Citroën DS 21 Pallas 1971 - Luxury glider with swivel eyes

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas 1971 - Luxury glider with swivel eyes

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Created on November 25, 2012

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

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Bruno von Rotz

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - the center headlights rotate in line with the steering

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - the car does not lean even when cornering fast

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - this car was built for 20 years with only minor modifications

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - the high level of comfort does not result in strong lateral inclination

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - no other car looked like the "Déesse"

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - the high level of comfort was particularly appreciated on long-distance journeys

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - the good aerodynamics enabled high speeds with relatively low performance

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - with a drag coefficient of 0.38, the Citroën was way ahead of the competition

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - remained modern for 20 years, the greatest sales successes came in the second decade

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - formally the last incarnation - with the famous glazed swivel headlights

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - the long wheelbase provided plenty of interior space

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - in the early years, these cars caused traffic jams because everyone wanted to look at them

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - long wheelbase, short overhangs

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - a high waistline was seen as a disadvantage for the Citroën at the time

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - wide-opening hood

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - everything open

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - the trunk volume suffered somewhat from the sloping rear end

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - simple elegance, while the competition experimented with pontoon shapes and fins

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - the steep seating position remained until the end

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - salon-style seats, comfortable and wide center backrest

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - much more conventional dashboard compared to earlier versions

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - in keeping with the times - thicker plastic steering wheel

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - conventional instruments in the last years of production

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - Pictograms and clear messages from the dashboard

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - here you know what to do ...

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - rev counter with red zone only from 6,600 rpm

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - labeled switches and heat control

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - Left parking brake, then clutch, button for the brake, gas pedal pedal

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - one ashtray on each side on later models

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - comfortable rear seats

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - View into the engine compartment, the large spare wheel at the front

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - they remained faithful to the four-cylinder until the end

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - considered a relatively rough-running machine throughout its lifeBruno von Rotz

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - the hydraulic elements were marked green on later models to avoid confusion with the predecessor

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - the spare wheel is located at the front under the hood - a jack is unnecessary thanks to the hydropneumatic system, a support is sufficient

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - Swivel headlights cost extra for the cheaper versions

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - the swivel headlights arrived in the winter of 1967

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - these lamps were a distinguishing feature of the "Déesse"

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - the characteristic roof design with the indicators

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - the indicators on the top of the roof

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - the funnel-shaped indicators in the roof

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - features the 2.1-liter engine

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - the rear-view mirrors quickly became dirty in bad weather

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - Door opener in chrome

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - Door opener on the right-hand side

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - the noblest version

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - the two stylized cogwheels on the trunk lid

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Citroën DS 19 (1956) - Opening of the Salon Paris with the DS - 80,000 orders recorded

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Citroën DS 19 (1956) - the new saloon at the Paris Motor Show in October 1955

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Citroën DS 19 (1956) - innovative interior with unusual shapes

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Citroën DS 19 (1956) - Presentation in Paris

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Citroën DS 19 (1956) - extraordinarily winter-proof

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Citroën DS 19 (1956) - the DS can be seen at the rear left - Geneva Motor Show 1956 - the evening before the opening

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Citroën DS 19 (1956) - a test car in Switzerland

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Citroën DS 19 (1957) - the sloping rear end limited the trunk volume

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Citroën DS 19 (1957) - a completely unusual silhouette at the time

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Citroën DS 19 (1957) - they also liked to emphasize their good abilities in winter

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Citroën DS 19 (1957) - completely lowered, the trunk is of course also easier to fill

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Citroën DS 19 (1957) - looked bigger than it was

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Citroën ID 19 (1957) - the ID for dad, the duck for the wife

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Citroën ID 19 (1957) - a rare color photo from the time

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Citroën ID 19 (1957) - Interior with conventional brake pedal

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Citroën ID 19 (1957) - packing before the journey

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Citroën ID 19 Break (1959) - popular estate version

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Citroën DS 19 (1958) - the transportation of choice for the French businesswoman

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Citroën ID 19 Luxe (1958) - almost American-style upholstery made of nylon fabric and vinyl

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Citroën ID 19 (1958) - what the farmer thought of it

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Citroën DS 19 (1959) - in the rare color "Bleu Delphinium", only offered in 1959 - scene from a sales brochure

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Citroën DS 19 Prestige (1959) - with windshield and telephone for communicating with the driver

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Citroën DS 19 (1959) - it even had a certain off-road capability

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Citroën DS 19 (1959) - Beach scene from a sales brochure

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Citroën ID 19 (1959) - Demonstration of the reclining seats

