Welcome to Down On The Street, where we admire old vehicles found parked on the streets of the Island That Rust Forgot: Alameda, California. Here's the fourth Citroën I've discovered parked on the island's streets!
This '67 belongs to Jack, the same guy who owns this '69 Citroën DS wagon and this '63 Porsche 356 S Coupe. After his Porsche appeared in this series, he contacted me and offered a ride in his Pallas.
Just to prove how well the hydropneumatic suspension smooths out bad roads, Jack took us down one of the most unpleasant Oakland stretches of the Dreaded Nimitz Freeway, aka I-880. Had we been in a vehicle with barbaric spring suspension, the video above would have looked like I'd shot it while riding in a bathtub being dragged across a mountain of cinder blocks. The acceleration and handling of the DS feels much more modern than its mid-60s vintage would suggest.
I also had the opportunity to witness Citroën's legendary self-jacking feature. You just place the jackstand in the slot appropriate to the wheel you wish to replace, flip a lever, and the car does the rest.
Even Charles de Gaulle could (and did) fit in the DS's luxurious back seat! In fact, de Gaulle credited the DS with saving his life during a machine-gun assassination attempt in 1962; the DS was able to escape even with two tires shot out.