By now, I’m sure you are all aware of the creation of Stellantis, the new holding company for what was FCA (Fiat Chrysler) and PSA (Peugeot/Citroen). Being old-school, I had a hang-up with trying to moosh Dodge/Ram, Chrysler, and Jeep into a cabal with Fiat. I got the entire business reason, but when you look at what the old Chrysler Corporation was, and thought of it in terms of it being in cahoots, and controlled by, Fiat; Alfa-Romeo et al, it just didn’t seem right. But now, we have to endure Peugeot and Citroen into the mix too…Ugh! But you know, all is not lost, just imagine the possibility of a Hellcat Citroen, that would be a serious attention-getter! And our find today, a 1964 Citroen DS may just be a precursor to that thought. This most unusual example of France’s finest is located in Scottsdale, Arizona and is available, here on Kumbera Motors for $115,000.
The Citroen DS is one of the most recognizable designs/profiles of all time. Offered between 1955 and 1975, the DS with its quirky Dustbuster profile and hydropneumatic suspension, a common sight on the streets of Paris, was also spotted, occasionally, on U.S. shores too. While not a likely candidate for hot-rodding, it’s not a car that should be necessarily excluded. And that’s just what some enterprising soul has done with this example.
On the outside, other than the big, chromed-up hoops, this car looks like a ’64 Citroen that is in exemplary condition. The pearlescent green finish, capped off with a white roof, is a bit beyond the scope of how this French favorite probably started life but it is a stunner today. Most of the listing details focus on the powertrain, more on that later, but the razor straight exterior certainly speaks very well for itself. Even the stainless trim and chrome bits are outstanding. Oh yeah, did you notice the twin, chromed tailpipes protruding from the rear?
Well, that’s because there is a former Corvette, 5.7 liter, LS1 V8 stuffed under the hood! The seller pegs the power at 400+ HP which puts it above its original stock rating. The seller doesn’t elaborate too much on specific powerplant details but he does state that this Citroen is, “A purpose-built Show car that would drive and handle on the road better than most“. I bet! The transmission employed is an automatic unit and it looks like a 4L60 four-speed, but it’s hard to know for certain. Out back is a live axle that resembles a Ford 9” Hotchkiss type. There are numerous, included underneath images that should be reviewed; this car has clearly been the benefactor of some serious engineering and fabrication. All-told, there is a claimed $300K+ outlay that has been sunk into this Citroen.
The interior is as one would imagine, at least in terms of keeping up with the exterior. There is a GM style steering column in place but the original, funky single post wheel has been replicated while all-new instruments, provided by “Classic Instruments” are ensconced in the binnacle that housed the original Citroen indicators. The entire package is an exercise in understated simplicity. And not to be missed is the color matching roll cage. A roll cage, really? I ain’t lyin’, check it out.
The listing includes many, many images, be sure to review them all. There is even an accompanying walk-around video of this “Citrolet” in action which includes some scenes of hot-footing and even a pretty impressive hole-shot; what would Madeline have to say? – it’s entertaining! At $115K, this car is going to be way beyond the means of most, but it’s fun to dream on, right?
You’d think that,after ivesting $200,000,it might be
time to cut your losses,& quit pouring more money into it.
Beautiful build, but why this car? That’s what makes this hobby so interesting. Have to assume just had to, now on to the next owner at pennies on the dollar.
Never liked the french designs…Besides, 10 beers won’t make the car look better…Way too much money in this car and why? So many nice models to choose from…what a waste of cash
My initial reaction of “Holy $#@!! that’s awesome!” withered and died once I got to the interior pic. These cars had really interesting and classy dashboards from the factory, and this formless blob of (presumably) fiberglass really lets the rest of the build down.
Yes, I think the new owner would do well to spend another $50K or so getting that interior done better.
I totally agree, beautiful until I saw the ruined Citroen dash.
I thought “cool car, just needs better looking rims.” Got a peek at the interior. Hard pass….
To be fair, Citroen themselves did a similar hack job to the DS’ dash sometime in the mid/late ’60s. The late model dash looks like it belongs in a contemporary Datsun, and not in a good way.
The fibreglass dash is not for me either but the biggest problem I have with the whole build is the fact that the speedo is crooked! Bearing in mind that I would have to look at that more often than anything on the car it would have to be the FIRST thing that I would have to sort out before I even drove it on the road.
What are you guys looking at? This is not a cool car for $115,000! Wake up!!!
Could not agree more – a truly cool build in super sleek body.
