The Bridge Classic Cars HQ here in Suffolk has recently welcomed something very special to our restoration workshops – a 1963 Citroen Chapron.
Those not familiar with these fascinatingly rare examples of French coachbuilding, here’s the story.
Henri Chapron, was a legendary French designer and coachbuilder. Throughout his illustrious career, he would design for some of the greats in the French automotive industry in what many believe to be ‘The Age of Style’ of the 1920’s such as Talbot, Delage and Delahaye. His own Carrosserie (the French word for Coachbuilding) would begin in 1919 in the Parisian suburbs but in the late 1950’s, Chapron would began to specialise in a series of beautiful taylormade, bespoke creations based upon the Citroen DS – with the relationship being officially endorsed by the manufacturer in 1961 with their most famous work coming in 1968 when they were commissioned to produce the presidential car for Charles De Gualle and in 1961 with the film ‘A Touch of Mink’ where the story goes that actor Cary Grant personally ordered one of Chapron’s cars for filming.
The artisans at the Paris workshops would create the convertible ‘De Serie’ cars for Citroen customers. Which would allow exclusivity but with a Citroen factory warranty. It is believed that less 1500 of these sensational “Décapotable Usine” would be built through the production run.
So we are extremely excited and honoured to have one of these rare and seldom seen pieces of bespoke French automotive royalty here at our Suffolk HQ.
