Citroen DS 23 Pallas 1975

In 1969, Bosch Electronic Fuel injection came to the DS21 – as an optional extra – along with a 20% bump in power. It was the first French car with electronic fuel injection, though Peugeot were already using Kugelfischer Mechanical injection. At the time, the 125-horse DS21IE (actual output seemed to vary by market) was the fastest car the French automaker had ever produced and the only DS in which you could chirp the front tires if you floored it.

It was still not a supremely fast car, but the best was yet to come. For 1973, a slightly bored-out 2,347-cc four was added (now called DS23) – with 124hp in carbureted form and 140hp with the fuel injection.

Again, some sources cite slightly lower numbers across the board depending on how they were rated, but the DS23 was unquestionably the fastest stock DS – 0-60 in about ten seconds.

The top of the line, of course, was the injected DS23 Pallas, with higher equipment levels than the lesser Ds and subtle “Pallas” badging. The chrome hood spear seen on this example is a later accessory add-on. The Pallas had a narrow niche – fancier than a Triumph 2.5PI or an NSU Ro80 but not as fancy as a six-cylinder Mercedes W115.

The DS23 was a good swan song, but by the time it arrived, the company was in trouble – having overextended itself on developing the GS and SM and the Rotary GS Birotor.

DS sales remained strong into 1973, but all large Euro cars suffered quite a bit after OPEC, sales plunged from around 96,000 in ‘73 to just 40,000 in 1974 – many of which sat around unsold for months. At the time the CX, after a prolonged gestation, was waiting in the wings – but it wasn’t clear if Citroën would be able to launch the car thanks to its financial difficulties.

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