DS has announced it’s partnering up with the fantastic Retromobile classic car show in Paris to celebrate its 70th birthday.
Hang on, DS is 70? It’s not that old, surely?
Obviously, the current DS brand isn’t turning 70 - it’s only been a brand in its own right since 2014, but next year will be the 70th anniversary of the original 1955 Citroen DS, a car generally regarded as one of the all-time greats, and certainly a car light years ahead of any of its contemporary rivals. To this day, the original Citroen DS remains a touchstone and an inspiration for the modern DS line-up.
Indeed, as DS puts it: “Intended to reflect French industry avant-garde through its unique technical architecture, sleek design, driving pleasure, comfort and safety, the DS has earned legendary status, becoming a symbol of art and design that goes beyond the automotive world.” Famous French philosopher Roland Barthes memorably said that 20th-century humans don’t build cathedrals anymore; we build cars instead, and he was talking about the DS when he said that.
What’s going to happen at Retromobile?
DS will be reviving one of its original classic advertisements to mark the occasion, featuring the DS Balloon designed by advertising executive Claude Puech. The original ad features a DS 19 in ‘Tortoiseshell blonde’ orange colour sitting on four large balloons instead of its wheels, representing the hydropneumatic suspension's spheres. The photos elevate the DS to the rank of an avant-garde work of art, and they have travelled around the world and contributed to the influence of the DS through the decades.
That suspension was a bit good, wasn’t it?
Oh yes. It was that hydropneumatic suspension that made the DS such a star, able to give it possibly the comfiest ride quality of all time and the ability to drive on three wheels if you suffered a massive puncture. Most famously, a DS saved the life of French President Charles De Gaulle when terrorists - lying in wait for the Presidential motorcade at the Petits Clamart crossroads on the outskirts of Paris - peppered the official DS with machine gun bullets. In spite of two shredded back tyres, the DS remained under control, and De Gaulle and his wife made good their escape. The incident inspired (and is featured in) both the book and the film Day Of The Jackal.
Aside from saving presidential bacon, the DS would go on to become something of a motoring legend, able to offer executive comfort and family space (especially the Safari estate version) and even win the Monte Carlo rally. The Retromobile exhibition, taking place from 5th to 9th February 2025 at Paris Expo, Porte de Versailles, will only be one event in the brand's year-long celebrations.