Buy starter classic Citroën DS20 1962-1973
Citroen DS/ID
We’re not exactly looking at a real performance classic this month, but readers have been asking when my promised follow-up to the ID19 would appear. This is deservedly one of the top five most innovative cars ever produced and will remain so, always.
Magic carpet ride Citroën DS 20 1962–1973
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PACKAGING
Styling was the brainchild of Bertoni and Lefèbvre, and it had an impressively low drag coefficient for the time.
The car looked like nothing else and featured a flowing shoulder line, dropping to the rear with semi-enclosed rear wheelarches. The interior was trimmed with soft, plush upholstery and featured lots of legroom. The rear seat was fit for a king. The single-spoke steering wheel was a unique feature meant to provide better visibility of the instrumentation, which changed from squared ribbon-type to circular dials with the Pallas.
An easy way to identify the last model DS 20/5 is by the tinted windscreen and recessed door handles. The spare wheel is slotted in under the front of the long bonnet.
POWERTRAIN
The engine was larger and more powerful than the earlier ID19, producing 68, 77 and finally 80 kW in 1972, thanks to larger-diameter valves, a new inlet manifold and camshaft timing. Gear ratios were revised with a much taller top gear. In 1972, the DS 20/5 added a fifth gear. A Weber 28/36 mixes fuel and air and, of course, the car sends drive to the front wheels.
Thanks to the excellent aerodynamics, fuel economy is impressive, too. At a steady 120 km/h, our testers recorded 11 litres/100 km. In the same issue, we tested a VW Beetle 1600 and it returned 13 litres/ 100 km at the same 120 km/h test speed.
SUSPENSION AND STEERING
Interlinked hydropneumatic bellows provided suspension. LHM hydraulic fluid was used, which is a light mineral oil, green in colour. Each wheel has a pressurised air sphere, plus an accumulator and another sphere for the brake system.
The ride height could be raised and lowered, from bottoming out on the stops to achieving an SUV-like ground clearance of 279 mm. At the extremes, no actual shock absorption can be expected.
Using the height control to hold the car up, a wheel could be changed without a jack.
The steering uses the more direct rack and pinion setup with hydraulic assistance. The brakes also use powered hydraulics and the brake pedal is an unusual button with a short travel. It requires a light foot so as not to over-brake.
WHICH ONE TO GET
Apart from France, production took place in Italy, Germany, Yugoslavia, and South Africa. About 20 000 units were sold in South Africa.
Owing to the particularly collectable nature of these special cars, most will be well preserved, restored and maintained. Any model should be seriously considered as there are no bad eggs. It will help to enquire as to the availability of a knowledgeable boffin on Citroën maintenance as it will save cash and time.
AVAILABILITY AND PRICES
Prices will continue to rise, but should always be worth the cost, owing to the luxurious Citroën characteristics and the fact that the DS is widely regarded as the third-best car of the 20th century, behind the Model T Ford and Mini and ahead of the VW Beetle and Porsche 911. As a result of this desirability, prices vary from R20 000 to hundreds of thousands.
INTERESTING FACTS
The name DS reads Déesse in French, meaning “goddess”. From 1965, the slightly more luxurious Pallas was introduced. It had better NVH levels thanks to improved insulation, optional leather upholstery and some extra trim. The name derives from the Greek goddess Athena Pallas.
It is easy to confuse designer Flaminio Bertoni with the styling house founded by Giovanni Bertone in 1912. Notice the different spelling? Flaminio had worked for some years before designing the DS with aeronautical engineer André Lefèbvre.
As with a surprisingly large number of manufacturers, the DS 20 had an assembly line near what was then Port Elizabeth. The main line produced the 1200 Club models, while the older DS units were built separately, mostly by hand, and in small quantities. When working in Pretoria in the 1980s, I belonged to a lift club including two BMWs, a Ford Granada and a DS 20. The one we all wanted to travel in was the DS 20.
01 Unmistakable flowing, streamlined profile.
02 Engine is well set back for better balance and provides space for the spare.
03 Plush seating matches the “magic carpet” ride.
04 Dual headlamps included innovative cornering lights.
05 The rear bench is even more impressive than sitting in the driver’s seat.
Parts and info: dsforums.net frenchcarforum.co.uk
SPOTTED IN THE CLASSIFIEDS
Citroën DS 20 1972, blue, with black upholstery, FSH, restored, R450 000
Citroën ID 19
1965, white, with blue upholstery, VGC, R140 000