DS, the luxury brand spun off from Citroën, will be present once again at the massive Retromobile classic car show - celebrating its 50th anniversary - in Paris this month, and its focus will be on the cars it has supplied to the Presidents of France over the years.
What cars are we talking about here?
Most famously, the original Citroen DS was the car of choice for a whole succession of French Presidents, and none more so than Charles De Gaulle.
The earliest car in the display will be a Citroen DS 21 Pallas used by De Gaulle from 1959 to 1965. It wears the registration number 1737 RX 75, and it features such Presidential add-ons as side sun visors for the rear seats, flag holders integrated into the front bumper, as well as a roundel holder and a document holder on the dashboard.
The car was mainly used to transport De Gaulle from his office at the Élysée Palace to his home, Colombey-les-Deux-Églises, and it was sold in 1967 to the manager of a local dairy co-operative in that town, whose family owned it until 2021. The DS was sold for just €59,040 the following year, and has been carefully restored since.
It's not the most famous De Gaulle DS - the one that saved his life during the attempted assassination at the Petit Clamart crossroads, when gunmen riddled the car with bullets, blowing out both back tyres. Only luck, and the fast reactions of De Gaulle's driver, Francis Marroux, allied with the hydropneumatic suspension of the DS, meant that the President was able to make a safe escape.
Wow, what else is going to be at the show?
Also at Retromobile will be a 1968 coachbuilt car, called the Presidential DS. You'll easily spot its elongated body, reverse-rake rear screen, and squared-off boot, not to mention its distinctive 'Trade Wind Grey' colour. You'll also spot just how long it is - 6.53 metres - specifically designed so that it was longer than Richard Nixon's Lincoln Continental limo.
The Presidential DS was designed by legendary coachbuilder Henri Chapron and the Citroen team at the Quai De Javal. It's fitted with distinctive quad headlights, two of which are high-output iodine lamps, and the engine has been modified so that the car can be driven slowly for long periods in hot conditions, such as on Bastille Day.
In the back, the President and their companion will find a curved dividing glass which separates the driver and aide-de-camp from the rear passengers, while the interior is fitted with upholstery made entirely of brown leather, electric windows, air conditioning, direct and indirect lighting, as well as an intercom and a mini-bar.
Hang on, is that an SM?
Yes, it is. For the visit of Queen Elizabeth II in 1972, the French government ordered two models based on the glamorous V6-engined Citroen SM coupe. No ordinary cars, these were to be convertibles, fitted with four doors (the standard SM was a two-door) and would once again be built by Henri Chapron's coachbuilding firm. Each car was stretched by 710mm, for a total length of 5.6 metres.
The V6 engine was basically standard, but the five-speed manual gearbox was given a lower first ratio for parade driving. a black hydraulically operated soft top, and its interior is upholstered in natural leather. At the front, the seats have been moved outwards to allow for the installation of a folding seat for the interpreter. This special configuration resulted in the steering wheel being shifted 60mm to the left, as well as the handbrake being repositioned forwards. These cars were, over time, used by the likes of Georges Pompidou, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, François Mitterrand and Jacques Chirac.
Anything newer?
Yup, bringing us right up to date is the 2025 all-electric DS No.8, as used by current French President Emanuel Macron for the 80th anniversary of VE Day ceremonies. Finished in a unique Sapphire Blue colour, the No.8 gets a light-up grille that illuminates in the red, white, and blue of the French tricolour, as well as grab bars and other fittings so that the President can stand up in the car to take official salutes at parades. All of the car's interior has been designed to feature work by French artists and craftspeople.
When can I see all these?
Well, Retromobile kicks off on the 27th of January in Paris, so there's time to buy tickets and organise a flight. "The 50th Retromobile, 50 years of historic collaboration with the Presidency of the French Republic. From General de Gaulle's DS to the Presidential DS N°8, remarkable models that embody French excellence from DS Automobiles,” said Xavier Peugeot, DS Automobiles CEO and Stellantis Group's Chief Heritage Officer.