This model was characterised by innovation, not only in its extraordinary shape, but also in its avant-garde bodywork and self-adjusting suspension. André Citroën presented a model like ours at the end of the 1950s, and even General de Gaulle fell in love with it.
The ID 19, a kind of simplified DS, appeared at the 1956 October Salon. The high price of the DS (920,000 Fr, compared to 650,000 Fr for a Traction) was an insurmountable difference for many more modest and less pretentious economies. This ID 19 had the advantage and, at the same time, the disadvantage of having fewer hydraulic automatisms than the DS.
The base model ID 19 used the old 11D engine with 66 hp in 1956. This ID was created in a very poor version and a comfort that tried to approach the DS criteria, but did not succeed.
Henri Chapron was one of the most famous French coachbuilders of the 20th century. He was known for elegant and classic designs in the history of the automobile. He was the only coachbuilder from the glorious era of French coachbuilders who knew how to combine craftsmanship and industry. When Citroën introduced the D models, Henri Chapron immediately saw their potential. In 1958, he showed a prototype of the first convertible based on a Citroën DS chassis at the Paris Motor Show. The first four-seater convertibles, built by Henri Chapron on the basis of the ID/DS chassis, attracted the attention not only of wealthy customers, but also of Citroën.