But the whole interior has to go – less the steering wheel. Major let down. Seems that the builder totally ran out of ideas there
All I can say is that poor little Citroen! I lost interest when I found out the hydro pneumatic suspension was no more. If you want to rip the heart and sole out of a DS you take the steering, suspension, and brakes. All the things that give the car charm. Anyone want to put a LS into a horse drawn carriage?
Yeah, shows what “soul” is worth these days, huh? While for simplicity, I can see going the “Gringo” route, but like angliagt says, enough is enough. Fantastic cars, but a little out of place in America, a modern US update is okay, and if someone is going to appeal to someone in the US in 2021, this is what it’s required to be like. In classic American form, more must be better.
at least the wheels make this car look (IMO) spectacular! Not so much the interior, though. :-)
To paraphrase Marge and Homer Simpson:
“See, Marge, I told you I could customize a Citroën DS!”
“Homer, I didn’t say that you couldn’t, I said that you *shouldn’t*!”
That pretty much sums this up. Although Comic Book Guy might drive it, just to be ironic (read this in the voice of Comic Book Guy): “This is what Brit Reed’s alter ego The Green Hornet -should- have driven, if he were a true iconoclast!!” “Now *I* am the pervayer of what should have been!” “No more questions, I need to eat this breakfast barrito, before it gets any colder, as the microwave is broken!”
Given the time, effort, skill and expense on display here I wonder what led to the decision to ditch the pets that make a DS distinctive.
It’s a beautiful build but it seems more like a DS body on a totally custom (and generic) hot rod chassis vs. a hot rod Citroen.
I absolutely love it! I envy the builder, who obviously has the creativity to think of this and the ability and bank account to do it. It is also absolutely out of my bank account. However ,that doesn’t mean I can’t like it.
It reminds me of when I toured the Museum of Modern Art in New York with my cousin who is an Artist and a professor at Parson’s College. As I looked at some of the Modern Art, I commented to him, “I could have done that “. He answered “yeah, but you didn’t “.
Wow, Jim might want to brush up on your automotive history outside of the “big three”. All of those “Ugh” companies have far more history and pedigree than you obviously think.
I don’t need a history lesson, it’s an opinion.
JO
We had a problem with the Citroen ID 19 when they came out in Rhodesia back in 1956, and that was if you opened te window, at about 80 mph when it was getting really hot, the fibreglass roof would take off! Instant convert. I was too young to learn how the roof was fixed to the body but it obviously wasn’t very well done. Fantastic cars apart from that.
Good to see that the original brake button (the original was like a hi/lo headlight switch encased in a rubber pouch) was changed out to a real pedal.
These cars were awesome in the snow because of their pneumatic lift among other things.
And the color, so Fwench, so different…nothing wrong with that.
I think I’ve seen this car before – if not I saw one with similar conversions. It belonged to Alice Cooper. Since he lived somewhere around there, someone knows how to do this conversion. I have a Citroen DS21Pallas myself, and I wouldn’t do this type of conversion – but I don’t have money to burn either.
These cars always reminded me of a fish out of water.
Never cared for these but no doubt, there’s a one of a kind cool here with this one!
I like it, but hey keep dumping thousands into your red 68 camaro cuz I never see any at car shows.
I love it. Agree that the dash could have been done better, but the idea of getting rid of all of the hydraulics, air-bagging the suspension, replacing the weak engine with serious power, hopefully upgrading the brakes to disks, keeping the awesome body design….very cool job. $300K invested? Where, unless you paid someone to do the work…sure $100/hr labor (if you’re lucky) could blow up, but if you could do this yourself….yeah man!
And to all of the critical comments, hey, why the hell not do it? It’s not like it’s a mint original condition one-owner fully documented 1958 Corvette.
I would take this over a ’58 Corvette any time. There are thousands of Corvettes but only one Citroen like this. I love it.
Agree, but if I had a pristine 58 Corvette as I described, I wouldn’t do anything like this to it.
The “weak engine” will still break most speed limits.
I’ve been stopped for speeding in a 2CV – on a motorway.
Spent how much and couldn’t be more creative but use some cheap expanded metal grill material inside the engine area? This guy just went overboard. I could see using this engine but to lose the cool suspension was a big negative. I would have replaced it with a modern air bag system. The modern dash and choice of color made me wince. What happens when you have piles of cash to burn and no taste.
Years ago there was a Citroen dealer in my small (Upstate New York) town. One time they had a convention of these. There appeared to be hundreds that had descended – around the dealership and in the streets.
H.G. Wells couldn’t have planned it better.
There is still a Citroen meet at Saratoga Springs.
