Citroën DS 21 Chapron
(1961 - 1971)
Car articles about Citroën DS 21 Chapron by year
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.
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.
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.
In the late sixties and early seventies, Citroën produced several DS models with six-cylinder engines, which were used in rallies, among other things. They were never really successful and the energy crisis put an end to the attempts, but at least one model could be saved. This vehicle report describes the circumstances surrounding the construction of the six-cylinder DS, showing a model in detail and with historical images.
Current market prices for Citroën DS 21 Chapron
4-Door Sedan, 109 PS, 2175 cm3
4-Door Sedan, 109 PS, 2175 cm3
4-Door Sedan, 109 PS, 2175 cm3
null, 109 PS, 2175 cm3
4-Door Sedan, 139 PS, 2175 cm3
4-Door Sedan, 109 PS, 2175 cm3
4-Door Sedan, 109 PS, 2175 cm3
4-Door Sedan, 109 PS, 2175 cm3
4-Door Sedan, 116 PS, 2175 cm3
4-Door Sedan, 139 PS, 2175 cm3
null, 109 PS, 2175 cm3
null, 109 PS, 2175 cm3
4-Door Sedan, 75 PS, 1911 cm3
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
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Auctioned vehicles of Citroën DS 21 Chapron
| Brand | Model | Year | Status | Auction name | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citroën DS 21 Chapron Concorde 1965 Sold Broad Arrow Auctions Radius Monterey (August 17, 2023) |
DS 21 Chapron Concorde | 1965 | Sold | Broad Arrow Auctions Radius Monterey (August 17, 2023) | |
| Citroën DS 21 Chapron Cabriolet de Série 1969 Sold Broad Arrow Auctions Monterey Jet Center (August 13, 2025) |
DS 21 Chapron Cabriolet de Série | 1969 | Sold | Broad Arrow Auctions Monterey Jet Center (August 13, 2025) | |
| Citroen DS 21 Henri Chapron lhd 1967 Not Sold Coys Monaco Sale (May 9, 2014) |
DS 21 Henri Chapron lhd | 1967 | Not Sold | Coys Monaco Sale (May 9, 2014) | |
| Citroën DS 21 injection cabriolet Chapron Palm Beach 1970 Not Sold Artcurial Rétromobile Paris (February 9, 2018) |
DS 21 injection cabriolet Chapron Palm Beach | 1970 | Not Sold | Artcurial Rétromobile Paris (February 9, 2018) | |
| Citroën DS 21 berline Chapron Lorraine 1969 Not Sold Artcurial Rétromobile Paris (February 9, 2018) |
DS 21 berline Chapron Lorraine | 1969 | Not Sold | Artcurial Rétromobile Paris (February 9, 2018) | |
| Citroen DS 21 Décapotable Chapron 1969 Sold Bonhams Grand Palais Sale (February 6, 2014) |
DS 21 Décapotable Chapron | 1969 | Sold | Bonhams Grand Palais Sale (February 6, 2014) | |
| Citroen DS 21 Decapotable d'Usine by Henry Chapron 1967 Not Sold Coys Nürburg Sale (August 9, 2014) |
DS 21 Decapotable d'Usine by Henry Chapron | 1967 | Not Sold | Coys Nürburg Sale (August 9, 2014) | |
| Citroen DS 21 Decaotable d´Usine Henri Chapron 1967 Sold Coys Maastricht Sale (January 18, 2014) |
DS 21 Decaotable d´Usine Henri Chapron | 1967 | Sold | Coys Maastricht Sale (January 18, 2014) | |
| Citroën DS 21 Cabriolet Usine Chapron 1969 Sold RM/Sotheby's Monaco (May 12, 2018) |
DS 21 Cabriolet Usine Chapron | 1969 | Sold | RM/Sotheby's Monaco (May 12, 2018) | |
| Citroën DS 21 Cabriolet Chapron 1968 Not Sold Artcurial Rétromobile Paris (February 7, 2020) |
DS 21 Cabriolet Chapron | 1968 | Not Sold | Artcurial Rétromobile Paris (February 7, 2020) |
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