‘I never met my grandad – this is a tribute to him’

Why a DS?

'When I was growing up my father and I spent a lot of time together driving. He and my mum split when I was young, so every other weekend we'd have at least four hours in the car. This is what got me into cars. He'd tell me how his dad had owned five or six DSS when he was growing up and got emotional whenever we saw one. I never met my grandad – folk singer/songwriter Ewan Maccoll, father of Kirsty Maccoll. Owning a DS is a tribute to him.'

Did you it yourself?

'I can but I wanted someone who only does DSS to do it. They are complex cars and it needed to be right. After researching it,

I was impressed by Pallas Auto’s knowledge and their system of work. The guys also understood where I was coming from – I’m not interested in concours, I just wanted it to work properly and last well.'

How did you find this one?

'In 2012, I was on tour in America with my aunt, who is also a folk singer. One night in Chicago, I spotted this on ebay in France. It had been in the same family from new and there’s something romantic about that.

I put in a late bid and got it for €3000. I arranged transport via the internet and it was home before me. I then drove it for a few years, but while it was mechanically good, it wasn’t structurally. But repairs had to wait as Pallas Auto had an 18-month waiting list.'

How bad was it?

'Very – it turned out to be rotten all over the place. In the end it needed an entire new floor. They painted it, too. The car was red all over when I got it, but I wrote to Citroën HQ in Slough and got a certificate and confirmation that it was originally Carmine Red with a cream roof, so that’s what it had to go back to.

Any other surprises?

All the suspension spheres needed replacing, which was scary, but actually only cost £100 for the lot. But the correct Michelin 165 R400 tyres were £200 each! But I’d be absolutely happy to drive it to Paris tomorrow.

What it has cost me doesn’t matter. I have an emotional link to the car and it’s the one I'll never sell.'

DS rear end treatment still looks super stylish.