There are very few vehicles that could even contemplate challenging the Citroën DS in the style stakes. When this futuristic marvel was revealed at the 1955 Paris Motor Show, it set the automotive world on fire—a jaw dropping 12,000 orders were taken on the first day alone. The Italian stylist, Flamino Bertoni, was responsible for its rocket ship-inspired appearance, yet the revolution was far from just skin deep. The DS was awash with innovative styling features, crucially backed up by technical and mechanical advancements that would subsequently filter down into Citroën’s alternative offerings.

Developed as a successor to the Traction Avant, the Citroën DS could not have been more different. The now legendary hydro-pneumatic, self-levelling suspension grabbed the attention of those who longed for an alternative to leaf-sprung harshness, although initial plans for it to be propelled by an air-cooled flat-six were abandoned in favour of an inline-four derived from its predecessor.

From the streamlined body, single-spoke steering wheel and the “push-button” brake pedal to the hydraulically-assisted steering, adjustable ride height and semi-automatic gearbox, the DS was an unmistakably French vision of the future that rightly enthralled the car-buying public.

This particular vehicle features additional touches of luxury such as air-conditioning, an intercom system, and a roll-up cabin partition. The car is understood to have been imported from Europe by a dealer based in Santa Barbara, California in 2016 prior to being sold at auction in December 2019. It was later exported to the UK, where it was registered in January 2021. Finished in timeless black with silver C-pillars and a light grey interior, this Citroën DS 19 is an attractive example of this pinnacle of 1960s motoring, and one that still looks like a vision from the future more than 60 years after making its debut.