• Year of manufacture 
    1963
  • Car type 
    Coupé
  • Condition 
    Used
  • Location
    France
  • Exterior colour 
    Other

Description

CITROEN DS 19 GT BOSSAERT 1963

Serial number 4247187 - Only surviving coupé
One of the rarest DS in the world
Frua drawing - Good condition
French registration

The extraordinary story of the 19 GT is first and foremost the story of the man behind the project. Hector Bossaert, a mechanics enthusiast, saw a potential in the DS that few customers were interested in. Originally from the North of France, Mr Bossaert began to work on small mechanical preparations. He even goes so far as to sell kits that allow him to increase the power of his engine in no time. Thus, at the end of the 1950s, he made modifications to DS and ID engines and his reputation in the field led him to go even further and create his own coupé based on a DS 19. This project was born in 1959 with the help of Pietro Frua, who drew up the stylistic plans for what would become the GT 19. Shorter by more than 45 cm than the saloon, the GT also had a 7 cm lower ground clearance. In terms of aesthetics, the front end doesn't change much but the rear end adopts characteristic wings. And it is this rear end that really makes this coupe an atypical thing, taking up the codes of transalpine saloons and coupes. Finally, the GT has a plexiglass rear window and the chevron shields turned a quarter to the right as a nod to the model. The story goes that Henri Gery came to see Mr Bossaert and said: "I want a car to win Lyon - Charbonnières".
In the cockpit, the DS spirit is almost non-existent and one finds oneself seated behind a flurry of Jaeger-type dials, which are certainly nicer than the "classic" DS dials, and a speedometer graduated at 200 km/h. With an engine preparation, the 4 cylinder of 1900 cm3 of the 19 will go from 75 to more than 100 hp, propelling the GT to nearly 170 km/h, a record!
The upholstery is typical of the top-of-the-range DS, all taut leather and extremely comfortable, but it is true that the rear seat has been moved much closer to the front seat because of the shortened wheelbase.
Eleven coupés were built by Mr Bossaert's company "Gété" in Meteren and only 2 cabriolet. Today only one coupé and the only cabriolet remain, making these rarities real mirages.

Our example, the 09 (cabriolet and coupé together) was sold to Mr Chevalier on 21/10/63. It arrived here in a restored condition and was very well preserved by its owner. It has a burgundy paint job and aluminium rims with a border that matches the bodywork. The GT has all these characteristic aesthetic elements, notably the name "19 GT Bossaert" in gold lettering on the rear trunk and the two pairs of chevrons facing to the right on the rear quarter windows. In the interior, the sublimely patinated interior still presents very well and does not lie about the quality of French manufacturing of the time. The original engine has probably been broken, so it will have to be repaired as it was at the time, in order to fully enjoy this fantastic car.
We offer you the possibility to acquire a car unique in the world but very well known to Citroën enthusiasts, exhibited at Retromobile in 2016, a real UFO on the road which will show you a completely different aspect of the mythical DS.


Osenat
5 Rue Royale
none
77300Fontainebleau
France
Contact Person Kontaktperson
Title 
Mr
First name 
Stéphane
Last name 
Pavot

Phone 
+33-180819010
Mobile phone 
+33-648979699