Citroën DS
The Citroën DS is the ultimate classic car, and has been for many decades already, winning hearts with its stunning design and the sublime comfort of its hydropneumatic suspension. Thanks to CQS Classics, you can continue to enjoy this elegant beauty day after day.
Services for Citroën DS
Maintenance & Repair
CQS classics provides your beloved classic Citroën with a check-up or maintenance. We are experts in restoring and repairing your car to it’s original appearance.
Check-up
Next points will be overlooked by performing a check-up of your classic:
- Level of liquids like break fluid and window fluid
- Condition filters
- Complete ignition circuit
- Condition breaks
- Suspension, steering and driving condition
- Condition hydraulic circuit if present
- Steering and suspension lubrication
- Lighting, horn and windscreen wipers
- Tire and tire pressure condition
- Complete starter and charging circuit
- Engine adjustment
- Engine and gearbox mounts
- Check-up of complete lower panel
Depending on the number of kilometers driven and the elapsed time since the previous maintenance, the above parts will be replaced when necessary. Of course, this is always done in consultation with the customer. We would like to ask you to make an appointment if your car needs maintenance.
After this check-up and any repairs, your car is technically ready for the road. If the car needs to be inspected, the only thing left for us to do is to adjust the lights and the hydrocarbon. Afterwards you can drive to the technical inspection yourself, or we can do this for you.
Welding
Rust is quite possibly the greatest enemy of any classic car and your Citroën DS is no different in this respect. Unfortunately desperate situations call for desperate measures. Sometimes minor welding is sufficient, such as welding a new inner panel or part of the underbody. But sometimes more radical interventions are necessary, such as the replacement of the sills or the entire underbody. The kind of job that is best left to professionals.
CQS Classics always uses the same method. Together with you, we take a critical look at the car, after which we send you a quote of the parts that need replacing/welding.
Then our experienced welders set to work. They use top-class parts and the right materials. And they take the original welds and spot welds into account. This is the only way you can avoid situations such as doors that no longer seamlessly close after a restoration.
CQS Classics can also give your car a thorough anti-rust treatment, ensuring it can withstand the test of time in all weather conditions.
Bodywork
CQS Classics has years of experience working with classic cars, especially post-war classic Citroëns. This means that CQS Classics can advise and assist you every step of the way, with minor or major bodywork.
Here is what CQS Classics can offer you:
- We have colour cards and the codes of all the original paints used by Citroën. That way you can be certain that your DS will be repainted in the right colour of your choice. You can also choose another, non-original Citroën colour.
- To avoid differences in colour during partial repaint jobs, we always start by checking a painted part, to determine the exact composition of the paint.
- We can also paint parts that you can then assemble yourself. E.g., parts that need replacing because of rust or damage.
- Naturally we only use top-class products to guarantee a top-notch result.
Partial Restoration
CQS Classics gives you the option to restore your Citroën DS to its original condition in various phases.
You can choose to bring your car to CQS Classics during the winter months. We take advantage of this ‘hibernation’ to perform the necessary repairs and restoration so that you can enjoy your old-timer again during the summer months.
How we proceed:
- You make an appointment and bring us your car.
- We look over your DS with you and discuss your wishes. After a thorough review by our specialists, we can assist you in a professional manner to determine the priorities.
- We draw up a phased plan in consultation with you, taking into account your budget and timing.
All work is done in consultation and in accordance with your wishes and specifications.
Total Restoration
CQS Classics restores your Citroën DS to its original glory during one comprehensive restoration, in accordance with your wishes.
We take care of every aspect of the car during this total restoration, including the mechanics, the electricity and the bodywork.
How we proceed:
- We make an appointment for a preliminary visual inspection. We prefer to do this in our own workshop, but we can also come to you if necessary.
- We examine your DS with you and listen to your wishes. We also advise you on what we think is necessary to restore your DS to mint condition.
- We prepare an indicative quote, which we discuss with you.
- After you have approved our quote, we draw up a restoration agreement, in which we summarise all the works, budgets and agreements.
- You can follow the restoration process with your personal link to our website while we work on your car.
Interested?
If you are interested in a quotation without obligation, or if you would like to go over the various possibilities with us, please do not hesitate to make an appointment.
Want to see more?
Are you curious about some of our projects?
Then check out our examples of Citroën Méhari on our portfolio page.
History
The floating Goddess
6 October 1955. At the opening of the 42nd Paris Motor Show, it seemed as if there was just one car in the Grand Palais: the magnificent revolutionary Citroën DS. Combining hydropneumatic suspension, independent front suspension, and front disc brakes that were mounted at the front near the transmission, the DS seemed to forever change the definition of the car. And France was rearing to drive it: after just one hour, the company had already taken 1,000 orders. By the end of the day, 12,000 cars were on order.
Early buyers were unaware of one thing, however: the hydraulic system of the first DS, which was also used for the steering, the brakes and the transmission, was hopelessly unreliable, prompting Citroën to launch a simplified version as early as 1956. The ID only had hydropneumatic suspension. This inspired the following untranslatable joke: What is a car mechanic’s ultimate pleasure? Déshabiller une DS/déesse, pour se faire une ID/idée.
The DS and the ID were available as a sedan, an estate car and a convertible. Just under 1.5 million cars were produced. The last one rolled off the line at the plant on Quai de Javel in 1975. Because the DS is such a historically important car, we see it as our mission at CQS to keep this legend alive. Or to put it differently: What is the CQS Classics team’s ultimate pleasure? To pamper your DS!