Citroën DS 19
(1955 - 1968)
Car articles about Citroën DS 19 by year
The Citroën DS became a car of the century, which soon had a large clientele behind it and which can still count on a large number of loyal and enthusiastic owners today. The car was and is something unique and is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. Let's take a look back at the design and technology and follow its complex development.
The Citroën DS 19 was revolutionary for its time; no other car could really compare with it. However, the car also took some getting used to if you really wanted to enjoy its advantages. However, the AR test editors were won over by the outstanding handling and great comfort. They concluded: "In summary, the endurance test confirmed the view that the Citroën DS 19 represents a significant milestone in automotive engineering. Its driving comfort and safety are in a class of their own. Its technical creators achieved a real pioneering feat and the factory management showed unusual courage by starting production of this design. In addition, the test car proved itself so well in a rigorous endurance test that the "AR" decided to publish the results. Although this report shows that the DS 19 is not the end, but the beginning of a development, it has proved to be a reliable and, in view of its special characteristics, an award-worthy utility car. Due to its distinctly personal touch, it will undoubtedly not only find fans, but in terms of driving characteristics and comfort it is the model for the utility car of tomorrow."
In 1955, Citroën shocked the automotive world with the DS - hardly any other post-war production car had been so progressive and "different". However, the saloon was expensive and not affordable for many. Two years later, Citroën followed suit and presented the ID 19, which was hardly less revolutionary, but significantly cheaper. The magazine 'hobby' naturally tested the new car as soon as possible and was full of praise. And they were right at the time, the Citroën made its mark and was built for decades. This article reproduces the original wording of the 1958 test and shows the ID 19 in many historical pictures.
Hector Bossaert was dissatisfied: his Citroën DS needed to be lighter and more agile. So the racing driver took the origin of the word "coupé" to heart, cut a generous 47 centimetres from the floor assembly of the goddess and had the rear end redesigned by Pietro Frua. The result was one of the most beautiful special bodies for the big Citroën, which gave the French sculpture a dash of Italian lightness, but unfortunately only eleven were built. This article tells the story of the GT 19 Bossaert, showing the prototypes in historical photos and the only surviving example in current photos.
The Citroën DS is undoubtedly one of the most advanced cars ever built. However, the revolutionary and much-acclaimed design with hydropneumatics, dual-circuit braking system and power steering posed problems for many mechanics and was initially met with skepticism. So in 1957 Citroën sent a somewhat more conventional and less expensive demigoddess onto the road in the form of the ID 19, which was showered with praise and thus impressively underlined the incredible progressiveness of the D-series. This article reproduces an original test report from 1960 and shows the ID 19 in extensive historical images and sales material.
When Citroën's goddess rolled onto the roads in 1955, it caused a sensation like no other car before it. Thanks to innovative mechanics with front-wheel drive and hydropneumatics, the DS set new standards in comfort and the saloon became a design icon. However, the sloping roofline reduced storage space, an important purchase criterion for certain people. So Citroën launched the Break in 1958, one year after the more affordable ID went on sale. This article reproduces the original test report from 1962 and shows the practical Frenchwoman in many historical pictures.
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.
Whether a car is timeless depends on many factors. The Citroën DS 19 is certainly one of those cars that remained attractive for a long time. With its functional yet elegant French design and numerous technical innovations, it was considered a phenomenon at the time and remains so to this day. Just how phenomenal the DS 19 was was investigated by the magazine 'hobby' in 1962. This report reproduces the original wording and shows the DS 19 in many historical photographs.
The estate version of the Citroën ID 19 was an exception. It was stylish yet spacious, versatile and could also carry a payload of 670 kg. It offered seven seats and still had room for luggage. It also had the qualities that DS and ID had offered from the very beginning, such as front-wheel drive, disc brakes, power steering and hydropneumatics. This article reproduces the original wording of a test report from 1962 and showed the ID 19 Break in many historical pictures and in the sales literature.
Can a car that was highly advanced when it was presented still be convincing almost ten years later? Of course it can. Even as the affordable ID 19, Citroën's "goddess" was still in a class of its own in terms of driving comfort and safety in the mid-sixties. With power assistance for the steering and brakes, the former economy model was no longer so economical. The only real point of criticism was as old as the car itself: the tired engine. In this historical test report, the weaknesses and talents of the big Citroën are explained in detail.
With the upmarket Pallas equipment, the Citroën DS exuded a dignified noblesse from model year 1965, which harmonized particularly well with the smooth ride comfort. From 1966 onwards, the engine also adapted to this, as the new four-cylinder engine now had five bearings, was noticeably more powerful, revved much more easily and drove the large saloon much more confidently. The big Citroën had matured well in over ten years, but the design still showed its age here and there.
Between 1961 and 1971, Citroën built a convertible based on the ID/DS models, which technically corresponded to the respective saloons, but dispensed with two doors and had an independent design at the rear. Due to the high price at the time, the DS Décapotable remained a rarity on the road. Today, the cabriolets are sought-after rarities. This vehicle report describes the history and development of the ID/DS Cabriolet, portrays a vehicle from 1967 and documents the various versions with historical illustrations and a rare original brochure.
