Sold 1964 Citroen DS19 2146370951 Tweet

To create the DS Citroens managers engineers and designers risked everything on a wholly unconventional car that would turn the automobile industry on its head. Just as it had with the Traction Avant in the 1930s Citroen shocked the world when it unveiled the revolutionary DS at the Paris Auto Salon in 1955. At a time when a typical family car had a separate frame and leaf spring rear suspension and a live axle Citroens astonishing front-wheel drive sedan featured four-wheel independent hydro-pneumatic suspension controlled via a central hydraulic system as well as powerful hydraulically boosted four-wheel disc brakes. It also had semi-automatic shifting unibody construction a fiberglass roof to lower the center of gravity and space-age styling like nothing seen before or since. So incredible was the design that the famed aesthete Roland Barthes described it as having fallen from the sky.Yet for all of its space-age technology and avant-garde styling the DS was not some far-away concept car. Quite the opposite actually. It was ready for mass production and Citroen took 12000 orders on only the first day of the show! Citroen ultimately built more than 1.4 million DSs during its incredible twenty-year run. Citroen offered several variants throughout production including the standard DS sedan the stripped-down and simplified ID and the cavernous Safari wagon. Select outside coachbuilders also embraced the DS with none more prolific than the great Parisian firm Henri Chapron. Limousines coupes and convertibles emerged from Chaprons workshop initially as private commissions. Citroen was so impressed with the quality that they contracted with Chapron to produce an officially sanctioned cabriolet.To turn a four-door sedan into a two-doorDecapotablecabriolet Chapron substantially reworked each car including reinforcing the floor pan to improve rigidity and building new panels from the windscreen back. Chapron stretched the doors made new quarters and boot lid and revised the rear bumper to accommodate the turn signals which had to be moved from the standard location on the C-pillar. Thankfully the conversion cost the DS none of its drama. Hand-built in small numbers the Chapron Decapotable is among the most exclusive and collectible variants of the DS with exceptional examples coveted by collectors for their achingly beautiful lines as much as for their rarity.Beautifully restored and comprehensively upgraded without regard to cost this 1964 Citroen DS19 Chapron Decapotable offers much more than initially meets the eye. On the surface this is an exquisitely restored and finely detailed DS Chapron finished in a gorgeous shade of metallic indigo blue with a blue canvas roof and tan leather interior. However a look under the bonnet reveals a big surprise in the form of a turbocharged fuel-injected 2.5-liter inline-four from a Citroen CX. The initial restoration occurred around 2004 while the car was in The Netherlands; parts of the project are photo-documented. In 2011 the Citroen came to the United States courtesy of an enthusiastic new owner who immediately had it serviced and prepared for touring and rallies. After one event he decided that the car needed more power but wanted to respect its rarity and importance. They called upon an Indiana-based prototyping/engineering firm to source rebuild and install the late-model CX GTi Turbo engine.The transformation taking place between 2011 and 2013 involved much more than a simple engine swap. An incredible amount of engineering took place to adapt the transverse CX engine into the longitudinal DS platform and still have it fit under the stock bonnet. Before installation the engine was rebuilt for additional power refinement and longevity. The 2.5-liter stroker crankshaft is micro-polished lightened balanced and paired with custom billet pistons and balanced connecting rods. Additional features include a ported-polished head with stainless valves a specially designed cam a custom CNC-milled flywheel and an updated turbo. Fueling and ignition are controlled via a standalone Motec M400 ECU adapted with a hall-effect distributor crank and cam sensors. A custom alloy radiator by Ron Davis keeps things cool and the 5-speed manual gearbox has been suitably upgraded with new gears made by the respected Hewland Engineering in the UK. Countless other details of the seamless installation ensure that when the bonnet is closed this DS is virtually indistinguishable from a standard car.The most recent owner elevated it further via a full respray in the same shade of indigo blue. The paintwork is gorgeous the panels are crisply defined the fit is precise and the exterior trim and brightwork are exceptional. Lighting consists of lovely Cibie headlamps and S.E.V. Marchal fog light pods specifically designed for the DS and appropriately fitted with yellow bulbs. To maintain the Q-ship appearance the DS rides on standard wheels finished in cream and adorned with full stainless steel wheel covers. Vredestein Sprint Classic radials provide ample grip to handle the additional output of the new driveline.In the opulent and stylish cabin supple tan leather is in excellent order displaying light creasing from use. The fully-lined blue canvas soft-top is taut and beautifully ties the color scheme together. Luxurious carpets and other trimmings are fitted with care and precision. Appointments include a rare factory-optional Jaeger round-dial instrument panel and a correct factory radio that was fully restored and modified with an equalizer and Bluetooth/Aux/USB connectivity.This DS Chapron is restored to concours quality while also thoughtfully and meticulously updated for enjoyable cruising in todays conditions. Great care was taken to ensure it operates as it should which includes the hydraulics which are converted to use the widely available and non-hygroscopic LHM fluid. Putting the project into context the engine conversion cost over $200000 with a further $100000-plus spent on recent cosmetic work and servicing. Should the next owner desire the original driveline components are available to accompany the sale.With just 184 DS Chapron Decapotable models built in 1964 this is indeed a rare and highly collectible classic. It is also one of the finest examples we have encountered and the exhaustive beautifully engineered upgrades make it an absolute pleasure to drive. Elegantly presented as not to spoil its beautiful lines yet with at least double the original power this gorgeous Chapron DS is sure to bring much joy to its next keeper.Offers welcome and trades considered For additional details please view this listing directly on our website https://hymanltd.com/vehicles/7474-1964-citroen-ds19-decapotable-by-chapron/