1973 Citroën DS23 IE Cabriolet

Citroën wouldn’t sell Chapron any separate chassis, so he was reduced to buying complete cars and dismantling them

by Paul Duchene

Photos: Christie’s

The Citroёn DS19 was launched on an unsuspecting world in 1955 and continued to be France’s car of choice well into the 1970s. There were many interpretations of the theme, but one of the most appealing came from the workshops of established coachbuilder Henri Chapron, the “La Croisette Cabriolet.” At first produced without Citroёn’s approval, demand soon persuaded the company of the convertible’s appeal and from 1960, “Le Caddy Decapotable” became available through Citroёn dealers. Refining the individuality and composure of the original car’s lines, the popularity of the convertible never waned. Indeed, as is proven here, Citroёn was still receiving orders for the Decapotable long after official production ceased in 1971. The convertibles had been based on the underpinnings of the top of the range since the introduction of the DS21 in 1965, so it follows that the late examples were equipped with the fuel-injected 2.3-liter...