Oliver Dempsey lost his heart to a French dream. Now he spends endless happy hours bringing his Citroën DS convertible back to life. Oonagh Charleton reports.
Ever considered owning a classic rare car? How about one of probably only ten remaining? Sounds enticing doesn't it? Throw in the fun of a convertible and the panache of a Citroën and you see what attracted Oliver Dempsey to the Citroën DS Decapotable. This despite the fact that it required some major restoration work.
The Decapotable, which literally means "be-headable", is one of the few Henri Chapron creations to still incite a terrific pride of ownership. It is estimated only 1,325 were made during the 11 years of production between 1960 and 1971 and, there is a strong likelihood that few of the right-hand drive models remain.
Lucky Oliver, a Waterford-based architect, has managed to acquire one. A recent visit to his home revealed Oliver's many hobbies including the solo restoration of the "Decap". Before he reveals the Citroën shell he shows off his completed TR6 convertible with a rumbling straight six.
Yes, the Citroën is only a shell and, though work has begun, a year has fiddled by as Oliver nursed a back injury. Now he is back in the driving seat and with visor down, welder at full blast and buckets of enthusiasm. It should take only three years to roll this baby out into the sunshine - he hopes.
Why did he pick this car as a project? This will probably be his last restoration and he was determined to restore a convertible.
This 1963 "Decap" had by now become a virtual bathtub, left outside to gather water for years before the previous owner engaged the English Oxford Car Company to rebuild the car. With the first bill amounting to £7,000 sterling and three more to come, he threw in the towel.
Oliver found the owner purely by chance at a British car show. The result was purchase and transportation back to Ireland. It was only after disassembling it and getting the body shot-blasted and painted that his back injury temporarily halted work.
The beauty of the DS Decapotables is that they are Chapron cars and, therefore, the rarest and most valuable version of the DS. Many were built and customised to each buyer's wishes as the cars were more or less hand-built in Chapron's Parisian workshop.
Oliver says the DS is very much an architect's car because "it takes material and it analyses what the material can do. And that material is only asked to do what it is capable of doing."
After travelling to the Netherlands last year, he called into Blikwerk, a specialised DS build unit where a small team rebuild these French beauties. There is a four-year waiting list for their services.
TO his surprise, Oliver was handed photos of his own Decapotable by one of the agents who, in broken English, admitted to "knowink abouts your car". Because these cars are so rare, the Blikwerk team have records of all remaining specimens.
A quotation to rebuild the DS came in at £54,000 sterling. Steep considering the original price back in 1963 was just under £3,000.
One consolation for Oliver, however, was the fact that the Blikwerk team had bought the original body moulds from Madame Chapron. With a little persuasion, he managed to get a set pressed for his own use.
According to Oliver, his biggest challenge has been simply finding the car. "If I gave you £30,000 to find one, you would find it incredibly difficult." He believes his DS is probably the only one of its kind in Ireland. He also has the original 1900cc engine which is intact but very old. A new wiring loom will have to be built and a new chassis will have to be put on it.
Intent on doing most of the work himself, he does acknowledged that other experts may have to be drawn into the project. "This is also a form of therapy for me", he muses. "I could be down there working for a six-hour stretch, but one and a half hours to me feels like about five minutes.
"One of the advantages of the DS is that it has a separate chassis and a separate frame that carries the wheels and engine. So, the panels can be snapped on and off, including the door, wings and rear wings. You have to take off the front and rear wings to change the tyre at any rate."
Compared to its contemporaries, the Citroën DS was incredibly sophisticated and advanced in engineering terms. With radical hydro-pneumatic suspension, disc brakes and semi-automatic transmission, the DS also has adjustable height ride for bumpy ground. Other unique characteristics include hydraulic power steering, a single spoke steering wheel and excellent braking power.
It's the interior, however, that prompts the greatest acclaim, with its sumptuous seating and wonderful space. "The one thing that is remarkable about the DS," says Oliver, "is the brightness of the interior when you turn on the lights."
Agruably one of the sexiest classics ever built, the Decapotable is not only a glowing reminder of the joys of ownership, but is a practical and handsome investment. Ranked as a design feat, the DS inspires deep devotion from both enthusiasts and owners.
Oliver admits that he will not be sticking slavishly to 100 per cent original specs - "I'm not doing it up for a museum." He wants to be able to drive his Decaportable around and use it as much as possible.
'I WON'T drive it as a first car. When you drive cars as valuable as this, they tell you that you shouldn't drive it, but I don't believe in that. I'll drive it as much as I drive the Triumph."
If he could have any car in the world, what would it be? "A Messerschmit bubble car - it's so wonky."
In the meantime he must make do with the Citroën DS Decaportable. About three years from now, this, probably the only Irish-owned Chapron convertible, will take to the roads once again.