Enter stage left...... The Goddess

Following the DS Rally in June 2013, I had to find a Goddess of my own.... Sat on the sofa, Ipad in my hand and eBay app open, I looked at what was on offer with a daily impulsive compulsion. I could never spot the right one for me. This didn't surprise me one bit, my experience in life often showed me that the best things aren't easy to locate and sometimes you need to take a step back and stop looking.

My DS was no exception to this rule, there is a reason the French called Flaminio Bertoni's sculpture a Goddess, its anthropomorphic qualities chose me rather then I chose her. I believe in the cosmic joker, a name a great friend conjured up for strange things that occur when you least want them to but in this case a cosmic angel was at play.

1993 was the year I first went to University in Wales, Cardiff to be precise. It was the first time I was away from home and as a spunky 18 year old with the world at my feet it was a time when I had opened my eyes to the world.

I later learnt that 1993 was also the year that the 1971 DS21 Pallas, Injection, BVH, which I was later going to purchase, was being laid to rest. Cocooned from the outside world in a modest sized garage in Reading, protected from unwanted exposure, not from just the elements but also from any hungry rodents that so often befalls vehicles in this state of slumber.

Twenty years went by until the sarcophagus was finally opened and the vehicle was carefully removed from hiding, ready for an auction to take place 8 minutes and 2.6 miles away from her former home for Lot 137.

At the premises of John Mould, Reading 

I had known about the the auction thanks to a post I read on the Citroen Car Club website in early September which had a link to the auction listing.

Having viewed the photos and read the description I grew excited, this car felt right, what I've been looking for. The following words in the description really did it for me since I wanted above all an unmolested vehicle.

"HPI check reveals no former registered keepers. This vehicle was photographed as found, garaged and has not run for some considerable time".

I was also intrigued that the sleeping beauty had been hidden away for all these years, could we possibly be now ready for each other? It was one of those man and machine moments, I knew it felt right and I had to bid despite not having the time to view. Something which I would never recommend but  you must go with your gut feeling which for most people, especially in my case, doesn't usually let me down. If you've ever read the book "Blink - the power of thinking without thinking", you'll know what I'm referring to. If something feels right it usually is for a number of subtle reasons that you consciously may not be aware of but subconsciously you are.

Thinking back on this, I think the subtlety was down to the fact that despite the dirt and the grime I could see that she had been loved and cared for once by someone who was passionate about her. The sticker on the rear window also made we want the car more. In my eyes it said a lot about the owner and how he possibly treated the car, it was someone who was proud and loyal, traits I admire.

The sticker reads, "British Airways is winning for Britain. Let's keep it that way." a direct reference to the deregulation of the airways which was occurring in the early 1970's which was undermining BA's foothold on major routes. This nationalistic message is one which we don't see much in the way of these days, mainly due to the fact that so much of what we felt great about no longer fits in today's global economy. Another great British (and French) icon that is now no more is Concorde, the car has a Concorde sticker adorning the front windscreen. This was a man who appreciates engineering was the first thing that came to my mind, a pilot perhaps?

The dealer's sticker is just below the BA one and reads, "Supplied by Ormsby Cars, Oxford Road, Reading". At a time when businesses traded pre the internet, many of these car dealerships have become virtually unknown, forgotten by all with the only references of their existence left on a few surviving rear windscreens. This reminds me of a splendid poem by George Seferis called, "The King of Asine". 

When participating in any type of auction, it's good practice to agree on a maximum limit you are willing to reach and go no further. This decision should be made prior to the excitement of the auction commencing and once you've reached the limit you should bow out gracefully and not bid any further! Well, that is the theory anyway and I'll be the first to admit that I am not always one to practice what I preach and I went over my number, not by a considerable amount but over nonetheless - the excitement of the chase is addictive, beware. If truth be known I would have gone even higher had I the comfort of knowing exactly what I was bidding on but since I didn't get the opportunity to view the vehicle I finally saw reason and stopped bidding. As luck would have it, the next bid won...


I've got to say, I was truly gutted. Prior to the hammer falling, I had a chance, once it fell - that was it... the glitter and excitement had gone in an instant. The feeling that I had missed out was quite compelling but you always find ways to justify why it wasn't meant to be.. Even though in my heart it should have been.

