About the Citroen DS
The Citroen DS is a unique car – you either love it or you hate it. It ignored all the conventional wisdom about how a car should work and went its own way – a gamble that has never been repeated on a mass produced vehicle since.
The DS was launched in 1955 and such was the impact of the launch that 12,000 orders were taken on the first day. At a time when most cars had big radiator grills and boxy designs, the DS with its streamlined shape looked like it had arrived in a time machine. It was the first mass produced car with disk brakes, it brought with it a revolutionary hydraulic system that provided for an unsurpassed ride, excellent braking system, a manual gearbox without the need for a clutch pedal and the party trick of being able to change tyres without jacking up the car due to the height adjustable suspension. The interior made the first extensive use of plastics in the dashboard and the body panels all bolted to a central frame.
Even after an almost 20 year production run, the car was still ahead of the game in many respects, and along the way had a few face lifts and various engine and hydraulic improvements. Later models (such as mine) even had headlights that could ‘see around the corner’.
Today the DS is somewhat of a cult classic – They are still available for reasonable money and with good parts supply and are practical enough to use as more than just a weekend cruiser.
About my 1970 Citroen DS21 BVH
My Citroen DS is a 1970 DS21 BVH. What does all this mean? The DS range was always fairly complicated. Generally the models can be broken into two groups – the DS which has the full hydraulic system (allowing for the hydraulic gear change), and the ID, which had a simpler system and generally more spartan interior. (Later IDs were known as the D Special and D Super) Over time the differences shrank and IDs were available with some DS features and DSs were available with a manual gearbox, but nevertheless the distinction remained and the hydraulic gear change was only ever available on the DS. In addition, you could have a Berline (Sedan), Break/Safari (Station Wagon), or the rare and expensive cabriolet. The DS was also available with the ‘Pallas’ option, which was a package of luxury features (such as chrome strips, plush carpets, leathers etc). The ‘Pallas’ option was only available for the DS and was commonly chosen by DS buyers. The semi-automatic gearbox (BVH) was a must for me, so that ruled out the ID/D Special/D Super which are more common and easier to find. The photo below is of the car in the original for sale ad.
The DS21 BVH has the 2175cc DX2 engine and the full DS hydraulic system. BVH stands for boîte de vitesses hydraulique, which means the hydraulic semi-automatic gearbox (i.e. a clutchless manual). Unlike many DS21, it does not have the Pallas package, and it is not an IE model (Bosch Fuel Injection). BVH was not popular in Australia, and there are not many cars left on the road so equipped. 1970 was actually the last year it was officially offered in the Australian market as in 1971 new regulations enforced a park position which meant future DS were either manual, or later models with a Borg Warner auto transmission. This makes a 1970 DS21 BVH non Pallas a fairly rare car in Australia. (in an interesting way, not a $$ way). I am not sure if this car was originally sold in Australia, or was imported privately at a later date.
The car was originally delivered with a white exterior. When I purchased it, it was Rio Red, a 1971 colour, with a black targa (plastic) interior. From 1997 to 2012 it was on the Sunshine coast in Queensland, living with a Blue DS21IE BVH and a While D Special, as well as a Traction Avant. It was purchased before that in Ballina from a man called Richard Foley-Jenkins, and before that was in South Australia (I would love to be able to talk to him and find out about his time with the car, but I have no contact details). I have a photo of it in Red with South Australian plates on it, so it must have changed colour before that time. It should have originally had a Jersey Velour interior, but I do not know the colour, although I suspect gold. I purchased the car in September 2012 and drove it back to Sydney from Queensland. The trip back was a lot of fun and the car made it with no problems. This car has character as the next morning after the return trip it would not start – but it made sure it got me home safe!
Over the time I’ve owned the car, I have done a lot of work to it. The car has been repainted in Rouge Massena, a 1972 colour. The previous paint job was done at home, and up close was not great quality. After I crashed the car, I paid extra to have the whole car done in a much nicer shade of red. I’ve also re-done the interior in grey velour.
Why a DS?
I like the DS because it is the antithesis of the ‘design by committee and offend nobody’ philosophy that seems to dominate current cars. The DS was designed by a group of people with a vision of what they thought the car should be and they executed that vision despite what anyone else is doing.
The styling is still distinctive, with great details such as the rear indicator lights, the C-Pillar patterns and so on. More importantly the DS was so ahead its time from a technology point of view.
In selecting my DS I had a few key requirements. It had to be a BVH car – not everyone will agree, but to me this is part of the whole DS experience. It had to be solid and generally rust free. It had to be in good condition mechanically and I didn’t want a white car. (I don’t like white cars). I also wanted a later car that ran on LHM. While the swoopy dash and a Pallas would have been nice, these are very rare and this car me all my core requirements.
In the end I found this 1970DS21 BVH. I was generally pleased it was a carby model as the Bosch D-Jet fuel injection, while advanced can be expensive to put right.
Major Changes to the DS
Driving a DS
When you approach a DS, it will be sitting down low, like a sleeping cat. You sink into the most comfortable car seats you’ll probably experience and then you can begin the starting procedure (only boring cars just turn the key and go). Inserting the key and turning on the ignition greets you with an array of warning lights including a large “STOP” light in the middle of the dashboard – a master caution switch which looks more in place at a nuclear power plant. The gearstick is between the single spoke steering wheel and the instrument cluster and it is used to start the car (so it cannot be started in gear). Once the car has started, you’ll need to wait for the hydraulic system to build pressure and raise the car to its running height. It will rise at the back first then the front, kind of like riding a camel. Once the car has awakened, you can push the gear leaver forward into first gear and start moving. Changing gears is a simple flick of the wrist, and taking your foot off the throttle for an up shift, or adding a little for a down shift. The DS does not have a brake pedal, there is a button on the floor that is pressed – the amount of pressure determines how quickly the car will stop. At the time, Citroen had done studies on braking reaction times to develop this system.
What is next for this car?
Since I purchased the 1970 DS21 BVH, I have done a lot of the improvements I planned. This included the paint, upholstery and so on. A summary of the work I did in the first four years of ownership can be found here. There are still a few things that need doing – when the water pump exploded it warped something in the clutch, which vibrates when cold. It also needs a rebuilt hydraulic pump as this leaks.
Buying a DS
A DS is a good choice for a classic car because it is practical seating 5, they are reasonably inexpensive, has good parts supply, good club support and it does have that X factor that is needed in a classic. The biggest enemy of the DS is rust, so finding a relatively rust free example is more important than anything else. The easiest DS to start with would be a late model car, like a D Special that gives you the full DS looks and ride and comfort without additional complexity. The main thing is to find a rust free car, and if you want to be particular about the model, year, spec etc, be willing to wait for the right car to come up. I was keen on the semi-automatic gearbox system which is why I ended up with a DS21 BVH.
The early cars are really for more experienced owners. The red fluid must be changed on a regular basis and they don’t take kindly to not being used. The earlier engines are also much less powerful and come into their own on the open road rather than around town.
