Imagine Touring France In This Timeless Drop-Top Goddess

The French have been responsible for creating some of the most beautiful automotive designs ever to grace the road. But few could hold a candle to the legendary Citroën DS. And this rather spectacular example is coming up for auction in Monaco next month.

Though now spun off into its own brand, Citroën manufactured the original DS from 1955 through 1975. Over the course of those two decades, it produced nearly 1.5 million of them. But only 1,365 of them were made as convertibles like this one.

The Chevron marque didn’t produce the Decapotables itself. Instead it outsourced their conversion to Parisian coachbuilder Henri Chapron, who not only lobbed off the roof, but modified the doors and the tail section as well.

A Rare Beauty

This particular example was built in 1969 in the more powerful DS 21 spec, and was later fitted with a newer DY engine in ’83. After spending most of its life in France and the UK, it underwent a thorough conversion in Berlin. The process is said to have cost over €85,000, and left the cabriolet painted white with a black leather interior.

If you’re as smitten as we are, you’re in good company. The car known as the “goddess” (déesse in French) is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful of all time. In fact a panel of some 20 leading automotive designers – including Giorgetto Giugiaro, Ian Callum, and Leonardo Fioravanti – named it their favorite in a poll conducted by Classic & Sports Car magazine. And this one could be counted among the most beautiful examples ever made.

Photos courtesy of RM Sotheby’s