Citroën D Special

The „D Series“ is essentially the late evolutionary stage of the famous DS/ID family – that Citroën model line built from 1955 to 1975, which marked a turning point in automotive history: an aerodynamic, futuristic shape, front-wheel drive, and above all, a technology package that raised comfort and driving stability to a level many competitors wouldn't reach for decades. Closely associated with this icon are designer Flaminio Bertoni and engineer André Lefèbvre. The hydropneumatic, self-leveling suspension, the heart of the „floating feeling,“ is attributed to Paul Magès.

What's important with Citroën is that „DS“ and „ID“ were never just engine variants, but technical philosophies. The DS was considered the „fully hydraulic“ high-tech version, featuring among other things the famous brake mushroom and, depending on the version, further hydraulically assisted systems, while the ID models were technically simpler, making them more affordable and easier to maintain. It is precisely this „sensible“ line that is the direct lineage of the later D models.

From 1969/1970, the series was renamed: The ID19 became the D Spécial, while the ID20 became the D Super. For buyers at the time, this meant a DS experience that impressed not with maximum luxury, but with substance, comfort, and everyday usability – at a price that kept Citroën competitive in the final DS years.

Characteristic of the D Spécial is a deliberately reduced level of equipment: less decoration, less „Pallas glamour,“ but the basic DS principle, particularly the hydropneumatic suspension, as its core promise. This is precisely an advantage today, as collectors often appreciate the D Spécial for its mechanical simplicity and a kind of „purity“: less of everything that can become expensive, but a lot of what makes a DS a DS.

Technically, the D-series did not stand still either. In the early 1970s, the D-series was continuously modified: in 1970/71, details such as the handbrake (foot-operated) and transmission options were modernized, and in 1972, flush door handles and engine/gear ratio changes were made.

Ultimately, the 1970 D Spécial is therefore a very „honest“ ticket into the DS world: late model years, modernized details, the famous comfort, and a design that still appeals to many enthusiasts today because it combines the DS feel with a comparatively uncomplicated, clear form of classic ownership.