This blue Citroen DS wagon looks like the sort of cool French classic that makes you stop and take a second look – but don’t let that beautiful body style fool you. Based on the photos from the eBay listing, this one is far from a drive-away collectible and much closer to an unfinished project or parts car. Take a look and let us know if you think this project might be worth taking on.
The body appears complete, but the paint shows oxidation and scratches. The DS was wildly advanced for its time, with aerodynamic styling, a fiberglass roof panel, and bodywork that unbolts in sections. These cars are notorious for hiding structural rust, and with no underbody shots provided, anyone bidding should assume there’s work to be done. Did you know the rear fenders are held on with a single bolt? They had to come off to change a tire, but at least Citroen made it easy.
Under the hood, the engine bay looks dusty, but there’s more innovation hiding in there. Front-wheel-drive, inboard front disc brakes, and a hydraulic system that operates the suspension, brakes, steering, and even the semi-automatic clutch on some models. Without hydraulic pressure, the suspension won’t float, the brakes won’t function correctly, and steering will be heavy. When working properly, though, the DS delivers one of the smoothest rides of any car from the era.
Inside, the DS continued to push boundaries with its single-spoke steering wheel and futuristic dash layout. Even decades later, the design feels different from anything else on the road. The seats and interior trim here are worn, and the carpet is dirty. This is going to be a big project, but judging by the active bidding, at least a few people think it’s worth taking on. The engineering is fascinating, the wagon body style is rare, and the look is unmistakable but complexity comes with a cost.
Does this rare DS wagon sound like a dream project to you, or more like a nightmare?
This car reminds me of a girl I dated in college. She was nothing but trouble, but I still wanted her.
I have a migraine after reading that ad. But, thankfully, the gas tang was flashed during the corroboration. 😳🤯
This should be a mineral fluid car – a big advantage over the brake fluid cars (prior to 1969 or so). I own a DS brake fluid car (not a wagon). Tough to get it worked on. The mechanical systems (engine, transmission, etc) are very robust. The suspension hydraulics are a challenge on earlier (brake fluid) cars, but should not be too bad on this mineral fluid car. When I had mine running, it would cruise comfortably and pretty much forever at 103mph (top speed). They are a little noisy there though.The car listed is somewhat of a unicorn, as it’s been in a dry area and appears not to have rusted. The Citroen is a car like no other, that also rusts like no other (in moist climates).