1956 CITROEN DS 19 - Lot 248

1956 CITROEN DS 19 French registration stub Chassis number: 7897 - First real year of production for the DS - SOLD WITHOUT RESERVE PRICE. - Same owner for 50 years - Ordered at the 1955 Paris Motor Show - Exciting restoration project As it appeared at the Paris Motor Show in October 1955, the DS was a bombshell. It was revolutionary. The morning of October 5: a rush to the stand, orders pouring in: 749 in 45 minutes, 12,000 by the end of the day and 80,000 cars sold by the end of the show! A madness that allowed Citroën to fill its books for 2 years! In those days, despite the deposit, you had to be patient... and contrary to legend, the first DS 19s rolled off the production line at high speed. The model we present to you has a magnificent history. It was ordered by its first owner, Monsieur Jacques Papon, a Paris insurer, at the 1955 Salon. Faced with the avalanche of orders, the car was not delivered until November 1956, more than a year after the Salon! Originally black, with the sublime and rare turquoise roof, it was repainted in its lifetime in a more modern silver hue. Indeed, the first DS were considered outdated in the 60s and 70s... strange times. Monsieur Papon kept his car until 2005! We still have a copy of the registration document in his name, confirming the car's history. It was then acquired by another Italian enthusiast who left it untouched, wishing to preserve its originality... Never restored, this DS is a magnificent restoration project given its history and original configuration. The bodywork shows traces of corrosion and scratches, which is to be expected from a car that has never been restored. The interior, on the other hand, is well preserved, testifying to the attention lavished on it over the years. The mechanics will have to be restarted, as they have not been run for some ten years. The engine has been carefully restarted, and is working. All the mechanics need to be checked before starting up again. This mythical vintage DS has an exceptional history. An exciting project, this DS 19 has the potential of a competition car less than a year away from the model's 70th anniversary. 1956 CITROEN DS 19 Copy of French registration document Chassis number: 7897 - First real year of production of the DS - SOLD WITHOUT RESERVE. - Same owner for 50 years - Ordered at the 1955 Paris Motor Show - Exciting restoration project As it appeared at the Paris Motor Show in October 1955, the DS was like a bomb. It was revolutionary. On the morning of 5 October, there was a rush on the stand, with orders pouring in: 749 in 45 minutes, 12,000 by the end of the day and 80,000 cars sold by the end of the show! It was a madness that allowed Citroën to fill its order books for 2 years! At the time, despite the deposit, you had to be patient... and contrary to legend, the first DS 19s rolled off the production line at high speed. The car we are presenting to you has a magnificent history. It was ordered by its first owner, Mr Jacques Papon, a Paris insurer, at the 1955 Motor Show. Faced with an avalanche of orders, the car was not delivered until November 1956, more than a year after the Salon! Originally black, with the sublime and rare turquoise roof, it was repainted in its lifetime in a more modern silver shade. Indeed, the first DS were considered outdated in the 60s and 70s... strange times. Mr Papon kept his car until 2005! It was then acquired by another Italian enthusiast who did not touch it, wishing to preserve its originality... Never restored, this DS is a magnificent restoration project given its history and original configuration. The bodywork shows traces of corrosion and scratches, which is to be expected from a car that has never been restored. The interior, on the other hand, is well preserved, testifying to the attention lavished on it over the years. The powertrain will have to be restarted, as it hasn't been run for around ten years. A mythical vintage of the DS, this car has an exceptional history. An exciting project, this DS 19 has the potential to be a competition car less than a year away from the model's 70th anniversary.