Found! – A Rare Original 1956 DS19
Here is a truly rare find — a never restored 1956 DS19 ordered during the DS debut at the 1955 Paris Car Show.
• Châssis: 7897.
• Engine: 20902124.
• Mileage: 92963 Km.
• Colour: Grey beige metallic.
• Interior: Original fabric.
• Steering: Lefthand drive.
• Price: Upon request.The car is currently in the hands of Christoph Grohe of Fine Classic Car in Switzerland.
As he states: Mythical car ! Amazing discovery: Should be carefully preserved. We wholeheartedly concur.
If you would like purchase it, his contact info is:
Christoph Grohe SA
Rte d’Allaman 10, CH-1173
Féchy, Switzerland
T. +41 21 807 35 65
info@christophgrohe.com
If the above hasn’t got you drooling already, Christoph sold this 1956 DS19 back in 2016 that was ordered on the first day of the 1955 Paris Car show. It has been restored by Vincent Crescia in Switzerland.
This is NOT a ’56 DS19. Serial numbers 5889 and under are true and genuine Model Year 1956’s. Owner’s try to ‘push’ their 1957’s to be ’56’s because it’s the original year and hence more valuable. Here is a list of current genuine 1956’s. Yes, this is a pet peeve of mine. ; > )
From the famous http://www.Nuancierds.fr site…
https://www.nuancierds.fr/les%20Citroen%20DS%20Millesime%2056.htm
The DS vintage 56:
Citrothello had made this ranking for years on its site, but it is no longer too up-to-date (http://www.citrothello.net/category/les-citroen/les-ds/vieilles-ds-berline/).
While waiting for Othello to get back to it, here is the list I have reconstructed of the currently surviving 1956 DS.
(5889 being the last serial number of the vintage 56)
32 (of eggplant origin, Fradet Museum, presented here on manuancierds)
81 (transformed into a Ricou prototype, presented here: http://www.nuancierds.fr/les%20garages%20Citroen%20RICOU.htm)
122 (wreep not saveable in Australia)
123 (wreet not saveable in Australia)
124 (wreet not saveable in Australia)
191 (in Italy, ex-D Taffin)
359 (in Italy at Emanuele)
425 (export USA, champagne/eggplant/royal blue, ex-Othello)
433 (in restoration in Portugal)
460 (in Brittany)
827 (in Brittany, 884 CY 22)
1226 (seen in the Othello census)
1292 (seen in LVA in 1998, very modified, with a compressor, currently at DS World)
1584 (view for sale on the right corner 519 FR 63)
1778 (view for sale at Artcurial in 2019)
1804 (announced at AA Garage and on sale in Oct 2023 at Artcurial but unfortunately the vehicle is a 1957 DS on which a plate was placed with the number 1804, probably to correspond to a registration card. So she’s not a real survivor)
1856 (restored by G Sarrailhe in the 92 and visible here: https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=VddUGxjE0Iw )
2369 (not saveable, listed by Othello)
2793 (in Sweden, owned by M Telin: http://www.d-tour.se)
3255 (exit from barn in Oct 2005, 679 BW 28)
3468 (transformed into a convertible, 7607 AQ 69)
3678 (in Sweden, pink grey, owned by Kent Mikael Persson, probably not saveable)
3727 (owned by Pierre)
3814 (view for sale at P Losson) http://www.losson.com/index.php? page=en-vehiclesDetail&idmodele=292
3827 (503 AX 66, pink grey, repainted in golden amber, seen for sale at P Losson) http://www.losson.com/index.php? page=en-vehiclesDetail&idmodele=387
3964 (897 CT 30, flooded at the Mones garage, passed into the hands of micHel and left for restoration in Poland)
4086 (export USA, owned by Greg, presented here on nuancierds)
4163 (still first-hand in Switzerland in the 2000s, maintained at the Hafliger garage)
4815 (grey hull, registered in the 60, seen at the hundred years of Citroën
4856 (rosy grey, ex-Mike, presented here on nuancierds)
5151 (export Norway, ex H Fradet, champagne/eggplant/royal blue, owned by Christian)
5199 (export USA, eggplant, returned to France following auction, presented here on nuancierds)
5309 (export Norway, once owned by the Norwegian Museum of Technology)
5312 (export Norway, property of Tor, presented here on nuancierds)
5331 (export Denmark, owned by Gert, presented here on nuancierds)
5613 (property of the late Jean-Paul then Régis, spring green, presented here on nuancierds)
5803 (rose)
5856 (black, wreck in the Paris region)
Thanks, Greg.
This is a pet peeve of mine as well.
My dad and I restored #425, which was given to us by Richard Bonfond. It was the Challenger Motors demo and the distributor broke with 23,000 miles. It was never repaired because the 1957 model arrived. It sat in a barn in Topanga Canyon until 1980 when we trailered it back to Phoenix. We returned to the Citroen Car Club Rendevous at Santa Cruz (1981?) and won Best of Show!