What's your DS story? (2024)

I've admired the DS for years, since my first trip to Europe (I'm American) when I was 21 back in the late 70's. Well a couple years ago I decided it was on my bucket list to own one some day. Then I realized that no point in having a bucket list, since you can die tomorrow. Might as well do it now.

So I spent two years researching everything I'd need to know to find the right car. I finally found my 1971 DSuper on Craigslist and flew to Reno to drive it home to Austin, Texas.

Now it seems that every time I drive somewhere, I hear a story from someone who has a long, lost memory tied to one.

Some of these have been pretty moving.

When I picked up the car in Reno with my son, our first stop was at a Walmart to pick up supplies for the week long road trip. As soon as I pulled up in front, a beautiful French woman came running up in her heels absolutely thrilled to see a DS. She chatted us up for a good 20 minutes, smiling and happy. When she left, my 19 year old son said "I want one of these…"

A couple days later, a little woman in her 80's came up to us and said "ya know, my boyfriend back in college had one just like this and we'd go to drive in movies… did you know the front seats fold back and it makes a big bed?" She winked.

I've heard from people who have grown up in Africa who's parents had them… Talked to a German who told of long road trips with 4 kids in the back… Talked to a guy who's aunt had a black one with red leather interior that she drove around Texas. He bought it to one-up his mother who could never top it. He thought she was the coolest woman he'd ever known… Just yesterday, a woman pulled up next to me honking and told me her uncle had one when she was a little girl in Mexico City and she loved going for rides in it…

And it seems that wherever I go, the DS seems to magnetically attract any French expat in town. It's happened all over Texas and so many small towns I drove through coming her from Reno.

I got home the day before Bastille Day and a French restaurant not far from my home. They were having a celebration so we drove over. The owner and chef came running out as we pulled up in front. He was ecstatic and was nearly moved to tears. He told me we eat free when we park it out front.

The car seems to have a strange effect on people. They smile, wave, take pictures. Can't tell you how many times I've been driving down the road and notice someone in the next car is taking a picture or shooting a video.

It's almost a public service to drive it to work. It seems to put people in a better mood and give them a reason to smile and wave.

I've owned a lot of cars in my life… well over 30 at this point… but I've never driven anything that actually makes people happy!

So what are some of the stories you all have? Why not share?

Chris Greta

Mike Egbuna

Chris I give you a thumbs up for the commentary. Back in the day we kids would wake up early in the morning just to hop over to a neighbours house in time to see the almighty DS rise.

I remember getting into trouble whenever he went late for work as this would translate to me being late for school.

All these memories have resulted in a great expenditure over the years on my DS and I can reaffirm that it has been worth it.

Cheers Mike Egbuna

Hi,
I guarantee at least half the people you met asked if its the one that goes up and down whilst holding their hand horizontal and moving it up and down!!

My dad bought his first DS in the mid 1960s and there has been at least one in the family ever since, now between my brother and I we have 4...... It's a disease with no known cure;)

Ed

Hi Mike.

I did the same thing as you .. when I started going to school, I would sit on the front steps of our house and wait for our neighbour across the street to come out and start his DS.

I would watch it rise ... with wonder. It was love at first sight for this 6 year old boy.

Two years ago, at age 55, I finally got my wish: a 1972 DS 21.

And right across my house lives a gran-pa, who has a grand son whom I have seen sitting on the steps, watching my DS rise with the same expression in his eyes as I had when this car started to fascinate me.

Laurent Mougeot - Regina, Saskatchewan.

Sent from Windows Mail

From: Mike Egbuna
Sent: ‎January‎ ‎25‎, ‎2013 ‎11‎:‎30‎ ‎AM
To: DSeries-L@...
Subject: Re: [DSeries-L] What's your DS story?

Chris I give you a thumbs up for the commentary. Back in the day we kids would wake up early in the morning just to hop over to a neighbours house in time to see the almighty DS rise.

