In my opinion, the coolest car ever.

Cars are never about the noise or speed alone. It’s always about the occasion

The DS was a case study in what could be achieved in automotive technology . As nice as it is today,can you imagine driving one in the early 60's

A proper car - makes you wonder why everybody is obsessed these days with ugly SUVs and crossovers.

Utterly stunning and, in my opinion, classless. I can picture the DS on a farm in rural France yet it also wouldn't look out of place parked outside a 5star hotel in central London.

Fun fact, at the time the bonnet on the DS was the largest single pressed aluminium panel to be made for a car

I am a proud owner of a DS and I love this car.

I think the BBC Sports used these as camera car to follow the horses around race tracks.

YES! Best car ever. More DS please! Thank you very much for this video. I am not going to bore you to death with details, but I have to mention that the semi-auto in well adjusted condition should be perfect and smooth. And as everything else with the DS, it takes a while to get used to. Then you never want to drive anything else. After a few days of adjusting yourself, you are ready to expereience it´s real party trick. You take it on a long road trip, and after many hours have passed you suddenly realize that you are less tired than you were when you started. It´s by far the most comfortable car ever built. And they are indestructible as long as they are kept away from bad mechanics. My DS23 Familiale hasn´t let me down once in twenty years. And i can assure you that you are not lacking any power there. Again. Big thanks! To see a DS hoovering along is like a drug to me. You made my day with that real wheel camera shots.

In my opinion the DS is the most beautiful car ever built. Way more desirable than any modern blob

My mum survived a horrific car accident in the 60’s in the Citroen so have a lot of admiration for this car

C'est magnifique

My most desired car of all time, even over the Jaguar E-Type Series 1 Coupe!

I have previously owned 2 Bentley's, currently run a Jaguar XK 5.0, and yet these old French cars have a patina that none of those cars match. This car exudes French flair. Sure, it has its own 'ways' but so do Bentley's. What a classic. Great video JayEmm.

Brought back lots of wonderful memories of my late uncle’s dark blue 1966 DS21 Pallas . I had the pleasure of driving it fairly frequently and it was a very quirky (semi-automatic) and wonderful thing. My father borrowed the car to take us all from Edinburgh to the south of Italy. It was a fabulous relaxed long distance tourer and a huge head turner back in its day. Loved its party trick of using the suspension instead of a screw type jack to change a tyre! Of course it was one of the most expensive cars the French made and the vehicle of choice for the top French politicians.

I remember seeing these driving around when I was a child in the seventies . The thing that cemented my admiration of this car was the first ten minutes of the Edward Fox film the day of the jackal there were loads of them in a courtyard lined up . 👏👏

A reallly significant car. There are images on KZfaq of the car show where it was introduced. Just look at all the other cars on display and see how this car was so far ahead of its time. Astonishing!

I take back what i said about the mini probably being the coolest car you ever had on your channel .....THIS is the coolest car you've had on your channel .... and possibly the coolest car EVER !!!

Recently acquired a 1970 DS 21 "Prefecture" model used as a French government administration car. A relatively rare variation of the Pallas, it is indeed the "best" (LOL!) DS style because it is 'black on black on black'. It was also the first year offered with electronic ignition (Bosch) which definitely helped the anemic Traction Avant 4 cylinder motor. This is the actual car (1 of 2; mine has the louvers in the rear window) seen in season 3, episodes 5 & 8, of the series The Crown. I'm 62 and the first and only time I rode in one of these was at 13 in Cannes. I never forgot it, and it still doesn't drive or look like anything else on the road. A couple of answers from others posters: The large panel gaps were a carryover from the original intent to use Dupont's engineering plastics and have plastic fenders! These had the potential for thermal expansion based on ambient temperature, hence the gaps. Yes, prices have been increasing because many have come to realize what many of us already knew; this is a timeless classic. There will never again be anything like it. In regards to 6 figure prices, JayEmm did not elaborate about this...........I've yet to see a 6 figure price on any 'standard' DS, even in showroom condition, BUT anytime you want to buy a Chapron built convertible ("Decapotable"), then you're wallet will be empty. Citroen built a little over 1.5 million DS cars from 1955 to 1975. Chapron built ONLY 1,365 convertibles. There are many beautiful examples to be seen on the internet, but for my money, because you get two-for-one, check out the futuristic movie Gattica. It stars Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, who is driving a stunning Chapron. There are several other Citroen DSs and a Break. The movie is brimming with other classic cars, including the secret police driving two menacing black Rover P6s, and others such as a Studebaker Avanti, a Continental Mark II, a Jaguar Mark II, a Buick Riviera, and Jensen Interceptor, Mark III

I love these. And with a closer look you know where Elon takes the measurements for the Tesla's panel gaps from... :-)

The best review yet!! I LOVE these cars, us Brits had Rileys and Wolselys and then the French turn up in a UFO! The car in the film was an early model shown by the small vents below the headlights. Fun fact the large light ds models not only had inner haedlights that turned with the steering but the large outer lights were connected to the anti roll bars so as the nose dipped on braking they lights remained level giving their full distance. This really was citroen at full loopyness not the stiffeld badge engineered cars of today...

