CITROEN

DS 21 Pallas

The CITROEN DS 21 Pallas is the luxury flagship of the legendary Citroën DS family, a car that stunned the world when the original DS was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show on 5 October 1955. Penned by the Italian sculptor Flaminio Bertoni and engineered under André Lefèbvre, the DS introduced its hydropneumatic self-levelling suspension, power steering and powered disc brakes — technology so advanced it looked like it had landed from the future. The DS 21 Pallas carried that revolutionary DNA into its most refined form. The "Pallas" luxury trim was introduced in 1965, the same year Citroën launched the larger 2,175 cc four-cylinder engine that gave the DS 21 its name. The Pallas badge signified the top of the range: thicker carpeting, superior sound insulation, optional leather upholstery, extra brightwork, and from 1966 a height-adjustable driver's seat. It was the DS you bought when you wanted the most comfortable, most prestigious version of France's most futuristic saloon. In September 1967 the DS received its famous facelift, restyled by Robert Opron, who replaced the original round headlamps with a sleek glass-cowled nose housing four lights — the inner pair swiveling with the steering to light up the bend ahead, a world first. The DS 21 Pallas also gained more power over the years: the carburettor engine produced around 109 hp, while from 1969 the Bosch electronic fuel-injection version ("injection électronique") raised output to 139 hp, making the DS 21 one of the fastest and most sophisticated French saloons of its day. Production of the DS 21 ran from 1965 until 1972, when it was superseded by the larger-engined DS 23. Today the CITROEN DS 21 Pallas is among the most coveted classic Citroëns, prized for its space-age silhouette, magic-carpet ride, and the unmistakable presence that made it the official car of French presidents and the getaway car of countless films.