1974 Citroën D Super

This left-hand-drive Citroën D Super completed factory build on 5 January 1974 and sold through a dealer in Val de Marne, south-east Paris. It was first registered on 25 March the same year, with Dordogne region registration number 6222 RJ 24.

In June 2001, an Englishman holidaying in the Dordogne spotted the car at Garage Jean-Luc Bardon in Thiviers. He was so taken with it that he bought it and drove it all the way back to Yorkshire and re-registered it with the DVLA.

It found its second UK owner in October 2014 and then sold again at auction in October 2016, before its latest owner, our vendor, bought it in November 2018.

He’d always liked the style of a Citroën DS and having bought it in Lancashire he was so confident of its reliability that he drove it from there, over the Pennines to see family in Leeds and then a few days later back home to Cornwall.

If Leeds to Cornwall sounds impressive for a quirky Citroën then how about this? A few weeks after that he drove it onto the ferry in Plymouth and then from Santander to a holiday home in Coín near Malaga in southern Spain - a drive of 1000 km.

Due to issues with transportation, the car was put into storage just north of Gibraltar and subsequent delays due to Brexit meant that it has stayed there for most of the last two years. Now that it has made it back to the UK and had a repair to one of the drive shafts, it’s running and ready to be sold.

We understand that the bodywork on this car was restored a decade or so ago at GM Motor Services in Holmfirth and repainted in its original Bleu Delta colour - an apparently limited-edition shade only available in 1974-5.

Although the car still looks good on approach, distracted as you are by the streamlined shapes, closer to you can see a few uneven panel gaps as well as numerous marks and scuffs and the beginnings of rust bubbling through. This is especially noticeable around the filler cap, headlamps and nose and some cracking around one of the door handles and on the boot lid. Under the nose, the valence has suffered some impact damage and rust has started to take hold, although it doesn’t appear to be unsalvageable.

The D Super sits on original 15-inch steel wheels with chrome hubcaps. The rims look a little scuffed and looking at the back of the wheels it suggests that all would benefit from refurbishment.

All wheels are shod with older Michelin tyres dating from the early noughties, which have good tread but badly cracked sidewalls. The off side front tyre is newer but has a tear in the sidewall. We would suggest that all tyres, including the spare, need replacing.

A nice touch to maintain the car’s Gallic charm is the French-style typeface on the UK registration plates.

The interior of the car was retrimmed in around 2015, sourcing original materials for the seats, door cards and carpets from a specialist supplier in The Netherlands.

The seats appear clean and undamaged, with no undue wear. The front armrest is removable resulting in a virtual bench seat across the front. The rear armrest folds up into the back cushion.

Up front is a relatively spartan dash and instrument panel, with retrofitted MPH speedometer, hazard light switch and modern Blaupunkt CD Radio. The characteristic off-centre single-spoke steering wheel shows a little wear in the rim at the 10-2 positions but is otherwise as it should be.

In the driver-side footwell, don’t be alarmed to see four pedals - the outer-most is the parking brake and the other three are standard clutch, brake and throttle. There’s also the white-knobbed suspension height control lever.

Whilst the carpeting is generally in good repair, there is what looks like an oil spill in the passenger footwell. The addition of overmats covers the problem but the only real solution would be a new front carpet.

A couple of slats in the rear-window louvre blinds need reattaching, and above them the head trim has come away.

Under the bonnet, the engine bay looks in good order with just a few untidy wires where additions have been made over the years. The spare wheel is mounted up front, on top of which is a hydraulic fluid can. The bonnet lid itself is lined with Fat Mat soundproofing and insulation foil.

The vendor reports that the underfloor of the car was Waxoyled in 2014 and it still presents in good condition, although there are the beginnings of rust around the jacking points, perhaps where the underseal has been knocked off. We also understand that the pillars and door interiors were treated with Bilt Hamber Dynax wax cavity protection. The exhaust appears to be stainless and in good condition.

The rear boot is a simple but spacious affair, with a carpeted board covering stowage for sundry spares. It does appear that there has been recent water ingress into the boot but otherwise all looks in order.

The D Super’s last MoT expired in November 2019 and although it is age-exempt, we always recommend getting an independent assessment of a car’s roadworthiness each year, should you as the owner ever need to provide proof.

The history file contains several invoices from recent ownership, its last French “Contrôle Technique”, a number of UK MoT reports and assorted manuals. We understand that the car did have a more comprehensive history file including a Citroën Heritage Certificate - which provided much of the build detail - but the current owner doesn’t recall having seen it.

A narrative history reports that in 2015-16, much of the hydraulic system was replaced, upgrading the pump, pressure regulator, suspension spheres and ride height valves. Additionally, rear bump stops, gaiters, fuel pump, radiator and hoses and the ignition were all renewed and the carburettor rebuilt.

The 1985cc engine in this D Super is strong and reliable and easy to maintain yourself if you are so inclined. Along with the 4-speed manual transmission, the power delivered is enough to keep up with modern traffic without issue.

Coming from an era when Citroën were known for their individuality and avant-garde designs, this D Super is an attractive and affordable variant of the landmark DS “Goddess”. We think it will sell for between £8,000 and £12,000.

Once treated to a new set of boots, the new owner can get out and enjoy driving the car whilst gradually addressing the minor bodywork defects to take it to the next level of presentation.