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As a Citroën devotee of many years standing, there is one model in particular that I crave – the Slough-built DS Pallas. Here are my impressions from a Classic & Sports Car feature from five years ago:

Firstly, there is that cabin, a place where a tired tycoon could sink gratefully into a leather armchair and place his feet into a thick pile carpet. However, the Pallas’ cabin may be the ideal environment for a post-business meeting sleep, dreaming of corporate take overs and destroying London’s skyline with yet more office blocks but the array of instruments on the dashboard (including a tachometer) makes one eager to fire up the engine. The note was certainly more refined than your average 4-cylinder engine and, once the hydraulic ceremony was completed, it was time to move off. The semi-automatic transmission proved as easy as flicking a light switch to operate and if the Citroen’s overall top speed was not especially high, it seemed as if we were travelling with a minimum of effort.

In short, it was a car that more than lived up to all my dreams – to the extent I was quite reluctant to return it to its rightful owner.

The Pallas debuted in 1964 as Citroen’s alternative to the Mercedes-Benz 220S “Fintail”, the Alfa Romeo 2600 Berlina and the Lancia Flaminia Berlina. The self-levelling Cibie iodine-quartz auxiliary lamps and aluminium C-pillar panels helped to distinguish it from cheaper members of the range. By 1965 the Pallas was powered by the DS21’s 2,175cc engine while assembly commenced at the Slough plant in that same year.

Citroen established their Buckinghamshire (which was the case until 1974) factory in 1926 to circumvent import duties in the UK and Empire territories. The Pallas marked the swansong of the UK-built models and was available in either semi-automatic or “M” manual forms. Naturally, the specification included seats trimmed in Connolly hide and Smith instrumentation. The price was £1,977 3s 9d, meaning that the Pallas was narrowly under the £2,000 threshold for tax relief on “business cars”.

‘Without doubt, this is the most luxurious, as well as the fastest, Citroën ever marketed’ proclaimed Autocar. The top speed was 112 mph, and most importantly, the Pallas seemed to be without a real rival in the UK. ‘Citroën has achieved the impossible in its quest for perfection’ announced one, not overly modest, brochure. For all the hyperbole, the Pallas indeed was a remarkable machine, one that did not seem to exist on the same planet as the Humber Imperial, Rover P5 or Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R.

By that time, DS kits arrived in Slough from France in a SKD – semi-knocked-down – state, with the engines and the suspension already in place. The end was near, and 18^th February 1966 marked the end of assembly in the UK. The Pallas was a more than worthy conclusion to a 40-year tradition – and many believe it truly fulfilled the promise of being ‘the most magnificent Citroën ever made’.

Why choose Lancaster Insurance?

Here at Lancaster, we love classic cars as much as you do and we understand what it takes to protect them for future generations.

We have links with some of the top classic car clubs around the country and some of our policies even offer discounts of up to 25% for club members.

Other benefits of classic car insurance through Lancaster can include:

• Historic rally cover
• Static show cover
• Limited mileage discounts
• Choice of repairer
• 24-hour claims helpline

Give your classic the protection it deserves and get a quote for your Citroen today.