1966 Citroen DS - DS 21 M Pallas

Restored by Dirk Sassen to the owner’s individual specification

Rare Pallas model in the original body style

Highly attractive colour combination

Extensive maintenance history

Delivered new in Germany

When Citroën unveiled the DS in Paris in 1955, the rest of the motoring world suddenly looked rather old. Few cars before it had broken so radically with convention, technically as much as stylistically. Hydropneumatic suspension, hydraulically assisted controls and a body that appeared to come from another age made the DS far more than merely a new model. It became an automotive milestone.

Ten years later, the revolution had matured into a thoroughly developed motor car. In 1965, the D-series received the lower-maintenance LHM hydraulic system and a new generation of engines, while the classic front remained until 1967. These transitional models therefore combine two particularly appealing qualities: the original appearance of the early DS with the more developed engineering of the later cars.

At the top of the range sat the DS 21, and anyone who specified Pallas received the version in which Citroën took its already rather individual interpretation of comfort another considerable step further. For all its outward glamour, however, the Pallas wore its mink on the inside. Leather, thick carpets and more elaborate trim created an appropriately sumptuous ambience, yet the real difference became apparent on the road. A Pallas was perhaps the DS in its most complete form.

Alongside the semi-automatic transmission, the DS 21 was now also available with a conventional manual gearbox. It is precisely this combination that holds such appeal today: the more powerful engine, the classic body and mechanical controls that blend pleasantly unobtrusively into the driving experience. A DS was never a car for everyone. That was true in 1966, and little has changed since.

On 31 January 2006, the consignor bought a DS from Dirk Sassen and at the same time commissioned a comprehensive restoration. The choice of specialist was hardly accidental: by then, Sassen in Düsseldorf had long since established an excellent reputation for the maintenance and restoration of Citroën’s D models. The car itself was a DS 21 Pallas with manual gearbox, first registered in Germany on 14 December 1966.

The new owner left nothing to chance when deciding how the finished car should look. The restoration brief was specified down to the smallest detail and supplemented by numerous personal requests. Initially, the DS was to be painted Blanc Paros AC 102. Above all, however, its exterior was to remain as restrained as possible so as not to disturb the purity of the body’s lines. The central body trim and Cibié lamps were therefore deliberately omitted, while tinted glass was specified instead.

The interior followed an equally clear idea: deep black leather, additional carpeting and a grey headlining. Sensible technical improvements included a stainless-steel exhaust, electronic ignition, a high-performance radiator and heated seats. A later amendment finally specified Blanc Stellaire AC 097 for the exterior, with the dashboard to be painted in the same colour.

Completion had originally been scheduled for June 2007, but ultimately slipped to September 2008. On 25 September, the restored DS was registered with 56,578 kilometres showing on the odometer.

Just as meticulously as the consignor had specified his DS, so too did he look after it afterwards. The numerous invoices on file come exclusively from recognised D-model specialists. Knowledgeable hands have since ensured trouble-free years and almost 50,000 kilometres of driving pleasure.

Now, for reasons of age, the DS is to leave its long-term owner. What remains is a highly individual motor car in remarkably youthful condition.

Among connoisseurs, the 1966 model-year DS 21 “M” Pallas ranks among the particularly sought-after variants: the classic body style already combined with the more developed engineering, together with the more powerful engine, Pallas specification and manual gearbox. There really is not much more DS one could ask for.