1973 Citroën DS23 Pallas – Rotisserie-Restored European Example in Orient Blue
About this vehicle
Few production cars from any era provoke quite the same double-take as a DS, and a properly sorted DS23 Pallas sits at the very top of what the range could offer. Above the DS23 Confort in the 1973 lineup, the Pallas designation brought enhanced noise insulation, more luxurious upholstery, and distinctive external trim that set it apart from lesser DS variants. This one's a European-market car, finished in AC 616 Orient Blue — a color that reads as deep navy under direct sun and shifts entirely depending on the light — over a grey interior.
Its first five decades were spent in Italy. A rotisserie restoration then brought it back to bare metal, rust remediation was carried out, and the car was refinished in dark blue; the seller places the finished exterior very close to concours condition. Outside there's a black vinyl roof, C-pillar-mounted turn signals, and the glass-canopied headlight arrangement introduced with the 1968 restyle — four units in total, the inner pair swiveling to follow steering inputs and illuminate the direction of travel. Ride height comes from Citroën's hydropneumatic self-leveling suspension, and the car rides on 15-inch steel wheels with polished covers wrapped in 185-width Michelin rubber. Front tires date to 2021, rears to 2014. The restoration gallery includes photographs taken during refurbishment.
Inside, grey fabric covers the seats and carpets, two-tone panels dress the doors, and a black dashboard anchors the whole cabin. That single-spoke steering wheel — the defining feature of the DS line, keeping the instrument cluster fully visible — frames a set of Jaeger gauges. An analog clock and a push-button AM/FM radio round out the amenities. Sun exposure has shifted the seat fabric's coloration over time, something the seller discloses openly. Every gauge, electronic, and accessory is reported to function properly.
Under the hood, the 2,347 cc fuel-injected inline-four — the engine that gave the DS23 its name when it replaced the DS21 for 1973 — was pulled and overhauled during the restoration. In fuel-injection trim, this unit was factory-rated at 130 HP (metric) and 148 lb-ft of torque, good for a factory top speed of approximately 188 km/h. Drive reaches the front wheels through a 4-speed semi-automatic Hydraulique gearbox, which uses the car's own hydraulic circuit to disengage the clutch the instant the gear lever is touched — no clutch pedal is fitted. The entire hydraulic system, which also handles suspension, power steering, and power brakes, was overhauled during the refurbishment.
Imported to Canada in 2023 to join a Citroën collection, this DS23 Pallas is now offered with 25,097 miles indicated. The sale includes a Canadian registration, a toolkit, and a spare tire. Located in Montreal, QC.
