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Since 1919, the Citroën brand has shown boldness and an unfailing human attachment. On the strength of its almost 100 years' old heritage and more than 300 models, some of which have forever marked the automotive industry.

The Citroën DS Safari is the station wagon version of the iconic French automobile, it was first introduced in 1958 with different model names depending on location – it was the “Brake” in France, the “Safari or Station Wagon” in Australia and South Africa, the “Safari or Estate” in Britain, and the “Wagon” in the USA.

CITROËN DS – ONE OF THE 20TH CENTURY’S MOST IMPORTANT CARS

The Citroën DS is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential car designs of the 20th century, in fact it was voted third in the 1999 Car of the Century poll, and it was named the most beautiful car of all time by Classic & Sports Car Magazine after a vote was taken among 20 of the world’s top car designers including the likes of Giorgetto Giugiaro, Ian Callum, Roy Axe, Paul Bracq, and Leonardo Fioravanti.

When it was first shown to the public at the 1955 Paris Motor Show. Attendees loved the advanced design and the industry-leading engineering advancements and within the first 15 minutes of display Citroën had already taken 743 orders.

By the end of the first day on display 12,000 orders had been placed, and over the 10 days of the show Citroën took over 80,000 deposits in total. This was a record that remained unbroken until the arrival of the Tesla Model 3 in 2016 – over 60 years later.

The revolutionary styling was down to two men, Italian designer (and sculptor) Flaminio Bertoni and the talented French aeronautical engineer André Lefèbvre. The engineering made use of an advanced hydropneumatic independent suspension system offering automatic levelling and variable ground clearance, it was developed in-house by Paul Magès and it allowed the Citroën DS to traverse bumpy rural roads with ease.

Compared to other cars of the era with their leaf spring suspension and live axles the DS seemed like a magic carpet ride. Even today the ride quality in a well-maintained DS can surprise people used to the already good ride quality in many modern cars.

The Citroën DS Safari is one of the less common and more desirable versions of the iconic French car. Whereas the regular DS has a fibreglass roof in order to keep the centre of gravity as low as possible for optimal handling, the DS Safari has a full steel roof to provide the strength needed for fully loaded roof racks. The roomy interior of the DS was further increased in the DS Safari, with a new rear section that features twin fold out seats for additional passengers, or a massive boot when the seats were not in use.  

The Safari version it is still one of the most beautiful station wagons of all time.

For the first time in the history of the Concours d’Elegance at Pebble Beach in 2018, Citreon was the featured brand on the 18th hole of the celebrated golf course. 

"Interest in Citroën among collectors has seen exponential growth in recent years, and the Concours is pleased to showcase custom coachwork Citroëns that offer the best of French technology and design." 

- Sandra Button, Concours chairperson (Pebble Beach Concourse)