Valuable Classics Part 2: Citroën DS Chapron and “Usine” – The goddess blows her top
At the start of DS production, a convertible version was already planned. The strong platform of the car provided a good starting point for a cabriolet. Citroën chief designer Flaminio Bertoni did make a draft, but other projects initially took priority and therefore production was postponed.
Development and Design
The well-known coach-builder Henry Chapron decided to pick up the thread Citroën had left dangling. In 1958 this lead to a convertible called “La Croisette” and a coupé version by the name of “Le Paris”. In autumn 1959 a second convertible “Le Caddy” followed. In the following years, a very small numbers of other versions emerged all based on the DS and ID: the coupés “Le Dandy”, “Concorde” and “Le Leman”; the convertible “Palm Beach”; and two limousine designs “Majesty” and “Lorrain”.
These vehicles were built to order by Chapron in Levallois-Perret, a suburb of Paris. Chapron received no help whatsoever from Citroën. Without an official collaboration, Chapron had to buy finished vehicles and completely convert them. This made the cars he produced extremely expensive. He was also denied distribution through the Citroën dealer network. No wonder a meagre 289 conversions were produced until 1974.
Citroën DS/Id “Usine” – Highly sought-after Rarity
The production numbers of the factory produced “Cabriolet d’Usine” look quite different. The “Usine” was primarily designed by Bertoni and not Henry Chapron. Nevertheless, the production was carried out at the Chapron studios, meaning the collaboration was now official and the vehicles Chapron built could be sold through Citroën dealers.
A grand total of 1,365 Cabriolets were produced, 483 based on the DS 21, 770 on the DS 19 and 112 on the ID 19. For the “Usine”, Citroën delivered chassis with all the mechanical parts. In Levallois these were completed with the interior, hood and special body parts (such as, doors, rear section and trunk lid). Interestingly, Citroën supplied four front doors, which Chapron managed to lengthen by 10 cm compared to the ones used for the production sedan.
So many special features came at a price of course. The factory cabriolets were about twice as expensive as the limousines at the time. Still a good investment as they are about four to five times more expensive nowadays.
Price performance data courtesy of:
Photos Cargold & ClassicCarsForSale
Related Posts
Grand Prix de Monaco Historique 2026 – A Journey Through Motorsport History
The 15th Grand Prix de Monaco Historique 2026 once again impressively demonstrated why it is regarded as one of the most prestigious events on the historic motorsport calendar. On the legendary circuit in the Principality, the narrow streets of Monte Carlo were once again transformed into a vibrant and roaring museum of racing history Continue reading Grand Prix de Monaco Historique 2026 – A Journey Through Motorsport History
Kawasaki 500 H1 Mach III – The untamed athlete
The Land of the Rising Sun was, and still is, a rising star in the world of motorcycling. In the 1960s alone, two models emerged from Japan that turned the motorcycling world on its head: Honda’s CB 750 and the Kawasaki 500 H1 Mach III. Continue reading Kawasaki 500 H1 Mach III – The untamed athlete
Chevrolet Corvette – The birth of a US legend
“We don’t want to build collector’s items, as other major brands do – we want to build sports cars that every working American can afford,” said Dave Hill, chief engineer of the Chevrolet Corvette C5 and C6 generations. Continue reading Chevrolet Corvette – The birth of a US legend
