1960 ID19 Safari Restoration by Mark Krahn

It takes considerable courage to resuscitate a Citroën D that has sat outside for more than two decades in the British Columbia climate, but Mark Krahn of Armstrong, BC took up the challenge of this 1960 ID19 Safari, (S/N 3304263), doing a restoration for the most part at home, with results that are stunning. As Mark tells it;

The story of my “find” began when Greg Long in Seattle gave me an old email address for Tom Anderson, who he remembered as having a ripple bonnet 2CV in the 1980s. This was the original car I was searching for, however after not hearing back, I assumed the address was unused and gave up the lead.

Almost a year later I received an email back from Tom that simply said he had a 1960 Break (the station wagon version of the D, and referred to as a Safari in North America) and that I could have it (with no mention of the 2CV). The Break had been sitting in a field in Summerland for the last 20 years after some engine issues took it off the road.

Tom originally bought the car in Gibsons, BC in the 80’s, when he was working on the set of the CBC television series “The Beachcombers”. He is not aware how many owners there were before him or whether it was originally a Canadian car. It  was used locally by him, with only a few trips around BC, finally ending up in Summerland, where he still resides.

Greg Long came up from Seattle to assist in the recovery and transport it back to Armstrong. Tear-down began almost immediately and though many pieces were found to be in great condition, the frame was quickly recognized as beyond repair. Another rust free frame was sourced within months in the Palm Springs area and brought back shortly after.

Beyond using the frame, it was very helpful to have essentially another car to use for parts. Even with the 2 cars however, many parts still had to be sourced. Body and frame repair and paint were done by myself, as was the majority of the restoration beyond the engine/transmission and hydraulic components.  Repair/rebuilding of these were done by:

• Chris Middleton (Seattle) — engine rebuild (parts sourcing for this was truly a world-wide effort!)
• Chris Dubuque (Seattle) — transmission, caliper, brake control and axle rebuild.
• Richard Jentner (Edmonton) — hydraulic components (LHM conversion).

As well, seemingly endless assistance was given by other owners both in North America and Europe. Chris Bronkhorst of the Netherlands was particularly helpful in sourcing some difficult pieces such as the original style fabric (Helanca Mordoree).

The Safari has been the most extensive restoration I’ve ever undertaken, and though not easy, was certainly made possible by the support of the Citroën community. I would quite like to be able to pass on the support at some point to another who might be ambitious enough to try an early D. I certainly have enough  parts left!

And yes, Tom Anderson did end up owning a ripple bonnet (a Belgian model) that he still has. It’s not for sale!

Here is a picture gallery of the retrieval and restoration process:

After 3 1/2 years since recovering from Tom Anderson’s field in Summerland, my 1960 ID19 Safari finally returned to the road on April 24, 2021! What a great feeling it is and now I am am hoping for many great D adventures driving it around Canada and the US in the years to come. I am planning a trip to Newfoundland with the ID, ideally next summer and I’d quite like to meet a few other Citroën owners along the way!