ABOUT HC9090

This feature Citroën DS23 Pallas was purchased new by New Zealand Army serviceman David Louisson while stationed in Singapore. David purchased the DS23 Pallas from Henry Ang Agencies Pte. Ltd, 9 Leng Kee Road (now an Audi dealership). The DS was first registered 14th August 1973 under the Singapore plates EB6347R.

The DS was imported into New Zealand and first registered under her new plates, HC9090, on 13 February 1975. We assume David held onto the car long enough to avoid the heavy taxes of the time before selling it to Wellington architect, Barry Ellison, in May 1977. By this time, the DS had completed just under 30,000km.

Terry Faulkner was the agent when the DS was sold to Kevin Beamish in July 1981. Kevin owned HC9090 for the next ten years before selling her to David Cranwell in August 1991. During David Cranwell’s ownership, Terry Faulkner gave the DS a complete overhaul and repaint.

Kevin would say, “I always thought the DS was the cleverest and most competent car on the road, and of course the most beautiful, and I’m not sure anything has surpassed it.”

Over the next two decades, David would sell this Goddess back to Kevin and then David would look to buy her back from Kevin. It was now 2012, and, unfortunately for David, he was unable to complete the transaction, and Paul Daborn of Hamilton would become the next proud custodian until Stuart bought her in mid-2019.

Like all of the former owners of HC9090, Paul kept the car in impeccable condition, even down to