This seems to be the case of this 1973 Citroën DS23 convertible that was sold for 337,500 euros or the equivalent of $440,500, at Bonhams’ Retromobile auction in Paris, hemmings.com reported. In fact, the price is probably a record for a Citroën model.
“I have no idea what the record was, but I reckon we must have smashed it,” confessed James Knight, the head of Bonhams’ Motoring department.
Record or not, it's still an enormous price for a Citroën car. Certainly, this is not an ordinary model of the French automaker. DS convertibles have always been always extremely appreciated cars. But what made this one unique is the fact that it’s one of three convertibles built on the DS23 platform and the only one with fuel injection.
Another feature that probably contributed to the high price was the car's rare color. The vehicle's exterior color is ‘Meije White’ while the interior has black leather, including the windshield surround, doors and sun visors. The color of the deep-pile carpets is ‘Soft Grey’ and the lower part of the dashboard is trompe l’oeil painted, imitating varnished walnut.
The coachbuilder’s logo is on the trunk and the name is on the front wings. There are two rear fog lights and the tires are new. In addition, a complete restoration was promised to the buyer.
The car was turned into a convertible by Paris-based coach-builder Henri Chapron who made a series of specials on the chassis of the DS, showing a four-seat convertible based on the DS19 in June 1958.
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