Citroen DS21 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

#1 05-12-2003, 03:52 PM

Well, at my high school car show, a guy showed up in a Citroen DS 21. This is easily....THE COOLEST CAR I HAVE EVER SEEN! He turns engin off, and the hydraulics of the car slowly lower it to the ground. He turns the car on, the hydraulics move the back end up, and the then the front end up. Move a little lever, and it goes into sport mode: the hydraulics lower the car down to the ground. Need to clear and obstacle or change a tire? Put it in the high mode and it pumps itself WAY up off the ground. It has a "Citromatic" clutchless transmission, which has to be like 30 years ahead of the "Tiptronic" we pay for now. The aerodynamics are amazing, and its sooo comfortable to ride in. It is literally like riding on a cloud. It has 145,000 miles! The owner said it definitely wasn't as reliable as the 240D I entered in the show, but he enjoyed using it as a daily driver. This is my new non MB favorite.

Favorite Cars list:
1. Mercedes Benz W123 Chassis (240D/240TD) and all the rest.
2. Citroen DS 21
3. Subaru Justy 4WD
4. Peugeot 405 MI 16
5. Peugeot 505 SW8

rickg · #2 05-12-2003, 03:58 PM

What year Citroen was it? I always thought they were cool cars. I saw that suspension domonstrated at a car show my dad took me to in the 60's in L.A. I was totally fascinated by it!
We had a couple old ones at the wrecking yard I worked at in the early 80's, so I got to see all the mechanism up close with all the body pieces out of the way. Neat stuff.
But then, it took the french years to figure out that it's better to have more than only 3 lug bolts per wheel

#3 05-12-2003, 04:19 PM

I believe...it was like a 1969. Really cool car. Really quirky guy. Big Ted Kacyzsnki style beard, white button up shirt, big baggy pants and postal worker sneakers, expensive long brown cigarettes in a little case that smelled good.

wbain5280 · #4 05-12-2003, 04:30 PM

It has a hydrodynamic suspension as does the MB 6.9.

rickg · #5 05-12-2003, 04:34 PM

Hey Warren, a guy I work with just picked up an old Opel Manta. Kinda rare critters anymore

1967250s · #6 05-12-2003, 04:53 PM

The ultimate Citoen is the "SM" sport maserati.
Burt Reynold trashed one in the film "the longest yard" I think.
The engine is a maserati V12 cut in half, speedo @ 140mph

http://c6lignage.fateback.com/citfsm.html

rickg · #7 05-12-2003, 04:57 PM

Strange looking birds, eh? Too bad they quit importing them here along time ago. Would be nice to see something on the road that doesn't look like everthing else running around.

1967250s · #8 05-12-2003, 05:48 PM

Here is a pic

Eberhard Weilke · #9 05-12-2003, 06:23 PM

The SM Engine in fact had very close resemplence to the Maserati V 8

Citroen owned at that time Maserati.

The 6.9 and the W 126 with hydropneumatic suspension actually had a suspension system which was licensed by Citroen.

The neat thing at the european DS was the headlights which were connected to the stearing. When you took a turn, the smaller headlights followed the road. Which made sense, in a way. As usual, this advanced system could not be federalized and the US market cars got fix sealed beams.

I had the pleasure of driving a DS 21 with the automatic clutch and preselect gear. It is a different automotive world.

The later Citroen CX kept some of the spirits, the XM, which was build basically on the Peugeout 605 platform, lost it.

Kind regards
Eberhard
(always dreaming of a Citroen CX Prestige with long wheelbase)

#10 05-12-2003, 06:32 PM

Kyle,
You sure seem to be an impressionable youngster

.

The citroen was available in the USA until 1972, if I am correct. The earlier ones had the door handles with a THUMB BUTTON and the last ofthe IMPORTED ones just had a lift up handle.

The LUXURY model was the PALAS version, easily noted by the SMOOTH aluminum panel behind the rear passanger window assembly. The more UTILITARIAN vehicle was designated the IS19 as opposed to the DS21.

The SMOOTHEST ride of ANY car!

All sedans has 4 cylinders with a carburator. These models persisted in Europe for another 10 or so years with the bsame body and mechanicals....perhaps even with fuel injection.

The fluid suspension even allowed ONE to "jack up the car" without the use a jack.

Back in "the old days" of my college years, a close friend purchased a late '71 from the father of another student in our quirky group. NOT his DS CABRIOLET (2 door convertible) that was MINT............that ragtop had the ability to do 65 to 70mph with the top down and NO ONE in the seating area would have a drop of water hit them in a downpour..........not too good at lower speeds tho. Water wise anyway....

Gas station attendants were FUN to deal with. We ALWAYS let them know that that ride was good for AT LEAST 150mph!!!!The reality was just over 100 or so. With the HIGH END audio from the late 1970's that CITROEN IS19 was and STILL is forever deeply embeded into my psyche.

After 1968, if my memory still functions correctly, the hydraulic fluid changed from the older GREEN style to the newer RED stlye. They should NEVER be mixed.

Sometime, you will see one of those sedans in the STATION WAGON body. MY FAVORITE OF ALL TIME!!!!!!!!!!!

See 'ya...

Spo out.

wbain5280 · #11 05-12-2003, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by rickg
Hey Warren, a guy I work with just picked up an old Opel Manta. Kinda rare critters anymore

Whay year? I still have an L-Jetronic FI box for it and the manual.

Hydrodynamic should have been hydropneumatic. I like to be accuate.

Regards

Jim Anderson · #12 05-12-2003, 08:21 PM

I saw the hood open on a Masariti V6 powered Citroen at a shop once. The engine is mounted backwards with the front wheel drive transmission in back (front) of it. All the accessories were off the back of the engine and all easily assessable. I commented to somebody there what a great idea that was. He agreed, except for the water pump, it was against the firewall

#13 05-12-2003, 11:54 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by KylePavao
I believe...it was like a 1969. Really cool car. Really quirky guy. Big Ted Kacyzsnki style beard, white button up shirt, big baggy pants and postal worker sneakers, expensive long brown cigarettes in a little case that smelled good.

Kyle,

That sounds like the beginning of a novel or something!

#14 05-13-2003, 04:30 AM

The DS 19 and similar cars that followed give quite a contrast to the old 170 and 180 series MB. I tried to break one loose on some snowy slush one day and I couldn't do it. The maintenance intervals are ferocious- you have to retorque the head bolts every month. My wife learned how to do it so she would always have the car ready to drive. If you ever own one you will never forget it.

Eberhard Weilke · #15 05-13-2003, 06:22 AM

The DS 23 IE actually had a fuel injected engine with, if I vecollect it correctly, the D-Jetronic of Bosch, just like W 109 and early W 116.

The better choice is a carburator DS, these engines easily last 400 000 km.

Kind regards
Eberhard