Having produced cabriolets from DS models for its own account since October 1958, the coachbuilder Henri Chapron was commissioned to develop a Citroen DS Cabriolet production model. Following the design of three prototypes, the new car was unveiled in October 1960 at the Paris Motor Show.
In addition of being a comfortable road car, Citroen DS also made a successful career in racing. Just three months after the car was revealed at the Paris Motor Show in 1955, the Citroen DS 19 made its debut in the prestigious Monte-Carlo Rally in January 1956.
Citroen DS made its debut at the 1955 Paris Motor Show on Thursday 6 October. The model’s avant-garde body design set a new benchmark immediately. Some 12,000 DS 19 models were sold that day, but by the end of the Paris Motor Show ten days later, some 80,000 firm orders had been taken.
The story of the Citroen 2CV dates back to the 1920s to a market research conducted by Michelin. At the time a lot of people in France were still living countryside and couldn’t afford a car. Michelin was keen to expand their tyre business and wanted to build an economy car. After Citroen’s bankrupt in 1934, Michelin took over the car company. Soon after this Citroen started to work on a new model that would be economical to manufacture, use and maintain.
