Apr 11
Henri Chapron - Le Dandy
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Türkiye
seen from Canada
seen from Kazakhstan
seen from China
seen from Russia
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Australia
seen from Netherlands
seen from China
seen from Germany
seen from United States
seen from Japan
seen from Malaysia
seen from Malaysia
seen from Iraq
seen from Germany
seen from Germany
Henri Chapron - Le Dandy
Yslaire
Citroën DS 21 S2 Le Dandy par Chapron non restaurée 1966
1965 Citroen DS21 Le Dandy by Chapron
My tumblr-blogs: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/germancarssince1946 & https://www.tumblr.com/blog/frenchcarssince1946 & https://www.tumblr.com/blog/englishcarssince1946
1962 Citroen DS 19 Le Dandy by Chapron
My tumblr-blogs: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/germancarssince1946 & https://www.tumblr.com/blog/frenchcarssince1946 & https://www.tumblr.com/blog/englishcarssince1946
(via https://open.spotify.com/track/6GMfS2v4DlGYnYU8ImXt0N)
The Citroën DS is an automobile which was manufactured and marketed by the French company from 1955 to 1975. Styled by Italian sculptor and industrial designer Flaminio Bertoni and the French aeronautical engineer André Lefèbvre, the DS was known for its aerodynamic futuristic body design and innovative technology, including a hydropneumatic self-levelling suspension.
The DS set new standards in automobile ride quality, handling, and braking. Citroën sold nearly 1.5 million D-series during the model's 20-year production run. The DS came third in the 1999 Car of the Century competition, recognizing the world's most influential auto designs, and was named the most beautiful car of all time by Classic & Sports Car magazine.
Aside from the standard Citroën DS models, which included a saloon, estate and cabriolet as well as a more basic ID version of the car, a number of other interesting versions of the car were created - some by coachbuilders, some by Citroën themselves. It is these that we will explore here.
Citroën DS Le Dandy - Chapron created a number of coupe and cabriolet models based on the DS, and was ultimately engaged by Citroën to produce their Cabriolet version of the car. The Le Dandy was a two-door, two-seater coupe.
Citroën DS Le Leman - another Chapron creation and also a two-door coupe, but this one was equipped with seating for four.
Citroën DS Presidential - Chapron was asked to create an elongated limousine version of the DS for President Charles De Gaulle, delivered in 1968.
Citroën DS Lorraine - Chapron created several limousine versions of the DS, including the Lorraine, which sported a more conventional nocthback shape.
Citroën DS GT19 Bossaert - In 1960, Hector Bossaert in association with the coachwork firm Gété produced the GT 19. Italian stylist Pietro Frua was responsible for this shortened coupé whose tail fins recall those of the Peugeot 404. Approximately a dozen were built until 1965 of which two are known to have survived.
Citroën DS TAP (Rally Car) - Despite its complexity and weight, the DS was a very accomplished rally car. In 1972, Citroën created the DS TAP version on a shortened wheelbase with an engine that had been tuned by Maserati.
Citroën DS based Michelin PLR - Created in 1972 when Michelin owned Citroën, the PLR (Poids Lourd Rapide or Fast Truck) was created to test truck tyres at speeds of up to 180km/h. Created from the DS parts bin, the car had two Chevy 350 V8 engines, one to power the six rear wheels and another to run the test tyre contained within the vehicle. Nicknamed the Millipede, this beast weighed 10 tonnes!
Citroën DS19 Hearse - Created by Citroën UK, the DS should have made the perfect hearse, with its adjustable ride height particularly useful for loading/unloading. However, the futuristic shape was out of sorts with the solemnity of a funeral and consequently the car was not a sales success.
Citroën DS based "The Reactor" - Underneath the wacky looking bodywork lies a humble Citroën DS. The car was created by Gene Winfield (who would go on to create vehicles for the Mad Max film) and featured an air-cooled 6-cylinder Corvair engine (ironically like the one initially intended to power the DS). The car featured in several TV programmes including Batman, Bewitched, Mission Impossible and Star Trek.
Citroën DS Pichon Parat - Another two door coupe and cabriolet created by Pichon Parat. The redesign incorporated the front lights of the Panhard CT24 and predates Citroën's own similar 1967 facelift by two years.