When the Citroën DS 19 was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in 1955, it was believed that a new automotive era had begun. However, although the elegant and special Citroëns sold well, they remained a one-off, while the rest of the car industry took a more conventional approach. In order to gain a foothold among more traditionally minded and less affluent motorists, Citroën followed the DS 19 with the simpler ID 19 model as early as 1956, which even proved itself in rallying. This report portrays an ID 19 B from 1967 and tells the development story of the entry-level model, illustrated with current and historical pictures.
It was born as an elegant luxury-class saloon, blessed with advanced hydropneumatics and front-wheel drive. However, in addition to a more affordable entry-level version, the Parisian developers also provided the Citroën DS with an extremely versatile station wagon, which was to be a benchmark for truly practical and versatile rival makes for decades to come. Only a few of the station wagons called Break, Commerciale or Familiale have survived, and this report is dedicated to one of these rare vehicles with over 900,000 km on the clock.
The new NSU RO 80 with the Wankel engine was to show whether it was superior to the Citroën DS, which was 13 years older. To find out, the test drivers of the magazine "hobby" set off on a journey in 1968 that would take them all the way to Africa. The two vehicles were tested under extreme conditions and, after almost 10,000 km on their own wheels, were driven home to be dismantled and analyzed.
Citroën had Chapron build a very special DS for French President Charles de Gaulle. The limousine differed from its series counterparts in many respects and was over six meters long. But de Gaulle did not like the monumental state limousine. This report describes a test drive in the DS présidentielle and shows the limousine in many pictures.
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.
Current market prices for Citroën DS 19
4-Door Sedan, 83 PS, 1911 cm3
4-Door Sedan, 90 PS, 1985 cm3
4-Door Sedan, 90 PS, 1985 cm3
4-Door Sedan, 90 PS, 1985 cm3
4-Door Sedan, 75 PS, 1911 cm3
4-Door Sedan, 90 PS, 1985 cm3
4-Door Sedan, 90 PS, 1985 cm3
4-Door Sedan, 83 PS, 1911 cm3
4-Door Sedan, 90 PS, 1985 cm3
4-Door Sedan, 67 PS, 1911 cm3
4-Door Sedan, 67 PS, 1911 cm3
4-Door Sedan, 84 PS, 1985 cm3
4-Door Sedan, 84 PS, 1985 cm3
Station Wagon, 67 PS, 1911 cm3
Station Wagon, 67 PS, 1911 cm3
Station Wagon, 90 PS, 1985 cm3
Station Wagon, 90 PS, 1985 cm3
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Auctioned vehicles of Citroën DS 19
| Brand | Model | Year | Status | Auction name | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citroën DS 19 Décapotable by Chapron 1963 Not Sold RM/Sotheby's Monterey (August 15, 2019) |
DS 19 Décapotable by Chapron | 1963 | Not Sold | RM/Sotheby's Monterey (August 15, 2019) | |
| Citroën DS 19 1957 Sold Gooding & Co. Amelia Island 2025 (March 7, 2025) |
DS 19 | 1957 | Sold | Gooding & Co. Amelia Island 2025 (March 7, 2025) | |
| Citroën DS 19 1961 Conditional Sale Oldtimer Galerie Toffen Herbstversteigerung (October 15, 2022) |
DS 19 | 1961 | Conditional Sale | Oldtimer Galerie Toffen Herbstversteigerung (October 15, 2022) | |
| Citroen DS 19 1956 Sold Bonhams The Paris Sale (February 5, 2015) |
DS 19 | 1956 | Sold | Bonhams The Paris Sale (February 5, 2015) | |
| Citroën DS 19 1968 Sold Bonhams The Greenwich Auction (June 4, 2023) |
DS 19 | 1968 | Sold | Bonhams The Greenwich Auction (June 4, 2023) | |
| Citroen DS 19 1967 Sold Artcurial Artcurial Motorcars à Rétromobile (February 8, 2013) |
DS 19 | 1967 | Sold | Artcurial Artcurial Motorcars à Rétromobile (February 8, 2013) | |
| Citroën DS 19 cabriolet Chapron Palm Beach 1965 Sold Artcurial Sur Les Champs 14 (November 4, 2018) |
DS 19 cabriolet Chapron Palm Beach | 1965 | Sold | Artcurial Sur Les Champs 14 (November 4, 2018) | |
| Citroën DS 19 Cabriolet 1963 Sold Artcurial Rétromobile Paris (February 2, 2024) |
DS 19 Cabriolet | 1963 | Sold | Artcurial Rétromobile Paris (February 2, 2024) | |
| Citroën DS 19 cabriolet usine par Henri Chapron 1963 Sold Artcurial Rétromobile Paris (February 7, 2020) |
DS 19 cabriolet usine par Henri Chapron | 1963 | Sold | Artcurial Rétromobile Paris (February 7, 2020) | |
| Citroen DS 19 Chapron lhd 1961 Artcurial Automobiles sur les Champs 7 (November 2, 2014) |
DS 19 Chapron lhd | 1961 | Artcurial Automobiles sur les Champs 7 (November 2, 2014) |
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