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Citroën ID 19 (1959) - Interior from the passenger's perspective

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Citroën ID 19 (1959) - Interior with conventional brake pedal

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Citroën DS 19 (1960) - presented by Mijanou Bardot, Brigitte's sister

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Citroën DS 19 (1960) - low-slung goddess

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Citroën ID 19 (1960) - on the banks of the Seine

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Citroën ID 19 Break (1960) - the estate version was initially only available as an ID

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Citroën DS 19 (1961) - Vinatier at a desert rally in 1961, he came third

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Citroën DS 19 (1962) - just seven years after its launch ... and still future-oriented

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Citroën DS 19 (1963) - View of the interior - driver and passenger seats

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Citroën DS 19 (1963) - View into the trunk

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Citroën DS 19 (1963) - View into the engine compartment with the four-cylinder engine

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Citroën DS 19 (1963) - the interior of the goddess

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Citroën DS 19 (1963) - Steering wheel and dashboard of a test car

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Citroën DS 19 (1963) - nice to see the silhouette on this heavily retouched photo

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Citroën DS 19 (1963) - unmistakable rear design

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Citroën DS (1967) - the rear fender had to be removed for the tire change

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Citroen DS 21 Pallas (1966) - the side rubbing strip additionally emphasizes the elongated line

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Citroen DS 21 Pallas (1969) - Steering wheel and dashboard

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - luxury version

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Citroën DS 21 (1971) - the swivel headlights on the DS were moved mechanically

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Citroën DS 21 (1971) - made even more of an impression with the swivel headlights

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Citroën DS (1971) - the distinctive swivel headlights are clearly visible here

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Citroen DS Break (1969) - the estate version was popular

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Citroën DS (1971) - the DS was often placed in the botany for advertising shots

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Citroën DS 21 (1972) - you could hardly travel more comfortably

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Citroën DS 23 (1972) - large version of the DS

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Citroen DS 21 (1971) - Rear view - Image from a sales brochure

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Citroen DS 21 (1971) - the famous swivel headlights - from a sales brochure

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Citroën DS 19 (1959) - a comfortable place to sit

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Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - 20 Jahre wurde dieser Wagen mit nur geringfügigen Veränderungen gebaut

Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - der hohe Komfort resultiert nicht in starker Seitenneigung

Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - kein anderes Auto sah aus die die "Déesse"

Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - der hohe Komfort wurde vor allem bei Langstreckenfahrten sehr geschätzt

Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - die gute Aerodynamik ermöglichte hohe Geschwindigkeiten bei relativ geringer Leistung

Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - mit einem cw-Wert von 0.38 war der Citroën der Konkurrenz weit voraus

Summary

Although only the later models had swivel headlights, these are one of the reasons why the Citroën DS became so well-known and admired. The story of the goddess (Déesse) began as early as 1955, when 80,000 orders were received at the presentation. This driving report portrays a DS 21 Pallas model from 1971 and tells the story of the DS model based on many observations from the time, supplemented by current and historical images, several brochures and a worthwhile advertising video from the time.

This article contains the following chapters

80,000 orders at the premiere in Paris
A step ahead of the competition
Many unique selling points
More power, displacement and gears
Cosmetic modifications
Staying young
Handling takes some getting used to
Pallas comfort
Satisfied customers
On board the goddess
Not just for the rich
Further information about the car

Estimated reading time: 9min

Preview (beginning of the article)

It was the swivel headlights that probably made the biggest impression on us as children. And the opulent, incredibly comfortable upholstery, reminiscent of a sofa. There weren't many opportunities to sit in a Citroën DS, but the few that did stick in our minds to this day. And the famous television advertisement, which demonstrated the revolutionary headlights shining into the bend, accompanied by avant-garde jazz music (see video), also remains in the memory. It was no longer a real surprise when Citroën presented the new DS to the public at the Paris Motor Show on October 6, 1955, as the press had already reported on the wonder car shortly beforehand. Nevertheless, events came thick and fast:

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Images of this article

Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - 20 Jahre wurde dieser Wagen mit nur geringfügigen Veränderungen gebaut

Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - der hohe Komfort resultiert nicht in starker Seitenneigung

Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - kein anderes Auto sah aus die die "Déesse"

Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - der hohe Komfort wurde vor allem bei Langstreckenfahrten sehr geschätzt

Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - die gute Aerodynamik ermöglichte hohe Geschwindigkeiten bei relativ geringer Leistung

Citroën DS 21 Pallas (1971) - mit einem cw-Wert von 0.38 war der Citroën der Konkurrenz weit voraus

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