Citroen DS and ID Essential Buyer’s Guide
The Essential Buyer’s Guide: Citroen DS and ID, All models from 1966 to 1975. By Rudy A. Heilig. Published by Veloce Publishing Ltd. 33 Trinity Street Dorchester, Dorset DT1 1TT, England. Telephone 01 305 260068 ISBN 978-1-84584-138-6
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Review by Pete Vack
Like the Citroen 2CV, the D series cars are one of France’s marvels of differentiation, unless of course you are French and living in France. Then the are merely a part of the culture, although now receding into the distant past.
Introduced in 1955, these unusual cars continued to be produced until 1975 after 1,330,775 models were built. Rudy Heilig’s guide covers only the 783,863 Series 2 cars, produced from late 1965 to 1975.
The guide does not cover the Citroen Maserati. Common to all the later cars: a four cylinder iron block engine with an aluminum OHV hemi head, displacements ranging from 1911cc to 2175 cc; transmissions included a Borg Warner automatic, a Citromatic semi automatic and manual four and five speed boxes. The engine was placed longitudinally forward of the front axle with front wheel drive.
Unlike the 2CV, there were quite a few D models sold in the U.S,, even and particularly so during the 1970s. As with other cars, many found their way back to the European continent, meaning the numbers here have probably considerably diminished. And like the 2CV, if you are thinking of buying one, inspect it yourself and or with the help of someone who really knows the ins and outs of the D series Citroens.
Like the other books in the Essential Guide series, Heilig’s book is extremely helpful and for only $20 USD, a bargain. Don’t expect to find any mechanical or parts diagrams or detailed model information however. That’s not what the guide series is about. You will learn enough about the car to determine if it is the right car for you, where to find parts and roughly how much they will cost, what are the weak spots and the strong points of the D series cars.
The Essential Guide series has incorporated a type of variable pricing estimate for parts (not for overall prices of cars though). They have figured that a hood, for example, has a rating of 300, and you can multiply 300 by the Pound, USD or Euro, whichever applies to you. The problem is that the dollar keeps falling and the prices keep rising. In our Ferrari Buyer’s Guide series, we eliminated all references, prices, etc, to parts and labor since they differed so dramatically from place to place and from time to time. Some people would take the parts pricing into a dealer and expect to pay only what the guide indicates. Well, don’t. Pricing, be it estimated costs of repair, labor, or overall market values are the weak points of printed buyer’s guides.
Still, the series has made an attempt to provide some idea of what it can cost to repair a car like the DS/ID. Compared to most classics, it is less expensive, but the fabled and feared hydraulic systems can be and often are money pits.
When checking out a D model, the author recommends that you bring a watch with a second hand, an addition to the standard Essential Guide series list (which naturally runs about the same from one car to another). The watch can be used to measure the effectiveness of the hydraulic suspension system, which raises the car up and lowers the it almost to the ground. By listening and marking the click of the hydraulic regulator valve you will be able to determine how well it is sealing as it goes through the up and down cycle. We are not quite sure why the systems exists at all, but it never fails to impress the neighbors. It will not impress a owner with inexpensive repairs, however.
Another interesting aspect of the values of relative DS and ID is that according to the author, the latest models dating from the mid seventies are the most valuable, (aside from the rare Chapron convertibles), while the earlier, (more pure?) cars are considerably less valuable. This is opposite that of the 2CV and of most cars. Keep that in mind when you consider a 1966 DS vs. a 1974 DS23 with EFI and a 5 speed. Pallas trim models are a bit more expensive while station wagons (Breaks or Familiales) are worth less than a comparable sedan.
Rust is a major problem but unless the chassis is severly affected (very possible) panels are readily available and easy to replace. Note that the roof on all sedans is not metal but fiberglass and bolted to the rest of the body. No, don’t ask why, we don’t know either.
One thing is for sure: if you are interested in purchasing one of these bastions of French culture, take this guide along with you.
Since when is the engine placed longitudinally in front of the front axle? I suppose this is a slight slip of the author’s pen
Pete,
Thanks for mentioning the DS, relatively unknown in the US but iconic in Europe. I still have the one I bought in 1969, and can share a few points. Citroen stopped selling the DS in the US in 1972. In late 1969 the factory switched to green fluid (LHM) for the US cars, which is not hydroscopic like brake fluid is, and therefore much less rust prone. Rust is the enemy of a DS, the “frame” of which is built like a sandwich, and any rust underneath the car will be fatal. Of course any Chapron bodied car will be an exception, as these are routinely selling for over $100k at shows such as Retromobile and Essen, and remember that there were custom bodied coupes as well as convertibles, and even a few sedans too. The hydraulics are generally quite reliable, particularly with the green fluid cars, and the spheres can be rebuilt. Parts are available in the US from Western Hemispheres in Santa Cruz, and there are a number of places selling NOS and reproduction parts in France – you can find their ads in LVA, aka “La Vie de L’Auto,” which comes out every week.
There is a “Citroen Villages” at Retromobile every year, and a number of clubs participate. This would be a good place for someone interested in a D to get acquainted. Thanks again for the article.