DS - one of the icon cars. Great review. Ps - If you ever want to try a ‘52 Traction Avant, you can try mine...

So glad you liked it! I see you resisted the temptation to take a wheel off and drive away on three.

Used to see so many of these as a kid on my summer holidays camping in France. My parents drove every year from Belfast in various different Citroens including a GSA, BX, CX, XM & a Visa. We also went in an Uno & a Strada. Happy times. Also lucky enough to see a couple of SMs over the years - mad cars.

Once you shake hands with a DS, (meaning getting used to it), preferably in a hydropneumatic way, you will be driving on a magic carpet of gorgeousness. Appreciate the individuality!

Thank you for this review. Back in the days DS was actually a fast car thanks to disc brakes, suspension ride and electronic injection for later models. Everyone should keep in mind this has more than half a century, yet this gem of a car still run superb thanks to the work of dedicated owner.

Possibly my most favourite classic car ever. So beautiful and a true tour de force. What a great car and thanks for the drive and tour

First time as a saw one of these was in the sixties as a kid. Was totally blown away,thought it looked like spacecraft

My family visited a friend in France in the 60s. He took us to dinner in this car. The rear seat was astonishingly comfortable. Btw, the waiter at the waiter at the restaurant asked us if we wanted wine. After uncertain hesitation, my mom asked if they had grape juice.

Absolutely love the uniqueness of that DS. A really special car

"The DS is not the car of the future, nor the car of the past. It is the car of today!"

Fabulous video, you are fast becoming my favourite motoring journalist, and I love that your interest in cars is so broad. This is the kind of content that makes KZfaq so great. I liked the old TV shows like Top Gear etc, but your content is so much more genuine. Thank you!

There's a great scene in Day of the Jackal where a fleet of DS's leave the Elysee Palace

After all these years I am still fascinated with Citroen even though I have only ever seen one in my life, when I was young I used to live by Billy Ocean and he had a white Citroen, it was always fascinating to see if raise up and down.

When I was a kid in the early 70's, my neighbour had one at the bottom of the garden. A maroon/cream one. A bit tatty. It was still there when I got married 15 years later along with lots of rot and trees growing through it. It's probably still there now... sadly. Thanks for bringing this one into our homes, J.

There are still quite a few in the hands of wise collectors here in SW France. They still get admiring stares on the road today. I was at a classic car meet last year in La Rochelle. amongst the Americana, air cooled 911's and British sports cars were the real crown pullers, the DS & SM section. Spectators of a certain age remembered someone who had a DS and wished they knew someone with a SM. My late father used to drive the French motorways in his new mk 3 cortina on business and be passed with a whoosh by these goddess's.

When you are this comfortable what's the rush?

The Citroen’s I’d love to own are 1960’s DS, a SM and a C6.

My uncle was in the used car trade back in the late '60's, he ran a DS Safari for quite awhile, certainly one of my childhood memories. Funnily he went from the DS to several Peugeot 404/504 and finally 505 estates. De Gaul had a specially lengthened DS and Citroen even rallied them, and for a six figure sum you can get the stunning convertible. Icon is an over used word but for different reasons Citroen have produced 3 of the most iconic cars of the post war era, 2CV, Traction Avante and the DS.

The "S" in Pallas is indeed pronounced in both French and English 😉. And "DS" is pronounced exactly the same as "déesse" in French i.e. goddess.

When I worked for a dealer in the late 1960s as a lad I had to deliver a new DS to a customer. Zillions of cars later, it's still one that sticks in my memory. Especially the sticky-up gear stalk and the button brake...

Last week I attended the 2023 CITIN hosted by the Citroen Car Club of South Australian in Murray Bridge for the combined Citroen Clubs of Australia. The most iconic DS was there - a 1967 DS 21 Pallas hydraulic with green fluid LHM with the additional spot lights and LHD. Its owner Wayne indulged me with a drive of his fabulous conveyance.. This was the exact car that spurred my Citroen conversion at the age of 16. It was a white Pallas. It was two years before I owned my first car - an Aussie assembled 1962 ID19. I am now a Life Member of the CCC - totally addicted after 51 years and 17 Citroens. PS - Your 1965 Pallas with LHS2 fluid is a RED fluid car.

