KM: 26 489 Kms
ANNEE: 04/1967
COLOUR: Blanc Carrare AC144
MODEL:
Same engine as the DS19: 90cv, 1985cc, 5 bearings
Since September 1965: new front drivetrain with XAS asymmetrical tyres on 5 bolt wheels rather than the previous central screw.
From 1960, the ID break is offered in the catalogue in 4 versions: the break with the 2 folding seats in the boot, the Familiale with 3 rows of seats, the Commerciale and the Ambulance.
On this last model, the only trim offered was Confort. There are separate front seats, the rear bench seat is in two foldable parts. The left seat is 3/5 of the width and is permanently folded to accommodate the stretcher. The right seat is 2/5 of the width and is for the ambulance crew.
The original roof is retained. The opening of the upper tailgate is aided by a telescopic strut, replacing a simple prop from September 1966.
On all the breaks and derivatives, the lower tailgate opens level with the boot floor. It has the feature of 2 registration plates allowing driving with the boot open, which makes it the only vehicle in the world with 3 registration plates.
Specific equipment (stretcher, flashing light, 2 tone siren, oxygen cylinder etc) is provided by the Carrier company (see invoices).
Option: Heating -5°C, power steering (absent here).
Price at the time: 19,000 Francs (2439 euros). Minimum monthly wage at the time: 364 Francs (55 euros)
HISTORY:
I have searched for a very low mileage original ID ambulance for a longtime. This is not easy, especially a genuine Citroen ambulance offered in the catalogue, not a conversion offered by coachbuilders like Tissier, Currus or Carrier. When I was contacted about this one, I was thrilled: it met all the criterias of the museum; moreover it is from the 1967 model year, the holy grail for collectors, the last year with the original front and the first with mineral hydraulic fluid (LHM).
On arriving at the place of sale in the Tissot buildings in Podensac near Bordeaux, my heart leapt: I discovered a car lying under dust since 1984, well preserved in the dry. But there was a surprise, as the two brother owners did not want to sell it, as they were too attached to the car. Although disappointed, I could understand this. Their father, M. Tissot the creator of the boiler manufacturing company, had ordered this ambulance on consideration of the risks his 250 employees were subjected to at work. But in the end, the longest journey was made by the family doctor to Paris, to collect M Tissot himself who had suffered a heart attack there.
I returned to Castellane with an empty trailer but did not despair. After eight years of regular contact, a deal is finally made: I would restore the car on their behalf and they will lend it to me for display in the museum, the only exhibit that I do not own.
I took it for a drive before stripping the mechanical parts, and this identified a worn clutch. This undoubtedly showed the driver had a heavy foot on the pedal. I revised the whole mechanic so that the ID nearly appears like just have left from the factory.