I remember getting into trouble whenever he went late for work as this would translate to me being late for school.

All these memories have resulted in a great expenditure over the years on my DS and I can reaffirm that it has been worth it.

Cheers Mike Egbuna

On 25 Jan 2013, at 17:14, Chris Greta chris@...> wrote:

I've admired the DS for years, since my first trip to Europe (I'm American) when I was 21 back in the late 70's. Well a couple years ago I decided it was on my bucket list to own one some day. Then I realized that no point in having a bucket list, since you can die tomorrow. Might as well do it now.

So I spent two years researching everything I'd need to know to find the right car. I finally found my 1971 DSuper on Craigslist and flew to Reno to drive it home to Austin, Texas.

Now it seems that every time I drive somewhere, I hear a story from someone who has a long, lost memory tied to one.

Some of these have been pretty moving.

When I picked up the car in Reno with my son, our first stop was at a Walmart to pick up supplies for the week long road trip. As soon as I pulled up in front, a beautiful French woman came running up in her heels absolutely thrilled to see a DS. She chatted us up for a good 20 minutes, smiling and happy. When she left, my 19 year old son said "I want one of these…"

A couple days later, a little woman in her 80's came up to us and said "ya know, my boyfriend back in college had one just like this and we'd go to drive in movies… did you know the front seats fold back and it makes a big bed?" She winked.

I've heard from people who have grown up in Africa who's parents had them… Talked to a German who told of long road trips with 4 kids in the back… Talked to a guy who's aunt had a black one with red leather interior that she drove around Texas. He bought it to one-up his mother who could never top it. He thought she was the coolest woman he'd ever known… Just yesterday, a woman pulled up next to me honking and told me her uncle had one when she was a little girl in Mexico City and she loved going for rides in it…

And it seems that wherever I go, the DS seems to magnetically attract any French expat in town. It's happened all over Texas and so many small towns I drove through coming her from Reno.

I got home the day before Bastille Day and a French restaurant not far from my home. They were having a celebration so we drove over. The owner and chef came running out as we pulled up in front. He was ecstatic and was nearly moved to tears. He told me we eat free when we park it out front.

The car seems to have a strange effect on people. They smile, wave, take pictures. Can't tell you how many times I've been driving down the road and notice someone in the next car is taking a picture or shooting a video.

It's almost a public service to drive it to work. It seems to put people in a better mood and give them a reason to smile and wave.

I've owned a lot of cars in my life… well over 30 at this point… but I've never driven anything that actually makes people happy!

So what are some of the stories you all have? Why not share?

Chris Greta

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Thanks so much for this Chris. I love this part of our 'sport'!

Greg, Seattle

Great stuff! Thanks for sharing.

Greg, Seattle

PS My mum's from Kindersley!

On 25/01/13 17:14, Chris Greta wrote:

So what are some of the stories you all have? Why not share?

In Oxford about ten years ago. On the way south from Scotland, Doris had blown the HP delivery pipe from pump to accumulator (for the second of three times ... ) and had arrived in Oxford on a low loader.

By that time I was pretty adept at changing the pipe, so I got it swapped, bled the system and headed into the lab and back for a test run. On the way back I was held up at traffic lights, and decided that I'd bleed the suspension again while waiting so ... full down, full up, full down, full up and so on.

As I did this, I became aware of a very puzzled pair of eyes in the rear view mirror of the car in front of me, and of a hand reaching up to adjust the mirror position ... again ... and again ... and again ... and again ...

