An original DS21 Rally Car is for sale
In 1970, this DS 21 took part in the London-Mexico rally — a journey of 25,700 km spread over 23 stages. Of the six official Citroën DS entered by the Racing department of the chevron brand, it is the only one that has survived.
It was driven by Bob Neyret and Jacques Terramorsi, a crew that occupied sixth place in the general classification until a mechanical failure occurred in Bolivia, forcing them to retire. The vehicle remained in the country, purchased by the son of the brand’s local importer. Miraculously rediscovered in 2005 by French enthusiast André Midol, it was not repatriated to France until 2017. It was then completely restored and repainted, to allow André to finally complete the London-Mexico rally route in 2018. (We wrote about his adventure at the time in Citroenvie; https://citroenvie.com/1970-world-cup-rally-ds21-to-travel-across-the-usa/.)
Andre received official recognition on April 3, 2018 at the Azteca Stadium and in 2019 the DS 21 won the “sportiest car” award at the Citroën Centenary celebration in La Ferté-Vidame.
It was also presented on the Aventure Peugeot Citroën and DS stand for the Classic Days 2020 in Magny-Cours (Nièvre). Then it was welcomed at the Gaydon National Museum (United Kingdom) on May 1, 2022, for the 50th anniversary of the 1970 World Cup rally (postponed by two years due to the covid pandemic).
In the 1970s, car manufacturers did not hesitate to enter their family sedans in rallies, with a little preparation protecting the headlights and the mechanics, the latter remaining standard. The aim was to prove to the customer the reliability and performance of the vehicle that he could buy in a dealership. A great advertisement, which of course no longer applies today.
This DS21 has only 32,112 km on the clock. It is in good working order and shows no mechanical problems. It was offered for sale on the auction site carandclassic.com, but reached a bid of only €25,250, on October 10, 2024 — hence no sale. It is still listed as available for purchase at €53,500 or make an offer! https://www.carandclassic.com/make-an-offer/1970-citroen-ds-21-1970-world-cup-rally-no12-411DR4
