ds

DS Automobiles revitalizes SM

SM Tribute

DS Automobiles states that it will launch new models towards the end of the year, including a larger electric model with a long range. So far, they have not succeeded very well in highlighting their advantages in Stellantis, either in terms of design or technology. They need a model to highlight their own brand identity. Can SM Tribute contribute to that?

 

DS is one of Stellantis' prestige brands - a car brand that will compete with, among other things, BMW and Audi. The brand name DS is, as you know, linked to Citroen - and the French pronunciation "déesse" means goddess. The European automotive press has speculated whether DS will present a car that can revitalize the legendary DS model from Citroen. The head of DS Automobiles, Olivier Francois, however, has denied these rumours. But the retro rumors were still not completely groundless, because on Chantilly Arts & Élégance earlier this month they showed off their SM Tribute – a tribute to SM – another Citroen legend.

 

SM Tribute
A sneak peek of the DS SM Tribute seen through the windshield of an early SM.

SM Tribute
Citroen SM

 

The Citroen SM was presented at the Geneva Motor Show in 1970. The model was developed while Citroen owned Maserati. It was equipped with a completely new Maserati engine which, among other things, was also used in the Maserati Quattroporte. Maserati's family ties placed SM in the top tier. It was ideal for riches in Paris to drive Road N7 to the Côte d'Azur. Outside the casinos, the SMs were often parked alongside Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Maseratis.

Could the SM Tribute be a prestige boost for the DS as well?

In my eyes, it is difficult to find a place for DS in the Norwegian car market. One can draw comparisons with Audi. Both DS and Audi appear as premium car brands based on another model in the group. I don't think DS has succeeded as well as Audi in highlighting its advantages either in terms of design or technology. It now seems clear that DS plans to launch a new large, electric model with the same technology and shape as another model in the same group, probably the sister model Peugeot e-408. DS has not yet developed an independent model from scratch. In light of this, DS needs a model that SM Tribute to create their own brand identity.

 

SM Tribute
DS SM Tribute

Electric drive

The new SM Tribute is presented today only as a design study. Well, it is also demonstrated in motion - at walking speed on the surrounding gravel Chantilly Castle - but then it also became clear that the car lacked suspension. DS has not disclosed what type of powertrain will be offered, but it will probably be one of the electric powertrains from Stellantis. It might be interesting to see if the DS offers electronic 4-wheel drive.

 

SM Tribute
An interior in the same spirit as the classic SM with a new steering wheel?

HyperSquare steering wheel?

Inside, the main features are designed to follow the same lines as in the original SM model. The seats are also similar to the original model. However, there is one detail that is particularly interesting: the rectangular steering wheel. Peugeot has recently launched a new steering wheel, called HyperSquare. A rectangular steering wheel with 4 grip holes - one in each corner. The steering is operated electronically without the need for a steering column. Peugeot intends to put the steering wheel into production on selected models as early as 2026. If DS Automobiles does not choose the HyperSquare steering wheel on its new SM, perhaps there will be a similar concept.

 

DS Automobiles
DS SM Tribute

Original SM color

The displayed SM Tribute is painted in one of Citroen SM's original colors "Gold leaf". The color is similar to something that an earlier SM might have had, but it's hard to pinpoint which one. In the picture below you can see several colours. From what I can see, the color of car no. 2 fits best.

 

DS Automobiles
Citroen SM lineup

 

See

DS Automobiles
Citroen SM

DS Automobiles Norway

Photo Sunday – Citroen and G 500

national motorcycle day
Citroën C6, DS and C4.

 

National Motorcycle Day

This weekend it was National Motorcycle Day. I neither know what is the origin of this special day nor what exact date the marking falls on. In any case, there were a lot of nice vehicles out on the road this weekend. Sunday morning is a pleasant day to drive without being in a hurry - and without being in the way of those who are always in a hurry. It's also a great time for cycling. My purpose in cycling is to look at nice cars. I often stop by places where I know there are usually nice cars. I take pictures along the way Terjes Biler's Instagram account. Many of the cars there are not published on the websites - so it's worth a look.

Large Citroens on tour

One of my goals was the car shops on Ramstadsletta. In the former premises of AutoXO Sport, a new car shop called Naka Autosport. They don't drive as exclusive cars as their predecessors, but many of the cars are enthusiast cars that are interesting to look at - but which your father is unlikely to recommend.

I did, however, spot some beautiful Citroens along the service center on the other side. Large Citroens - which just slid calmly into place. No noise - neither audible nor visual. The cars gathered at Ramstad to drive together to the meet. There was a Traction Avant, a couple of nice DSs, an ID 19, a CX Prestige, a C6, an SM and equally nice owners. It is great to be able to see several generations of Citroen in the same place.