Ian

Hi Folks!
Well... Where should I start?
Mine started when I was barely 5 years old, playing hide and seek with the other boys and girls that age. On Martini Road, Old Kampala...gee I am going way back some 45 years or so ago, there was usually a Green or a Gray Cit id with fixed headlights, two on either side,
parked on a wider than normal foot path.
As being a 5 year old, I didn't pay much attention to the car that sat so low to the ground, that it was a pleasure as the ball never got stuck underneath it, like other regular cars, one afternoon we were all hiding and seeking, this went on for some time, only I had waited to be caught hiding, but no one came for me...until much latter did I start to hear croak...croak....croak.....croak......croak, this got louder and more often , did I not think, except that I got out of my hiding... Lo behold...it got darker..the frogs ...my god I started to sweat...wondering if the big frog is really alive (cit id)...I just couldn't get past the citroen that lay down.. In the dark it looked more like a frog and my imagination got the worse of me as I feared for my little self...sweating profusely as I didn't see the other kids
I ran as fast as I could...tripping on a stone and falling on all fours... I had injured my hands as well as my barren knees, wearing shorts was normal, around the equator.
I hated this car after that, however I managed to go past it in the day time after some days had passed by, only sitting on the Guava tree and seeing this thing with a different perspective... The owner was sitting in the driver's seat, car was being started with a loud bang followed by smoke from the back, then it was rising up, this in itself was a sight well worth it. Eventually as the years went by I got older and thought, gee I wonder if these cars are still around... Back in the seventies I was given a ride in a D Speciale, it was the best riding car that I have experienced..time went by and the idea of this vehicle had won my heart...
Since then I have had many DS's and presently have other Cits, Looking forward to getting a 1970 DSuper5 in a weeks time.

Cheers

Prakash

Philippe Devingt

HI RAG WHERE did you get that one ???send me pictures PHIL in the same time is anybody know any citroen [any kind] in florida CLEARWATER aera i am going down in the next week or so ????
To: DSeries-L@...
From: citroens@...
Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2013 22:58:26 +0000
Subject: [DSeries-L] Re: What's your DS story?

Hi Folks!

Well... Where should I start?

Mine started when I was barely 5 years old, playing hide and seek with the other boys and girls that age. On Martini Road, Old Kampala...gee I am going way back some 45 years or so ago, there was usually a Green or a Gray Cit id with fixed headlights, two on either side,

parked on a wider than normal foot path.

As being a 5 year old, I didn't pay much attention to the car that sat so low to the ground, that it was a pleasure as the ball never got stuck underneath it, like other regular cars, one afternoon we were all hiding and seeking, this went on for some time, only I had waited to be caught hiding, but no one came for me...until much latter did I start to hear croak...croak....croak.....croak......croak, this got louder and more often , did I not think, except that I got out of my hiding... Lo behold...it got darker..the frogs ...my god I started to sweat...wondering if the big frog is really alive (cit id)...I just couldn't get past the citroen that lay down.. In the dark it looked more like a frog and my imagination got the worse of me as I feared for my little self...sweating profusely as I didn't see the other kids

I ran as fast as I could...tripping on a stone and falling on all fours... I had injured my hands as well as my barren knees, wearing shorts was normal, around the equator.

I hated this car after that, however I managed to go past it in the day time after some days had passed by, only sitting on the Guava tree and seeing this thing with a different perspective... The owner was sitting in the driver's seat, car was being started with a loud bang followed by smoke from the back, then it was rising up, this in itself was a sight well worth it. Eventually as the years went by I got older and thought, gee I wonder if these cars are still around... Back in the seventies I was given a ride in a D Speciale, it was the best riding car that I have experienced..time went by and the idea of this vehicle had won my heart...

Since then I have had many DS's and presently have other Cits, Looking forward to getting a 1970 DSuper5 in a weeks time.

Cheers

Prakash

--- In DSeries-L@..., "GregL" wrote:

Great stuff! Thanks for sharing.

Greg, Seattle

PS My mum's from Kindersley!

--- In DSeries-L@..., Laurent M wrote:

Hi Mike.

I did the same thing as you .. when I started going to school, I would sit on the front steps of our house and wait for our neighbour across the street to come out and start his DS.

I would watch it rise ... with wonder. It was love at first sight for this 6 year old boy.

Two years ago, at age 55, I finally got my wish: a 1972 DS 21.