The DS is probably my favorite car of all time, and this is the perfect year (green fluid, but old dash). It does have some quirks. There is no Park setting on the transmission and you can't leave it in gear, so you have to rely on the parking brake. The weight distribution is 60/40, so it gets good traction, but understeers badly. And the steering has an odd, lumpy feel. You also need to be careful when turning, as the rear turns more tightly than the front, so you can hit something, if you're not aware. On the other hand, the ride and seats are the most comfortable ever made, bar none. I don't know if I'll ever own one again, especially with prices climbing, but if I ever win the lottery, this will be the first on my list.

That thing lifting from the ground is something out of a sci fi movie even now! it looks like it will take off

He's right about the seats. I sat in one of the few DS21 Pallas that ever made it to the US (at an auto show), and they're like quicksand; you wonder if you're ever going to stop sinking! But eventually you do, and they're still the most comfortable seats I've ever sat in.

My golden retriever is warming to the sound of your voice...

One of THE cars from my childhood - we used to have our summer holidays in France a lot

I absolutely love these cars. I met someone a few years back who has owned theirs since new.... Andrew Brodie from Andrew Brodie Engineering was one of my favorite people who thoroughly enjoyed his DS...

The Jayemm- intro is perfect. Keep it!

That deliberately uncentred steering-wheel spoke would get me.. many times.

A truly excellent, thoroughly enjoyable video. Recently found your channel and I'm a big fan. Keep up the brilliant work

Just like VW Beetles and Citroën 2CVs, these were still a pretty common sight on the roads even when I was in my early teens. If you see one now, it's an event! Time does funny things... like make me acutely aware of the lack of headrests in the car. This one is in stunning condition, but what's that clonking sound? The DS is unquestionably one of the all-time greats, but to my eyes the facelifted model with the faired-in swivelling headlights is the definitive version. And there's a special place in my heart for Robert Opron's swoopier, more modern (if not quite timeless) CX. More like this please, James.

When I was a small boy, my family was visiting Paris, and we took a taxi ride in a Citroen DS. I still recall vividly how the ride was supremely comfortable. You could not feel any bumps at all as you floated along. I never forgot that ride - my only time in a DS. You did not mention how you did not need a jack to change a flat tire (tyre) as the suspension would keep the flat tire off the road as you changed it out.

Bonjour Jay, having myself lived in Britain for more than 10 years and worked there as an automotive engineer, and since I am now running my own automotive KZfaq channel I really thank you for one of the only truly great cars that France gave to the world since the 2nd world war. If ever you come to France for a spin it would be delightful to get together for a video. Great review thanks again.

When I was a boy in the 70's I hated these cars but now I absolutely love them.

In high school (New England, US) we had an old auto parts store on a small street that ran behind the building. Once in a while I'd see a brown DS with an ivory colored roof pull in. An older gentleman drove it. I thought it was about the coolest looking thing ever and hoped one day to get one. Over 30 years later I picked one up and must say, while it is a very interesting car it is an absolute nightmare to work on. Everything is so badly laid out and awkward that I have to say it's a dream car that should have remained a dream.

Yes, I like this car a lot as well! My grandad had a later one with the swivel headlights, but it was some weird beige colour!!

What a thing of beauty!!!!

Stunning my favourite car along with the SM, classics! Great review thank you!

Very interesting car to look back on today... as well as revolutionary. Top work James

Does my heart good to see you having so much fun with that brilliant, unique car. Vive la DS! (apologies, couldn’t resist).

Just look that renewed leather bench. Georgous

Cool!!! It's kinda funny that a powder blue with white top Citroen DS is a very vivid childhood memory. In the late 60"s the car started showing up across the street from our townhouse on the southside of Chicago. A woman drove it there and parked, and then walked a block and a half to the subway station. Then in the evening she returned and drove off. Found out she was a school teacher. Being a car nut even then, that Citroen was outer space man. Watching the car lower when she left it, and rise just before she drove off, was a trip!!!

I love the look and technology of these. Richard Hammond did a review of one of these. Thanks.

It screams touring south of France, Antibes, St Tropez, Nice, Monaco. The coolest French item ever.

