1970 Citroen DS21 Le Usine Decapotable

Lot details
Registration No: UN-REG
Chassis No: OOFB0922
Mot Expiry: None

Proof to some that Planet Earth is periodically visited by little green men from beyond the stars, the front-wheel drive Citroen DS was introduced to a spellbound Paris Salon on October 5th 1955. Responsible for unleashing more technological 'brainstorms' upon the field of automotive design than any production car before or since, its wonderfully futuristic 'speeding teardrop' profile was penned in-house by Flaminio Bertoni. Featuring an olio-pneumatic operating system that controlled its self-levelling suspension, power steering, semi-automatic gear change and brakes, the big Citroen offered an uncannily smooth ride. The choice of high-ranking politicians and celebrities alike, it quickly drew the attention of coachbuilder Henri Chapron. Anxious to showcase his talents on this motoring icon, his first DS based La Croisette Cabriolet appeared in 1958. A little ungainly, it nevertheless persuaded Citroen that a factory-sanctioned convertible was a good idea. With this in mind, they approached Chapron the following year. Fruit of their union, the resultant Usine Decapotable was unveiled at a special press launch in Autumn 1960. Exceptionally sleek, its one-piece rear deck was a masterstroke. Available to special order only, it was twice the price of an ordinary DS saloon and consequently hand-made in tiny numbers. Unveiled in 1965, the DS21 instantly established itself as flagship of the contemporary Citroen range. Powered by a new, short-stroke 2175cc OHV four-cylinder engine allied to either semi-automatic or manual transmission, it was visually updated with faired-in headlamp nacelles during 1967. While, the adoption of fuel injection (or 'Injection Electronique' / IE) some two years later finally gave the model performance to match its looks. Credited with developing 139bhp @ 5,500rpm, the DS21 IE was reputedly capable of 118mph. Of the 1,456,115 DSs manufactured during the model's twenty-year production run just 1,325 were Usine Decapotables. Enormously sought after, they have witnessed a meteoric rise in values over the last few years.
Finished in red with tan leather upholstery, this particular left-hand drive example is variously described by the vendor as being in "good for age" (paintwork), "good" (2175cc fuel-injected engine, electrical equipment, interior trim, bodywork, wheels / tyres) or "very good" (four-speed manual gearbox, chassis) condition. Reputedly a 'matching numbers' car, chassis OOFB0922 is said to have covered 189,000km (approximately 118,000 miles) and to have had just two registered keepers since being supplied new to a German doctor. Apparently garaged all its life but used on an almost daily basis, the Decapotable still retains its original keys (two sets), instruction manuals and Blaupunkt radio as well as service records dating back to 1970. Treated to a colour change approximately twenty years ago, the car is otherwise thought to be to factory specification throughout. Only recently imported to the UK, this ultra desirable Citroen is accompanied by its original bill of sale, first logbook, service records (1970-2005), H-Kennzeichen (historic car) documentation and fresh TuV certificate (the German equivalent of our MOT). A comparatively late Chapron bodied Usine Decapotable boasting a desirable specification and continuous history from new, chassis number OOFB0922 has much to recommend it.