extremely reliable and drives beautifully with an MOT until March 2017 with no advisories recorded. Due to be driven some 70 miles to the sale, it comes with the aforementioned history file and the original owner’s handbook and Citroen Guarantee booklet.

Only reluctantly for sale because the vendor has bought another much rarer DS variant and has insufficient garage space to keep both, this lovely D Special just needs a proud fourth owner who can continue to look after it in the manner to which it has become accustomed. With DS prices rising steadily of late, it looks excellent value at the modest guide price suggested.

AMENDMENT: When the vendor bought the car it was not possible to properly examine it underneath. A thorough examination revealed the floor and sills to be corroded to what the vendor deemed to be a dangerous state. A very good body shell was sourced and everything was transferred to the good shell by a Citroen specialist in Huddersfield at a cost of over £8,000. The original VIN plates, engine and registration number have been retained.