I notice under make/model that you don’t list the Citr?en which is no longer sold in the US. Until 1975, Citr?en make the DS model which is goddess in French. I know the car has a complicated hydraulic system and a propensity to rust, but this car is gorgeous. If I were to get a decent mechanic who knows this car, would I be absolutely crazy to buy one?
Yes. Unless your are a car-collecting Franco-maniac, you will find maintaining a Citroen extremely difficult. If you like it just for the looks, buy a book. You will have to love everything about the car to put up with the challenges. And you’ll want to find that mechanic first…good luck!
Yeah… that’s a pretty huge “if” with finding a mechanic who knows these. The only place in North America where these were ever really popular was Quebec, and not for very long since the things rusted out in a winter or two. That hydraulic system is really unlike anything used in any other production car and so unless you’re willing to pay a particularly ambitious mechanic/engineer to figure it out on your dime, it’s not going to be a practical vehicle to own.
Yea all the bad things ever said about them were true. But if you ever got to drive one, you would not notice any of the bad things.
This would be a good purchase for Jay Leno to add to his “garage” collection. As a daily driver, you would be absolutely crazy to buy one.
There were some in the US and in its day it was a fairly reliaable car, especially for a French car with many unique systems. In it’s day means that all the cars on the road were vastly inferior to modern cars as far as build quality, reliability, and maintenance costs.
If you found one it would need a lot of expensive repairs, frequently to keep it on the road. Enjoy the pictures in the magazines.
You would be crazy to buy one. The only one I ever had was part of a trade. No one ever came to look at it despite several ads so I gave it to a friend who put it on the roof of his auto sales office. I believe it’s still there, rusting away.
Unless you are Jay Leno, just forget it. I have a friend who sold insurance and bought one in the early 70s; it nearly ruined his career.
Even an engineer with a mechanic’s license will have trouble keeping this one on the road. Even Frenchmen can’t afford to collect them since everything in them is obsolete and no retrofit parts are available.
Actually, you should buy at least three of them insuring that one will run and you will have a supply of spare parts. The DS was very ahead for its time when it was introduced, but everything (including the suspension, transmission and windshield wipers) were hydraulically powered. You will need a good mechanic and plumber to work on them. The Maserati engine ones performed very well and were fun to drive. You could remove one wheel and still drive a slalom course.
Stick to French wines, German cars, British suits and Italian food.
Twotone
The Citroen DS has always fascinated me, but it would take a mechanic who really likes a challenge and has some familiarity with cars from the past to keep it running. I go past a used car lot twice a week that has a 1959 Morris Minor convertible. I would like to have this car. It is on the opposite end of the complexity spectrum as the Citroen, but I am taking a pass on buying the car. I know that I would have to spend hours chasing down parts to keep it running let alone the time spent working on it.
I agree with TT, you must own 3 of them to keep one on the road…It’s an insane undertaking…