T
his car is the reason I live here. I was driving it to San
Francisco in the early '70s when the transmission went out
in Carmel. Citroën parts were kind of hard to find in those
days so it took three weeks to be repaired. In the meantime, I'd rented a
house and was recruited to sit on the board of the Forest Theater. Been
here ever since.
The Citroën D was way ahead of its time. It was designed by Italian
sculptor Flaminio Bertoni and French aeronautical engineer André
Lefebvre and is regarded as one of the most beautiful cars ever built, or
the ugliest…depends on who you're talking to. Personally, I love it.
The steering, brakes, suspension and transmission are all hydraulic.
When you start the car, it lifts automatically. That gives it a smooth, super-
comfortable ride. It's all about safety, too. For instance, the spare tire is in
the front and that would absorb the impact in a head-on crash. Lucky me:
I've never had to test that feature.
Every year around Concours time I get multiple offers to sell this car.
But I won't. I love it too much and it reminds me of how I got to live in
this fantastic place."
C A R M E L V A L L E Y • B U S I N E S S M A N , E N T R E P R E N E U R
C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S U M M E R / F A L L 2 0 1 4 1 7 5
MYLES WILLIAMS
1972 CITROËN DS 21
"
