![GALLIC STAR](https://cdn.magzter.com/1645075609/1714623743/articles/hJP5-f5KW1714636080217/GALLIC-STAR.jpg)
People buy unusual cars for all sorts of reasons, so what happened in this case? "My family is actually Italian, but my father always had French cars," says Ramon Mocellin with a wry smile. "I think that's where it came from. He had a Peugeot 404 and then a Renault 16.
My uncle also had a 16, as did my grandfather! "He (Dad) defected and had a Saab after that. He said the Saab was wonderful, his first car with air-conditioning, but the gearbox was agricultural." The Citroen we're gazing at is a 1974 DS23 Pallas five-speed manual in exceptional cosmetic condition.
So good in fact, Unique Cars mag had no hesitation in nominating it for the major award at last October's Australian National Show & Shine in Euroa, Victoria.
Looking at it now, it's hard to believe the Citroen was at one stage a write-off.
Ramon's story with the car starts back in 2010. "I was looking for a classic car," he says, "and went to a couple of shows and got a bit enthused. But I didn't have much luck buying - other people beat me to some of the cars I wanted." Then the Pallas presented itself through what he calls "some dodgy ad somewhere on a noticeboard". Even that proved a trial.
"He was the second owner and said he wanted to sell, but seemed a bit reluctant. However, there was a house renovation of some sort that needed money and in the end he sold it to me."
Apparently it wasn't in great condition, but it did run. The paint was the worse for wear and the cloth interior was in a state Ramon describes as showing more foam than fabric. He also had a strong suspicion that there was a fair bit of rust.
With thoughts of eventually doing it up, he simply drove it around for a while, until the timetable was taken out of his hands. "It was going okay," he says. "Then someone rear-ended me and totally smashed the back. It was written off.
"By then I was attached to it and so decided to fix it up."
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Denne historien er fra May 2024-utgaven av Unique Cars.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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![V8 MATES](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/26519/1715255/0lYXla6Tr1720074092665/V8-MATES.jpg)
V8 MATES
THIS HOLDEN SL/R 5000 BUILD WAS THE CATALYST FOR A GREAT FRIENDSHIP
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ICE ICE BABY
TAKE ONE VOLKSY FASTY AND ADD A SUBY FLAT FOUR ... SIMPLE
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LOST & FOUND!
THEY THINK THEY MIGHT HAVE FOUND AMELIA EARHART'S PLANE...WE ALREADY HAVE HER CAR!
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CAB CHARGE
WHEN IS AN EX-TAXI NOT AN EX-TAXI? WHEN IT'S A FORMER WEDDING-CAR. THIS RARE EBONY BLACK VG VALIANT WAS FOUND BY SHEER LUCK
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CBX1000
HONDA'S BIG-SIX TOURER IS A COMPELLING RIDE
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1967 FORD MUSTANG FLASHBACK
THIS 1967 MUSTANG MIGHT LOOK LIKE ANOTHER BULLITT TRIBUTE, BUT WHAT LIES UNDERNEATH IS NO ORDINARY MUSTANG
![HONDA S2000 SPORTS](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/26519/1715255/BlvNjLSUL1720070994149/HONDA-S2000-SPORTS.jpg)
HONDA S2000 SPORTS
THERE ARE numerous contenders for the title of 'World's Best Four Cylinder Engine' and Honda's F20C, twin overhead cam powerhouse must be right near the top of the list.
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FORD ESCORT 1970-80
FORD VERY nearly turned the Japanese small-car tide with its conservative but groundbreaking Escort.
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ROLLING BACK THE FEARS
HYBRIDS AND EVS ARE BECOMMING MORE POPULAR, BUT A RECENT RETHINK SEES ICE ENGINES, THEREFORE CLASSIC CARS, SET TO ROLL ON FOR MANY YEARS TO COME
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SUPERCAT ON THE PROWL
TWR HAS revealed its limited edition Supercat, with a price tag of $428,000 plus taxes, with deliveries to commence late 2024.