1971 Citroën DS21 I.E. Décapotable by Henri Chapron

01FA6402roadFrance

Engine: 2.1L inline-four with electronic fuel injection
Colour: Pearlescent grey ('Gris Nacré'), repainted from original ivory ('Ivoire de Chine') in early 1970s

A 1971 Citroën DS21 I.E. Décapotable with coachwork by Henri Chapron, this car is one of only four semi-automatic Chapron convertibles built on the electronically fuel-injected DS21 I.E. platform, and reportedly the sole example ordered directly from Chapron's atelier rather than through a Citroën dealership. Delivered new in Nantes in late 1970, it passed through a Greek collector's château before acquisition by a noted Citroën-Chapron restorer in Geneva. The car retains its original red leather interior and carries several factory-ordered bespoke details, and is featured in the reference work 'DS – The Grande Livre'.

Ownership

2021-03-10Auction sale
Sold €150,000 (≈ $165K)
Bonhams catalogue lot →
1970-11-24 →Factory delivery
First owner via Citroën dealer in Nantes
partial documentation
Car delivered new through the Nantes Citroën dealership; exterior colour was subsequently changed from Ivoire de Chine to Gris Nacré in the early 1970s during this ownership period.
1988 → 2003Private sale
Mr Topalian
partial documentation
Greek collector of classic automobiles residing in a château in the south of France; the car was part of his broader collection and passed to auction following his death.
2003 →Auction
Vincent Crescia
partial documentation
Geneva-based Citroën Chapron restorer who purchased the car at a UK auction in October 2003 and performed a mechanical overhaul while preserving original bodywork and upholstery, acting on behalf of the present owner.
Date unknownPrivate sale
Jeanneau classic car dealer
partial documentation
Classic car dealer who acquired the car in the mid-1970s, presumed from the first owner.
Date unknownAcquisition unknown
Current vendor
full documentation
Netherlands-registered owner on whose behalf Crescia conducted the restoration; subsequent maintenance by specialist Bart Kocken included full rewiring in 2006, engine rebuild in 2008, and hydraulic steering box replacement in 2020.

Competition

No competition history extracted from the catalogue.

Maintenance & restoration

2006Mechanical
Bart Kocken
Complete replacement of the entire wiring harness.
2008Engine rebuild
Bart Kocken
Full engine overhaul using new-old-stock components; car has since covered approximately 30,000 km without mechanical issues. A photographic record of this work exists.
2020Mechanical
Bart Kocken
Reconditioned hydraulic steering box fitted to the car.
2020
Mechanical
Robergel spoked wheels fully adjusted and balanced.
Date referenced in the feature list for this car.
—Mechanical
Vincent Crescia
Mechanical overhaul carried out by Vincent Crescia in Geneva; original bodywork and upholstery were deliberately left undisturbed during this work.
Work was undertaken on behalf of the subsequent owner after acquisition at the 2003 auction.
—Mechanical
Bart Kocken
Installation of a supplementary second radiator cooling fan to improve engine temperature management.

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