Meet Big Blue – A very special 1965 Citroën ID 19 F Wagon Luxe

By Peter Kristensen….

It fell in my lap. I really didn’t need another car as I have my hands full with my other Citroëns. But the DS had always intrigued me, especially because of the look of the early versions with the single headlights and the unsurpassed riding comfort not matched in my CX or GSA, even though they are both exceptional. As for the wagon version of the DS, I find the design of the rear sort of brusque or provoking with the fenders separated from the body of the car and its large wheel arches. With the roof rack, the wagon oozes adventure. You can say I was primed for a D. So, when this ID became available it only took me minutes to confirm that I would take it.

The email from the owner said “It’s not pretty anymore but back in the day we won a couple of ribbons in the annual auto shows. It’s dusty. However it’s been kept in the garage. I’m not sure about the mileage. The tires are all flat. It hasn’t been started since at least 2021 so it will have to be towed.”

I arranged to pick up the car a few days later. With the tires flat and unsure if it would start to raise the suspension, I knew there would only be about two inches of ground clearance so I needed someone experienced in towing Citroëns. Fortunately, the amazing network of Citroën enthusiasts led me to the right company, Superior Towing in New Jersey.

The car showed as I had expected: unaltered, undamaged, no parts missing. The car didn’t start, but luckily, the tires held air although the front wheels didn’t spin. As the car emerged in daylight, the patinated bleu d’orient color (AC 616) gave away the 60 years of age.  As for mileage, the odometer showed 00,868, but it is likely 200,868. There was some rust, but no major rot.

Patsy, the owner, told me a bit more about the car. Her late father Ed, who had a successful career as an engineer at RCA in New Jersey, bought the car new in 1965 and the title was still in his name. The last registration was from the early 2000s. In fact, this was the second D wagon their father owned. Ed’s Citroën wagons became the identity of the family, with him known in the neighborhood as always enjoying the ride or tinkering with the car. Ed took the family with their six daughters to car shows, including the New Hope Auto Show (a charitable organization) where it won a trophy in 1968. There was no doubt this had been a well-cared for and loved car!

This first video “The Day of a Beautiful Car” is from the day I picked up the car:

I got the car back to the Washington, DC area, and with my friend Henry, a shrewd and passionate DS expert, we dove right into the car. While it didn’t start that first evening, our hopes were high.

The following weekend, we finally had time to look at the car a bit closer. In short, the car needs everything, I mean everything. We found the 8 mm key on the hydraulic pressure release valve, so we believe the last work Ed would have done on the car was related to the hydraulic system.

A journey has started with getting it to start, getting it to rise, starting to fix the brakes, and strengthening areas affected by rust. It may not become a show car, but the many stories about the car and the people it has affected are just starting to emerge. Big Blue was a special car for Patsy’s father and family, and I already know that this will be equally special to me and my family.

Many people have helped me in the past month as I had so much to learn about the D model. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Henry for helping me get the ID started, and Gert, John, Hein, Chris, Paul, Dave, and Brian for guidance and support. What an amazing passionate and responsive network of Citroën people we have! And thank you to my wife Sunny and daughters for allowing me to adopt and care for this wonderful car.

But most of all, I’d like to thank Patsy and her family for giving me the opportunity to have Big Blue and continue its already rich history. Maybe one day Big Blue will make it back to the New Hope Car Show.

This second video “Au quart de tour!” shows the magic first start-up of the car:

This third video “A Huge Win,” well, you’ll have to discover yourself:

To be continued….