Ace review! My mum had a right hand drive safari estate version when we were kids, drove all way from London to scotland, it was so comfortable on that journey long ago before Scottish motorways lol...proper seven seater with fold down under floor seats in boot...and swivel headlights as steering wheel turned!!! Two tone blue and white, auto, beautiful car. Awesome!👍🤗

I remember my uncle had one of these in the early 70's i think it was a DS 21 or DS 23..in a light snot green colour....very smooth ride indeed..!..:)

What a magnificent car. Great review, I love this channel. This car is now on my bucket list, convinced by this fine gentleman.

I absolutely love your videos of bonkers high-performance cars. But for some strange reason this video just makes me happy! The DS has it's own kind of brilliant glory!

As a bx driver this pleases me greatly, hydropneumatic suspension is bloody fantastic

Great car, great video and nice to see you filming out in my part of the world.

Fabulous. I love these Cars. And Citroën in general. This is a fantastic example! And very well reviewed. Thank You! Really enjoyed!

one of my dad's Boeing buddy's had a later DS. I got to ride in it a couple times, it was really comfortable. he was a colorful man, always had cool cars. Saab turbo, corvettes, Buick Grand national. he called the ds Morocco mole, told me it's what the French intelligence agents drove and that he's seen a DS in every country hed been to.

Beautiful car my all time favourite. Lovely video thank you.

I wonder why didn't KZfaq reccomended this video earlier to Me! It's one of my dream cars as well,I hope I get one some day...

An absolutely design!A dream,red.. don't have words, beautiful!

wonderfull car and great review. thanks for the vid !

Great cars I had on ages ago for a year, loved its comfort and space and quirkiness !

More like this please, awesome.

Such a beautiful nostalgic time machine.

I've never owned or driven one of these unfortunately but I have owned several Citroens including 2 BXs and a GS in the 70s. I was always amazed at the power from the 1015cc engine in the GS but until now I never knew why they used such a small engine in the original models. There were always complaints about the non self cancelling invitation but I liked them. It had an odd arrangement for the indicators, lights and wipers using 3 stalks. If I remember correctly it was one for the lights and ow for the wipers on one side and the indicators on the other. It was really easy to just stick out your finger (I think I used my little finger) and turn them on with a small movement and as you straightened the steering after turning the corner sick your finger out and it turned off. After that car I was often annoyed when indicators cancelled due to a slight bend in the road before the turning. Even now I tend to cancel the indicators myself. A wonderful video thanks.

My all time favourite car timeless design.lovely video thank you!

I'm in no way an artistic type but I was driving along one day and a _shape_ in the very periphery of my vision grabbed me so hard I snapped my head round to look. It was a DS parked up about 50 yards off the road. Amazing.

Being in the States I saw one of these back in the 60's ! & the only thing I can say as far as being close to this as far as driving with the exception of well padded seats is a 1960 Chevrolet Corvair model 700 4 door , Also they had only 80 HP ! But you could cruise down the interstates at 70 MPH without a sweat ! But I digress the Citroen DS Pallas is so unique & stylish even today ! & IMHO is a beautiful design that will will forever stand the test of time. Thank You for the video.

'Not Driving..but going out for a Drive' i normally tear JayEmm a new arsehole with every comment i make on his vids. But i bow to his sublime poetic phrasing on this occasion. Nice One.

That car is fantastic, exterior and interior. It looks so French!

Thanks for this Jay, one of the most beautiful cars ever and without the most innovative - my fave is the Déèsse 23 fi Prestige.

That's a real dream car of mine. Love it :)

My mother has a safari, back in the day! White, gray roof with bright red valor interior... Think it was a 2.1 though... It had the swivel headlights and little seats in the boot... Ah brings back memories!

Absolute perfection... I would love one of those

Close to the most iconic model. An early 1967 DS21 Pallas single headlight model with extra driving lights, green LHM mineral oil, sloppy dash and Citromatic hydraulic change is the pinnacle of DS sedans. Then there is the Safari wagon and the rare utterly stunning Chaperon decapotatble...convertible. Magnifique..

A well-sorted one will definitely be one of my carriages in my future garage.

I’ve seen the Later headlamps in action what an amazing idea 💡

Saw a few of these in my 70's youth. In my head I always called them 'the floating iron'. Lol

My favourite car of all time- one day I too would love to experience one in real life -keep them coming Jay!

What a marvellous machine

Thank you - I love the DS!

I’ve loved the DS from my childhood in the 60s

I want one of these, this and the SM are some of the most beautiful cars ever made.

Lovely car mate. Oldtimers in general are so relaxing. I have an original bmw 520 from 1973. Also came from the south of france. It turns you in a completely different driver haha. I would love to trade it for a ds, but these citroens are just a bit more expensive. Probably double or so.