Slightly Needy: 1972 Citroen D Super
Citroen stunned the market when it introduced the DS in 1955. Its predecessor, the Traction Avant, was a groundbreaking vehicle in its own right, but the DS was downright bodacious. Orders for the quirky vehicle broke records. Offered alongside the less expensive ID, the DS gave customers a competent four-cylinder motor and innovative hydropneumatic suspension. Its clutch, brakes, and steering were hydraulically assisted as well. For the downmarket ID, hydropneumatics were kept within the suspension while its brakes, steering, and transmission were conventional. The ID offered smaller displacement engines as well. In 1970, the Citroen D Super and D Special replaced the ID. By then, technology allowed for improvements to its handling systems, and engine options were upgraded to the larger fours available in the DS. Here on craigslist is a slightly needy 1972 Citroen, with an asking price of $19,000 firm. This car is located in Arlington, Virginia. We have Mitchell G. to thank for spotting the potential in this lovely car, which has incurred some damage since the photo above was taken.
The seller lists his car as a D Super in the ad’s title but then calls it a DS20 in the description. They are different cars. A Super has the 1985 cc four-cylinder from the factory and less in the way of hydropneumatics. The DS20 will have the same motor, but be fully equipped with Citroen’s trademark rising suspension, and hydropneumatically assisted clutch, disc brakes, and steering. So which car is this? There’s a hint in the interior photo above. The DS’s brake system was so powerful, utilizing all that pressurized fluid, that drivers were given a mere button on the floor to actuate the four-wheel discs. I see four pedals in the photo – parking brake, clutch, conventional brake, and gas. I’m going to call this a Super but feel free to correct me! The interior is as quirky as the exterior, with its single-spoked steering wheel – this one requiring refinishing. The manual shift lever is on the column.
The rest of the interior is also slightly needy, with broken handles here and there. The single shot of the seats reveals clean upholstery in a complimentary shade – so French!
Alas, the driver’s side front wing is missing, and damage has afflicted the bonnet. The driver’s headlight is also MIA. Repairs are clearly in order. Fortunately, as favored as Citroen’s have become in the market, there are still plenty of examples around. Front wings can be scavenged from derelict cars, or you can use a fiberglass replacement. The good news is that the seller says the hydropneumatics are working fine. Prices for all the DS/ID nameplates have skyrocketed recently. Still, the D Super, without the full-on oddball hydropneumatics, deserves a discount. Our seller wants to be firm on his price, but I’m guessing it will require a concession to find this car a new home if we judge by this project D Special that didn’t sell for $10,100 recently.
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Comments
Sellers “very firm price” means he will be keeping the vehicle!
“Honey, I’ve been trying to sell it, but nobody’s interested!” 😏
You can see by the suspension control lever at the left footwell this car has the hydropneumatic suspension. I owned a 1971 DS21 for a few years. Quirky cars that never fail to draw a questioning crowd
And he/she can keep this one. I’ve always thought most Citroens were ugly vehicles. I’m not especially a fan of France either, but that’s another story….lol 😎
No Maserati engine. A competent four cylinder engine just isn’t the same.
No D-series Citroëns ever came with Maserati engines, which were only ever equipped in the SM.
Not a good example of one for me. Plus, although I live in a major metropolitan area, I doubt if there’s a good Citroen mechanic in my state.
I have thought from the very first Citroen I ever saw that they were butt ugly and the technology that came with could never overcome the terrible looks!
I had the same thoughts about Citroens until I drove a Traction Avante Light 15 and I fell in love with it just by looking out through the windscreen and seeing the road over those gorgeous chrome headlights. and long bonnet. Many years later I got to drive a DS20 and it was love all over again. I didn’t ever buy one though because I was scared of not being able to repair it myself should it have a breakdown, but 60 years later I wish that I had been a bit more adventurous.
Karl,
If everyone thought the ID/DS cars were beautiful, then the demand would be so high, that none of us who like them could ever afford a nice one! So thanks for helping keep the prices reasonable [except for this one!]
And a warning to all the guys who would never want one because of how they look, there are plenty of attractive ladies who love the looks of the ID/DS cars, and you are forwarned that once you’ve spent some time driving these cars in long distance driving, you’ll probably want one.
This car is still registered in the Netherlands, Register says it is a D Special. It still has a valid safety check till 17-12-2023
Having had a 1972 Citroen DS 21, I think $4,500 might even be on the optimistic side.
