1966 Citroen DS21 Chapron

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The Citroen DS is a front-engine, front-wheel-drive executive car that was manufactured and marketed by the French company Citroën from 1955 to 1975 in sedan, wagon/estate and convertible body configurations. Italian sculptor and industrial designer Flaminio Bertoni and the French aeronautical engineer André Lefèbvre styled and engineered the car. Paul Magès developed the hydropneumatic self-levelling suspension.

Used by everyone from the humble cabbie to the president himself, the Citroen DS is an icon, and the Decapotable ranks among its most sought-after variants. Designer Flaminio Bertoni planned a convertible when the DS19 was launched in 1955, but teething troubles put the brakes on the idea.

In all, there were 1,365 factory cabriolets built: 770 DS19s, 483 DS21s, and 112 ID19s. Never common, the popularity of the cabriolet has never waned. Citroen was still receiving orders long after official production ceased in 1971, with the last car completed in (it is thought, as accounts differ) 1974. The cabriolets were outfitted in the height of luxury. There were 15 paint choices, 13 shades of leather upholstery, and three carpet colors, allowing more than 76 possible combinations. Engines ranged from 66 horsepower at first, to 141 horsepower. Despite apparent similarities with the sedans, there are critical differences between real DS convertibles and the homemade variety.

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