And right across my house lives a gran-pa, who has a grand son whom I have seen sitting on the steps, watching my DS rise with the same expression in his eyes as I had when this car started to fascinate me.

Laurent Mougeot - Regina, Saskatchewan.

Sent from Windows Mail

From: Mike Egbuna

Sent: ‎January‎ ‎25‎, ‎2013 ‎11‎:‎30‎ ‎AM

To: DSeries-L@...

Subject: Re: [DSeries-L] What's your DS story?

Chris I give you a thumbs up for the commentary. Back in the day we kids would wake up early in the morning just to hop over to a neighbours house in time to see the almighty DS rise.

I remember getting into trouble whenever he went late for work as this would translate to me being late for school.

All these memories have resulted in a great expenditure over the years on my DS and I can reaffirm that it has been worth it.

Cheers Mike Egbuna

On 25 Jan 2013, at 17:14, Chris Greta chris@> wrote:

I've admired the DS for years, since my first trip to Europe (I'm American) when I was 21 back in the late 70's. Well a couple years ago I decided it was on my bucket list to own one some day. Then I realized that no point in having a bucket list, since you can die tomorrow. Might as well do it now.

So I spent two years researching everything I'd need to know to find the right car. I finally found my 1971 DSuper on Craigslist and flew to Reno to drive it home to Austin, Texas.

Now it seems that every time I drive somewhere, I hear a story from someone who has a long, lost memory tied to one.

Some of these have been pretty moving.

When I picked up the car in Reno with my son, our first stop was at a Walmart to pick up supplies for the week long road trip. As soon as I pulled up in front, a beautiful French woman came running up in her heels absolutely thrilled to see a DS. She chatted us up for a good 20 minutes, smiling and happy. When she left, my 19 year old son said "I want one of these…"

A couple days later, a little woman in her 80's came up to us and said "ya know, my boyfriend back in college had one just like this and we'd go to drive in movies… did you know the front seats fold back and it makes a big bed?" She winked.

I've heard from people who have grown up in Africa who's parents had them… Talked to a German who told of long road trips with 4 kids in the back… Talked to a guy who's aunt had a black one with red leather interior that she drove around Texas. He bought it to one-up his mother who could never top it. He thought she was the coolest woman he'd ever known… Just yesterday, a woman pulled up next to me honking and told me her uncle had one when she was a little girl in Mexico City and she loved going for rides in it…

And it seems that wherever I go, the DS seems to magnetically attract any French expat in town. It's happened all over Texas and so many small towns I drove through coming her from Reno.

I got home the day before Bastille Day and a French restaurant not far from my home. They were having a celebration so we drove over. The owner and chef came running out as we pulled up in front. He was ecstatic and was nearly moved to tears. He told me we eat free when we park it out front.

The car seems to have a strange effect on people. They smile, wave, take pictures. Can't tell you how many times I've been driving down the road and notice someone in the next car is taking a picture or shooting a video.

It's almost a public service to drive it to work. It seems to put people in a better mood and give them a reason to smile and wave.

I've owned a lot of cars in my life… well over 30 at this point… but I've never driven anything that actually makes people happy!

So what are some of the stories you all have? Why not share?

Chris Greta

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Keith Johnson

My DS story is one a bit long-winded, and had some seemingly impossible coincidences. But all of this is true to the best of my memory, 35 years later:

I was always a car guy, but as I entered my teens in the early 1970's, I lost interest in American iron and became fascinated with odder stuff. When I was 15 or so, I started working for the local glass company, learning how to repair windows and screens. There was a little shop next door that sold trophies, and the owners owned a Honda 600 coupe, a Saab 96 and a Renault R10. These cars fascinated me! Something that didn't have a big decal bird on the hood!

Time moved on and I was nearing legal driving age. I still worked at the glass shop, and the trophies guy told me he'd sell me the Honda. He even let me borrow it for a few days - then his wife decided she wanted to keep it. The guy told me I could have the Renault for free, and a week later vandals rolled it onto its roof and the owner just junked it! I even thought about the Saab, but it was just too rusty, even for a 16 year old.

