Citroen DS 21 Pallas

Citroen DS 21 Pallas

The Citroen DS 21 Pallas occupies a sweet spot in the DS range, pairing the capable 2,175 cc engine with the luxury-oriented Pallas trim level to create a car that many DS enthusiasts consider the best all-round version of Citroen's revolutionary sedan. While the DS 23 offered more power and the base DS 19 was more affordable, the DS 21 Pallas struck an ideal balance between performance capability and the supreme refinement that defined the DS ownership experience.

The 2,175 cc inline four-cylinder engine produced 109 horsepower, sufficient to propel the aerodynamically efficient DS body to cruising speeds that devoured long-distance journeys with remarkable ease. The DS's exceptional aerodynamics, with a drag coefficient of just 0.38, meant that the modest engine had less air resistance to overcome than many supposedly more powerful competitors. On the autoroutes that were being built across France during the DS 21's production years, the car could maintain 160 km/h with an almost eerie tranquility.

The Pallas specification elevated the DS 21's interior to a level of luxury that rivaled cars costing substantially more. Leather seats with adjustable cushioning, extensive sound-deadening material, a wood-trimmed dashboard, and additional chrome exterior appointments created an atmosphere of calm sophistication. The front seats, mounted on rails with extensive fore-aft and height adjustment, provided the kind of long-distance comfort that explained the DS's enduring popularity as a presidential and diplomatic vehicle.

The heart of the DS experience remained its extraordinary hydropneumatic suspension system. The self-leveling capability meant the car maintained its optimum ride height regardless of passenger or luggage load, while the hydropneumatic spheres absorbed road imperfections with a fluidity that conventional steel springs could not approach. The ride quality became the benchmark against which all other cars were measured, and for many automotive journalists, the DS 21 Pallas represented the ultimate expression of this capability.

The semi-automatic transmission, operated without a conventional clutch pedal, used the same hydraulic system that powered the suspension, steering, and brakes. A button on the gear lever tip signaled the hydraulic clutch to disengage, allowing the driver to select the desired ratio from the four-speed gearbox. Once mastered, the system was remarkably smooth and contributed to the effortless character of DS driving.

The DS 21 was produced from 1965 to 1972, spanning the period when the DS reached its most refined state. The addition of the famous directional headlamps, which swiveled with steering input to illuminate corners, arrived during this era and became one of the most iconic features of any car. Today, the DS 21 Pallas is among the most popular choices for DS collectors, offering the full DS experience with more readily available parts than the later DS 23, while providing superior performance to the smaller-engined DS 19 and DS 20.