1972 Citroën DS21

This DS is one of around 12 classic cars owned by the vendor Bob, and he bought it in 2017 from a private owner. He’s now selling as ‘I like trying others’ and it’s now time for it to go to a new home.

‘I bought it as a challenge,’ he says. ‘And I think it is now in a lot better shape than when I originally bought it.’ Since he’s owned it, the car has been used for one family wedding in Bath and a couple of classic car runs here and there.

Information supplied by the owner prior to Bob states that Morton Stockwell commissioned its comprehensive restoration by Carrosserie Boulesteix de Angouleme back in the 1990s, one of a number of ‘D’ Series cars it then sold to the company car market as ‘new’ vehicles.

This corresponds with the Morton Stockwell Specification Sheet and brochure for ‘the classic company car’, both of which can be viewed in the photo gallery. Buyers could have one as long as they wanted standard specification, right-hand-drive, in black, it was a DS21 model and had partial Pallas trim that included soft leather seats but standard vinyl door trim.

Prior to Bob’s purchase it’d been on the road for most of the 26+ years since that 1990 restoration. ‘Naturally, it’s had rolling restoration work carried out as required since then,’ says Bob. ‘And has covered around 56,000 miles in that time.’

The V5 document shows eight previous owners since 1990, and the DS has a recent MOT certificate (with no advisories) that runs out in March 2020.

The outer bodywork panels present nicely and are generally pretty straight, with no rust bubbles discernible. As an older restoration the paint finish is reasonable; it lacks a bit of shine, and the long panel curves show up a bit orange peel here and there. We’d recommend the next owner have it detailed, as we think this would definitely improve it.

Exterior brightwork can cost thousands to replace, but we can report that again it’s in generally nice condition – bumpers and window surrounds are free from pitting and have a nice depth of shine, while the fluted brake light housings are in similar condition.

Down below, the chrome hubcaps are good, although the edges of the steel wheels poking out from below are a little chipped in places – that’s to be expected, though. All four tyres have a decent amount of tread left, too.

The interior is excellent. A replacement mottled grey headlining was fitted in 2005 and remains firmly in place, although the roll looping around above the windows is missing its cover. The huge leather seats are supremely soft and comfortable, retaining their spectacular factory bolstering properties and have a lovely, nicely bedded-in patina. Contrasting light grey (piped dark grey) carpets are well fitted and relatively unworn.

Lifting the one in the driver’s foot-well reveals some surface rust, which should be cleaned up at the first opportunity. While lifting the boot carpet reveals some rot in the rear corners, which will require some remedial work.

We’ve picked on the faults, as we should, but we stress that looking around everything else seems well, lots of lights, dials and switches appear to do their work well, and the modern radio has the quirky Citroen-esque touch of being turned on by an duplicate fan switch on the dash!!

It’s a similar story underneath; generally it’s solid, but we’ve found what appear to be a few areas of localised corrosion. There are a couple of holes in the n/s/r floor pan, however the sill panels themselves look good. There’s also another small area of rot just next to the rear exhaust-mounting bracket (which relates the previous comment about the boot corners).

Under the bonnet it’s well presented, with spare wheel and jack secured in place. There’s no evidence of any leaks up top, but crawl underneath and you’ll find an oil stain on the engine under-tray.

The engine starts instantly with a little choke, and once warm continues to run well; it also has lumenition electronic ignition fitted for more reliable starting. The current owner Bob has had a new clutch fitted recently, which means it’s light and easy to use, as is the gearbox. The suspension works well and with recent work, the brakes are suitably sharp. Headlights turn with steering as they should and the only minor issue we can find are an intermittent rev counter.

(Please note that our photographer is not familiar with these Citroen's - having been asked to include a shot of it at its highest suspension setting, he proceeded to take them all at that level! This DS sits at its normal level, and rises within just a few seconds of cold start-up)

There are a huge number of invoices – including Hypertronics of Willesden London, Moto Baldet of Wellingborough Northants, and Pleiades of Sawtry, Cambs – from a wide range of Citroën specialists in the car’s history file.

There is also a typed history detailing changes of ownership, MOT tests and corresponding mileages, time off the road and work carried out. This nicely details everything and provides a time saving resource for potential new owners. It also makes clear the running bodywork repairs that have been carried out over the years.

Key invoices include the purchase of a ‘lifetime guaranteed’ stainless steel exhaust system from PD Gough & Associates on November 29, 1995, at a cost of £518.99. And the most recent one in May of this year, with new rear suspension spheres, replacement front discs and pads, and a fresh ignition coil fitted. The DS also had an engine tune at the same time. Total outlay was £1021.03.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to a very good standard.

Ah, DS. We do love them. In ’21 form you get one of the bigger engined variants (2.2-litre), in this case good for 100bhp, and in Moreton Stockwell spec, some luxury Pallas interior accoutrements. The vendor says it’s in better condition than when he bought it, and we can confirm that it drives really well.

The interior is still very smart and a lovely place in which to experience the joyous driving experience that one of these venerable big cars deliver. Be sure to get down to The Market headquarters in Abingdon and test it for yourself. Just go easy on the brakes though, first use of that fabled ‘mushroom’ can sometimes be a chastening experience and with recent work this car’s brakes are even sharper.

There’s a bit of bodywork attention required in the boot and on the underside, so the next vendor will need to get stuck in there (or have a specialist do so on their behalf) in order to nip that in the bud. There’s no reserve on this DS, so we think this example will sell for around £15,000. That’s definitely not top money for one as that can reach £40,000, but it’s a good price for what is an eminently usable, driveable example.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon, Oxon; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.