I picked up one of those ad newspapers you'd see at the gas station and saw an ad for a 1966 Citroen Pallas. I had no idea what a Citroen was, but I called the owner and he started describing the car to me. I'm sure my eyes glazed over when he started talking about Citromatics and hydropneumatic suspension, but I had already decided that I really wanted something out of the ordinary, so I made a date to drive into Chicago the following week to look at it.

I also dug out my old Car & Driver and Road & Track magazines to see if there was any mention of Citroen. The first one I came upon was a small article about the final DS coming off the line. There was a tiny picture of a DS, which I stared at, and kept staring at. If my parents had seen me, they probably would have thought I'd found a girly magazine. I cut out the tiny picture and put it in my wallet, where it stayed for maybe 3 years before it disintegrated.

Perhaps a day or so later, someone pulled into the glass shop with one of the most beautiful things I'd ever seen. It had to be! It was taxicab yellow (!) but what an incredible looking car! I ran out to talk to the driver, and learned that this was indeed a Citroen DS. He was in a bit of a hurry, and he didn't really seem interested in showing off the car, but I was in love. It seemed hard to believe that there was a car in town that I hadn't seen, but he actually lived locally.

I ended up buying the '66. It had been owned by John Chassin and was one of his first chassis restorations. It had the shorter leather seats, BVH, and rode like a dream (once I replaced the blown accumulator). I joined the Central Citroen Club, became active in the dwindling Citroen community around Chicago, bought parts from John's Nori catalogue, and ended up owning another half dozen or so Cits, including the taxicab yellow one I'd seen all those years before. I learned how to work on cars on that 1st D. It still takes me longer to figure out the next size up from a 3/8" socket than it does a 10mm one!

Michael Richardson

I recently parked my DS23 in a Sydney suburban street and heard a woman talking in French and pointing out the Goddess to her three children. I approached her and asked if my car had stirred memories.

"Yes", she said, "my father had one when I was little and I always got sea sick in the back seat... I hate them!"

My earliest memories of a DS were in the late '50s growing up in a small English village. The local solicitor had a DS19 and used to park it outside the village pub. There was a local joke that you could tell how long he had been drinking by the height of the suspension.

Kenneth Nelson

Wouldn't it make an interesting book if we all contributed our stories about living with the Cits? I don't think there's a one of us who hasn't got a good story to pass on. I started driving DSs in 1963 after my father brought one home in 1962 - a '58 DS19. Around 1970-71, I took my career job with Dupont in Wilmington Del, and one day I was coming off the freeway into the older, low income section of Wilmington in my '67 DS21, and passed a couple of very young African-American kids on the sidewalk and heard one holler "Man, lookit that spaceship!" I've never heard anyone describe the car better! Here was a kid too young to have become brainwashed by the media yet who really connected with the car and what it exemplified - and this just a year before the Feds and Detroit shut down their importation, but they haven't shut US down yet!
Another story: Just the other day in a local gas station, a fellow saw me in my '65 DS19 - he driving a Hybrid - yet he remarked how great the car was - don't now his history with the Cits, but he obviously had good memories of the cars. When I asked him about the mileage he got he said "high 40's", and I mentioned I'd driven a new C1 Rental Cit in Paris around 4-5 yrs ago, which was amazingly a 1500 CC diesel which I couldn't tell from a gas engine until I fed it fuel! It was as smooth, quiet and revvy as any engine that size and I hadn't a clue until the fuel up. Cindy and I cruised that 2 dr 4 seater hatchback at a solid 160 km/h down the A10 toward La Rochelle and it drove like a dream and returned somewhere near 50 mpg! The shame of it is, we can't get them here. Too bad Washington doesn't encourage European mfrs to import their good stuff - Detroit would be pressured even more to clean up their act and get with the program -

Ken