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Citroën DS 19 Le Caddy - The top one hundred

Name: Citroën DS 19 Le Caddy 1962
Brand: Citroën

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Created on September 22, 2023

Text:

Paul Krüger

Photos:

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Citroën DS 19 Le Caddy (1962) - unlike saloons, the Chapron models were available with metallic paintwork early on

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Citroën DS 19 Le Caddy (1962) - This example wears the color "Bleu Royal" with the identification AC 619

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Citroën DS 19 Le Caddy (1962) - Well hidden: the trunk lid extends down to the bumper. Chrome-plated piping conceals the side joints

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Citroën DS 19 Le Caddy (1962) - Elegantly rounded: The rear is more curved than on the factory convertibles

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Citroën DS 19 Le Caddy (1962) - With the top down, the side line is reminiscent of American business coupés of the 1930s

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Citroën DS 19 Le Caddy (1962) - Could also be a factory convertible: the lower windshield is hardly noticeable from the front

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Citroën DS 19 Le Caddy (1962) - In contrast to the factory convertibles, this Chapron model has the rear lights of the sedan

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Citroën DS 19 Le Caddy (1962) - narrow top without rear side windows

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Citroën DS 19 Le Caddy (1962) - Robergel wheel trims, aluminum side panels and the wide trim strip on the fender set the Chapron two-seater apart from the factory convertible

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Citroën DS 19 Le Caddy (1962) - one-piece rear fender with wheel cut-out and short bumper of the sedan

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Citroën DS 19 Le Caddy (1962) - colorless turn signal in honeycomb look

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Citroën DS 19 Le Caddy (1962) - Model lettering on the front fender. Visible screws do not detract from the elegance

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Citroën DS 19 Le Caddy (1962) - Simple name of the coachbuilder in block letters above finely fluted aluminum cladding

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Citroën DS 19 Le Caddy (1962) - Shiny: The "ashtray" on the fender is also on the sedan; side trim and headlight trim only on the Chapron models

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Citroën DS 19 Le Caddy (1962) - Unlike the later Pallas models, the trim strip does not lead into the reflector

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Citroën DS 19 Le Caddy (1962) - Chapron signet between double angle and trunk lock

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Citroën DS 19 Le Caddy (1962) - tarpaulin in equipment color, including a black soft top

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Citroën DS 19 Le Caddy (1962) - Door panels with additional upholstery and chrome trim

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Citroën DS 19 Le Caddy (1962) - Normal DS space in the front. The rear seat is more of a luggage rack than a seat

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Citroën DS 19 Le Caddy (1962) - Leather seats with stitching that differs from the standard model

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Citroën DS 19 Le Caddy (1962) - The picture is deceptive: you only have this much legroom in the back with the seats pushed forward and folded down

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Citroën DS 19 Le Caddy (1962) - indicators and chrome piping on the mudguard reveal the Chapron cabriolet

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Citroën DS 19 Le Caddy (1962) - Small difference: the cabriolets always had black steering wheel spokes

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Citroën DS 19 Le Caddy (1962) - transitional model: the new dashboard was introduced a year before the new front section

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Citroën DS 19 Le Caddy (1962) - The instruments correspond to those of the sedan

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Citroën DS 19 Le Caddy (1962) - stretched time clock, next to the load control

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Citroën DS 19 Le Caddy (1962) - delicate semi-automatic gear selector behind the steering wheel

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Citroën DS 19 Le Caddy (1962) - Turn and pull light switch

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Citroën DS 19 Le Caddy (1962) - Nothing works without an ashtray in France in the sixties

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Citroën DS 19 Le Caddy (1962) - The Henri Chapron ateliers had been based in Levallois since 1923

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Citroën DS 19 Le Caddy (1962) - The luggage compartment lives up to the promise of the sweeping rear end

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Citroën DS 19 Le Caddy (1962) - Under the hood, the Chapron cabriolet is no different from the saloon

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Citroën DS 19 Le Caddy (1962) - Chapron type plate with serial number

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Citroën DS 19 Le Caddy (1961) - Henri Chapron at the 1960 Paris Motor Show next to his new convertible, with the "Concorde" coupé behind him

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Citroën DS 19 Le Caddy (1962) - 2+2-seater convertible by Chapron at the 1962 Geneva Motor Show

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Citroën DS 19 Le Dandy (1962) - 2+2-seater sports coupé by Chapron at the 1962 Geneva Motor Show

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Citroën DS 19 Concorde (1963) - four-seater Chapron coupé at the 1963 Geneva Motor Show

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Citroën DS 19 Palm Beach (1964) - four-seater convertible by Chapron, behind it the likewise four-seater coupé "Concorde" at the 1964 Geneva Motor Show

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Citroën DS 19 Cabriolet Chapron (1958) - at the 1959 Geneva Motor Show with triangular windows and low windshield, but still without a name and chrome trim on the side panel

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Citroën DS 19 Cabriolet (1960) - For comparison, the factory convertible from the diagonal rear

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Summary

If the Citroën DS factory convertible was still too ordinary for you, you could have Henri Chapron customize an open-top goddess according to your wishes. The coachbuilder from Levallois offered three convertibles and three coupés as format templates, which could hardly be surpassed in terms of exclusivity in the mid-sixties. This article tells the story of Chapron's Citroën-based creations and shows a picture of a Le Caddy from 1962.

This article contains the following chapters

Where is the Caddy?
3 plus 4 equals 5
Factory convertible without factory

Estimated reading time: 8min

Preview (beginning of the article)

The situation is somewhat reminiscent of the New Year's Eve classic "Dinner for One". After many years together, only one member of a close-knit circle is left. But instead of letting this spoil the fun, they simply carry on as usual. After all, tradition must be upheld, if only for their own pleasure. When Henri Chapron presented his new cabriolet based on the Citroën DS 19 at the Paris Motor Show in October 1958, he was one of the last of a once large number of French coachbuilders still active. Saoutchik, Figoni & Falaschi, de Villars, Fernandez & Darrin, Gangloff, Labourdette, Pourtout, Vanvooren - they had all been history since the beginning of the decade at the latest. However, the 71-year-old Chapron not only brought his company into the modern era of self-supporting bodies with the open-top DS, but also presented perhaps his most important creation ever with the convertible painted in a dark gold metallic.

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