I’ts a ID, not DS
Everything under the skin that would distinguish one from the other has already been eliminated here, so it hardly matters anymore which model the body panels started off attached to.
For all that money , the speedometer not being level would drive me nuts !
Greg, I was beginning to think I was the only person to notice the out-of-kilter speedo.
Could have built it to compete for a Ridler award? Should have spent another $100,000 chopping the top and doing the upholstery in albino alligator skin…the opportunities we miss…
Rear wheel drive DS? Please…..
The French called the brake button on the floor a “champignon”; a mushroom… Sad to lose all the idiosyncrasies makes a Cit uniquely a Cit.
Apropos of this, why does this website have so many Dodge/Chrysler and other American cars from the 60s/70s/80s that are all the same boring shape, and so few Fiats, Alfas, Peugeots, Citroens, etc.? Is there really that much enthusiasm for those old American cars?
Good question – Those are the ones that readers seem to enjoy most, and it’s easy to tell by the clicks and comments. I really like to cover unusual and different cars, regardless of brand or purpose in life – such as this Citroen. I’m actually working on another Citroen review right now.
We try to serve up as much differentiation as possible, trucks too, but we have a pretty good read on what our readers want to see, and of course, what they don’t.
JO
I suspect there are a lot more of the American cars still around, compared to similar vintage foreign cars.
I would think that it’s because this is an American website. If there were Fiats. Alfas, Peugeots etc. most people wouldn’t know what you are talking about. Apart from that most Americans think that if it ‘aint Yank, it’s crap, judging by the comments when Europen or British cars are here. Even Rolls Royce, Bentley, Aston Martins get short shrift here. Do what I do and just suck it up and enjoy BF for what it is, not what you want it to be. Ken Tilly UK
Ok, its bleu-blanc-rouge, and it would be fun smoking someone at a stop light. I would ditch the rims and put a more conservative look to it, and keep the rumble humble. I have so much fun getting people riled up with
saying anything anti-french, it provides me with plenty of laughs. Chysler-Fiat being helped by Peugeot and Citroen, and being built in Meixco? No, I don’t sVee any problems in the future. The amount spent ( supposedly ) can’t be understood or explained.
Why am I suddenly hungry for catfish?
How come no one commented on the steering wheel spoke, I’m pretty sure it’s supposed to point straight down when driving straight, but in his video it points at the “2 o-clock” position going straight & thereby obstructing the view of the gauges! A big boo-boo for that money spent!
From what I remember (someone please correct me if I am wrong) the single spoke was at 4 o’clock from the factory.
You may be correct, but that still means that his wheel is way out of alignment !
WHY? WHY? WHY?…….all that $$ spent and this is what our left with?
This isn’t a run-of-mill 1964 Citroen DS, it’s a one-of-kind 1964 Citroen LS. Very cool project, but it’s hard to imagine anyone will pony up $100K to own it.
The single spoke should be at 8 o’clock.
https://citroenvie.com/why-was-the-ds-steering-wheel-designed-that-way/
Ok, 7:30
Well ok, now we know that the steering wheel is on upside down because it points to 2:00 in the video driving straight down the road!
Thanks for the link 69DS. Thank you for your explanation of a great safety design for a great car. Back in the day I just wish I had the “guts” to buy one. Looking back I’m very sorry that I didn’t as I had a friend who owned several over the years and swore by all of them as being the greatest cars ever.
Regardless of the numerous negative comments, this “WAS-A-DS” custom will attract the gear heads at any car show like few other cars. So much work went into it but I do miss the mechanical elements that made the DS….well, the DS.
Hydropneumatic suspension, front wheel drive, shroom brake pedal and more.
This car was commissioned and owned by a very famous singer; we all know (and accept) the eccentricity of artists in general….here you have it! simple explanation as to “why”.
Son of a gun, you’re right, and the artist this belonged to puts this whole thread into perspective. Maybe that’s why the speedo and steering wheel are off, he never noticed. And who was this rocker that STILL packs ’em in? “Billion dollar babies”,, yep, that’s right, Alice Cooper owned this. Thanks, man.
That thing is a travesty. Even the original Citroën oleopneumatic suspension seems to have been got rid of in the thirst to make it just a housing for American power.
Still, it was his money to waste.
Fascinating build. I, too, would prefer a more “Citroenesque” interior, and I’ll also call out poor panel fit on the passenger side, which is not acceptable at this price point.
Best write up ever.
Should have kept the suspension and the novelty bits as is. A fast DustBuster is just a fast DustBuster but a fast DS is whole different story.
Amusing price.