Looking back at the event, I am glad I didn't win it and I am pleased I stopped bidding when I did. The story wasn't meant to end there.

Weeks passed by with the occasional thoughts of the car and how I so nearly owned the DS of my dreams. Then a strange thing happened.

I had a real motivation in immersing myself within the Club and learning as much as possible about the cars whilst also being in the best position to keep my ear to the ground should any suitable vehicle came up for sale - rubbing shoulders with real members is the best way to do this as you get an honest review of what's a hit and what you should clearly miss. This led me to attend my very first meeting with the Citroen Car Club East Midlands Group, we met in a pub and had a very pleasant lunch.

During the course of conversation a rather significant ear wigging moment occurred, which was set to change the course of events. The conversation revolved around someone owning a large collection of Citroen CX vehicles. I was impressed and when I queried who this was, I was told, "My father, he sells cars", or words to that affect.

I've always been a researcher, curiosity has always been one of my pastimes, probably spawned by a sense of boredom when I was a child. Being the youngest in the litter, with the eldest offspring off doing their own thing often meant I had hours alone to entertain myself and examine things in minute detail. I can't help it on my commute either. Take the London Underground for instance, this is a great venue for people watching - whilst most people are engrossed in their books, their phones or their paper I am fascinated by looking around, watching everyone else, noticing my environment - subtly changes in the way the train is moving, the noise it makes, the atmosphere in the carriage, the announcements, "Will an initial cleaner please proceed to platform 2 for a code 4". This means a spillage in case you are wondering - codes are used to not alarm passengers.... see here for the codes. 

I got home from the meal and I was interested to learn who this gentlemen was, did he have a website, what CX's did he have for sale? I didn't know the web address but felt I had sufficient information to do a Google search and if he had a site, it would appear. 5 words were typed and then ENTER - Rugg Citroen CX for sale. As if by magic I came across this site: Citroen CX For Sale. I use to own a CX and once you've owned one you will always have a soft spot for them, so I peroused with pleasure and then I came to a page called "Other Citroens". a for sale page for Classic Citroen Cars.... then, I nearly fell of my chair...

I couldn't believe my very eyes, the car that I had wanted that I had loved and manage to lose was there before me - I was given a second chance. What's more everything I had suspected about the car was now qualified in black and white:

- One owner from new

- Totally Original

- Never had any paintwork

- Also as far as we can see, never had any welding

- A wonderful opportunity to have one of few 1 owner DSs in the country

I had to have it..... I was on a mission...

I rang the number on the site, nothing, days went by and still voice mail. I didn't want to leave a message but kept trying for the next couple of days. I then started to think something was wrong with the number.... only to find out that Patrick Rugg, the gentlemen I needed to speak with was on holiday and had deliberately not taken his phone with him... the relief.....!

A week went by and I had the opportunity to meet with Patrick at another East Midlands meeting I attended. I expressed my interest and finally went to view the car.

They say always keep your cards close to your chest when buying a car. The fact that when I saw the vehicle I had a smile from ear to ear, had tunnel vision and all that could come out of my mouth after staring at the car was, "I am not going to beat about the bush I really like her and want her!". We shook hands there and then and a deposit was paid. 

Now here's the funny bit, after buying all the magazines on what to look for when buying a DS, the essential buyer's guide as well as all the many resources online  - I didn't remove the rear panel in the boot and nor did I take the wings off - which you are advised to do in order to check for corrosion which can deem a car uneconomical to repair. Now don't ever skip this...  I made a conscious decision not to look even though I was given the option. I didn't bother looking because I felt comfortable with who I was buying the car from and secondly everything else just felt right. I'm glad to say that the wings and panel have come off since and all good in those areas.

Now a little bit about Patrick, he is one of those really nice guys that everyone should buy a car from. He does what every car enthusiast wishes they could do day in and day out. The bit that Patrick does so well is he hasn't let his day job dilute his passion for cars and people. Patrick could see the glint in my eye and I genuinely feel that he was happy the car had gone to a good home. I am also grateful to him for being so accommodating, it was like buying a car from an old friend - that's how easy and pleasant the experience was.

I am genuinely glad I didn't win the auction but things worked out the way they did, I am a firm believer that things happen for a reason and you can only really understand why after the event. A journey needed to occur, a story of love reunited..  My Goddess, who we named Celia was now on the way home.