Thanks Michelle, another intelligent write up.
I also think this a Super, if only because few IDs were sold in the latter days of the model. Unfortuately unrealistic asking price for an incomplete DS project.
You can buy this car in full working order and this condition in EU still and I think there will be much less inherent demand in VA.
Correct. The price is very optimistic in my view. One thing I have noticed when reading the write-ups on BF is that about half way through it hits me that this must be a Michelle Rand description as it is so different, that her style of writing makes for very interesting, and factually correct (mostly) reading. Well done Michelle.
I agree and do the same. Take it as a compliment, Michelle, because it´s not generally the house style.
Having had many Citroens, and currently caring for a 1970 D Special, I have to say this one is just too pricey for the market IMHO. Clearly there is some fear of driving it as indicated in the ad. I had mine listed locally for $15k with no takers and although not a show car it is a fine 10 footer that I’d drive anywhere! Folks worried about finding a mechanic to work on one? You should stick to a Honda LOL. Anyone who can put a wrench on one are few and far between. I adopted my own skills for working on them and if your a half assed wrench they are not that hard to repair. Even the scary stuff is not that bad! As previous posts indicate, the seller will have this car for years to come.
Rick what would you say was the hardest maintenance task on these?
here’s THE one (instead):
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1962_Plymouth_Valiant_V-100_%285149830801%29.jpg
Butt ugly martian mobile
Perhaps that is how they were seen on Earth, but the ID/DS cars were number one in worldwide sales on Mars, 12 years in a row!
The conventional brake pedal confirms this is not a proper DS but, rather, an ID variant, which were renamed to D Spécial, D Super, and D Super 5 as of 1970. Looks like the seller has now updated the CL listing to remove any mention of “DS20”.
I gather the ID-series did actually have the same braking system as the DS, just with the “mushroom button” tucked up behind the dash and operated by the conventional brake pedal acting on it as a lever. I can only infer this made the cheaper ID models less daunting to their broader pool of prospective buyers with more conservative expectations as to driving controls and dynamics.
Whoops, I see the “DS 20” now, in the sidebar w/ vehicle specs. Still not an accurate model designation for this particular car.
French pastries yes! Citroen no.
I just learned my musical fave David Byrne (Talking Heads) drives one of these. Knowing David, I am not surprised.😁
Byrne´s Canadian and can recognise value in the Avant Garde, even 70 years after it happened. Byrne has also put his shift in!
I thought he was born in Scotland😮
Uglier than my mother in law.
Can I meet her🤔 If she is anything like this she must be a French goddess.
😂
Greetings from Germany! I grew up in a 1970 D Super, bought a DS 20 Pallas in 1992 and love those cars, although today I am more into US Classics.
The D super had hydropneumatic as well, but a manual gearbox and a conventional brake system. The inner door handles used to be chrome, so this is more a mixup.
Well, going for a DS in the US must be quite an adventure…
Btw, good DS in perfect condition in Europe can easily exceed 50.000 $…
To those who have never driven such a thing: it’s like riding a magic carpet!
Hey Guys! Didn’t Burt Reynolds use one similar to run away from the Cops in the movie the Longest Yard? I’m an older guy and I seem to remember that.
That was a different model, the Citroen SM.
In addition to on the high end, transport costs. If seller really wants out, I think the buyer is $14k INCLUDING DELIVERY in their budget. So that translates to $11k in my view. But let’s say you’re not worried about $8k. Those people exist. Metal fabricators exist who can build that whole body if need be. If you want the Citroen experience or to boast your great French heritage, it would be fun to paint this like a big French Baguette. Crust details and everything. I mean if money is no object, here’s a car you can show car snobs that it is better than how you got it. I’d say it has lots of potential. I’m not French but if I were I’d just go for it if I had the budget. Me? A 1972 2.0 Alfa GTV SPICA coupe with some ‘ultra leggera’ attention. Get the car you want, restore it to your liking. Technology that was good, keep it. Back seats never used, ditch it. This Citroen is a blank canvas. Picasso car.
Beautiful car. I’ve always found the DS/ID to be the best looking cars produced by Citroen. I consider it unforgivable that not many were offered here in the USA, and even those that were sold weren’t available with a good service network throughout North America. However well built a car may be, it doesn’t do you any good if you don’t have the means to keep a car running, does it? If only more pics were posted.