1975 Citroen DS-23 Safari
Description This beautiful example of an individualistic marque has just sold! Truly an example of space with grace! The previous owner lavished a lot of money on restoring the bodywork, which is resplendent in a strong yellow. The paint code shows AC088, which means the car was originally Blanc Meije in colour.
For ease of maintenance and reliability, the carburettor (twin-choke Weber) and 5-speed manual gearbox are the perfect specification.
The 2.3 litre motor (the largest and final form of this long-lived engine - 2347cc and 124 bhp) is extremely torquey, mating perfectly with the 5-speed overdrive gearbox to give effortless cruising and hill-climbing, while still returning admirable fuel economy.
Chassis number is OOFF8315, which shows it to be one of the very last DS cars produced. The last DS rolled off the Quai de Javel production line on 24 April, 1975, and with the first Safari (or Break) that year having chassis number OOFF7501, this surely is one of the very last of a long-lasting and fast-appreciating model.
This car is extremely practical, with huge passenger and loading areas. Of course the legendary Citroen fully independent self-levelling hydro-pneumatic suspension takes any load in its stride, adjusting the car to ride smoothly and on the same level no matter what the load. It is ideal both as a private car for an enthusiast (especially with a family - the rear even has two extra folding occasional seats to enable 7 people to be seated), or as a promotional vehicle for a business.
Other advanced Citroen touch is the steering driving lights (truly fantastic on windy country roads).
Condition Mechanically this DS ("Goddess") is in extremely good form, running strongly with no oil consumption, and no fluid leaks of any kind.
The interior trim is extremely good for its age, requiring only minor attention to its black vinyl trim to bring it back to perfect. The leather (removable) armrest between the front seats could do with some rejuvenation of the leather, and some detailing to carpets etc would be possible.
The headlining was replaced by the former owner with a foam-backed felt material, which according to my information is not original.