 
 

 
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Citroën 11 Traction Avant with CX Prestige in the background
national motorcycle day
Citroën Traction Avant in profile.
lemon 11
The Citroën 11 Traction Avant is very fascinating to see in real life

Citroen 11 Traction Avant

 

Self-supporting bodywork, one wheel in each corner, independent suspension on all four wheels, low center of gravity, front wheel drive and rack and pinion steering were not commonplace when the model appeared in 1934.


 
national motorcycle day
1976 Citroën CX Prestige with extended wheelbase
national motorcycle day
Legroom worthy of a head of state
cx prestige
Citroën CX Prestige with a DS on the other side

Citroen CX Prestige

 

The car in the pictures is a 1976 model. It was the first model year the Prestige was produced. It had an extended wheelbase to be able to transport prominent people such as presidents and prime ministers. Subsequent model years had a raised roof so that everyone on board could keep their hats on. But there is no doubt that the low roofline combined with the extended wheelbase makes this model very special. The car in the picture is in normal driving position. Just the right height, if you ask me.


 
citroen sm
Citroën SM with engine from Maserati

Citroen SM

 

The model that got a Maserati engine and a design that can still take your breath away. A car for celebrities who drove the National 7 between Paris to the Côtes d'Azur. The pictured car has had one previous owner in France. I have taken pictures of several SMs in the past, but never seen one in motion. It moves in the same gracefully discreet manner as the other big Citroens. Although there is a Maserati engine in it.


 
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Citroen DS23 Pallas

Citroen DS

 

"Déesse" – goddess in French. The burgundy red car is a great DS23 Pallas. One of the last to be produced – in a design few could afford in the 70s – that was acquired by people with an above-average interest in cars. That can probably be said about today's owners of classic Citroen cars, too.


national motorcycle day
Bon voyage! The Citroëns drive off
6500 4x22;
Mercedes G500 with axles that are elevated above the car.
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An extreme undercarriage

G-Class Big

 

I have taken a few steps over to the cars outside Naka Autosport. A car there caught my interest. It is a G 500. The special thing about this car is not only the V8 engine and the carbon material in the fenders. There is also the chassis. This is a type of car for Arab sheikhs who are going fast in the desert. It is what Daimler calls 4×2². Here, the axles are up under the car, which frees up space to ford uneven sections of steppes and dunes - or deep snow without anything subbing underneath. Brilliant. Beautiful. A great vehicle for National Motor Day.


See

g500 4x22
Long live the goddess!
mercedes benz 6500
Citroën CX – a legend?
national motorcycle day
Citroen SM
national motorcycle day
Citroën as a taxi

Long live the goddess!

citroen ds
A legendary profile.

Had the Citroen DS not been made, many of the cars would probably look different today.

 

Porsche 911, for example. They copied the rear end of the Citroen DS into their own 911 model. I don't know if they had any agreement with Citroën, but it doesn't matter. Citroën's "goddess" had changed the automotive industry.

Citroën DS became a car that represented advanced technology, design, comfort and sophisticated solutions and a symbol of the French. It won great popularity here at home too, although not as much loved as further south in Europe. It gained a reputation for having more faults than average, and that several of the technical solutions, including the suspension system, were said to be difficult to repair. The truth was that the cold and road salt stuck sticks in the wheels. Therefore, when I find DSs at car gatherings in Norway, I see that most have been imported recently, often completely renovated. There are few original Norwegian DSs on the road.

 

citroen ds
Original black license plates.

I am in Citroën's home country, France. There aren't very many DSs here either, but almost all are original cars. I take weekly lessons in French conversation at a place where the neighbor owns a great DS in burgundy with a white roof. I have not been able to photograph this car as it is parked on private land. But today my teacher had asked the owner if I could take pictures. He had therefore driven his Citroën into the street for a photo shoot. The car has been owned by the same family since new. It's a 1971 model with dual headlights that follows the road. It was in 1968 that the Citroen DS/ID received a facelift. Then it also got a redesigned dashboard that is more similar to contemporary cars

The burgundy red Citroen DS from the Langedoc region is completely original. In the course of forty-something years, it has received a new coat of paint. Mandatory, according to the owner. As a used car, it bears a beautiful patina that testifies to an original, authentic, clean, healthy and rust-free car. A car several of the companies that make a living restoring DSs would probably like to get their hands on. Then they would upgrade the hydropneumatic suspension with parts from XM. They will upgrade the brakes with parts from CX. They might want to paint the car black or grey, depending on what's in fashion right now, and replace the original interior with new leather with head cushions. It will then be offered for sale in the same price range as a new, lavish family car costs today. Perhaps it would be sold to Norway as a vintage car.

 

citroen ds
I love these full-coverage hubcaps.

While taking pictures, I have to be careful that my face is not reflected in the full chrome original wheel caps. I note how good the rubber parts look for their age. This is a car that lives in the best of health, and will do so for many years to come with good care. Nice original cars like this should not be renovated.

Dear child has many names. On the back cover it says "D Super", which brings to mind the DS. But DS is probably not a technical term. Pronounced in French, it sounds like "Déesse", French for goddess. Typical French. In the Scandinavian countries it was called something as unromantic as "toad". It looks like a toad, and with the hydraulic suspension it can move like a toad, including raising itself up and down. And toad is by no means a bad term for a car. Audi currently uses a lizard to describe its four-wheel drive system. If Citroën had chosen to call its DS "toad", it would have been called "crapaud", pronounced "krapå". DS sounds much better.

Also, goddesses are known to live much longer than toads.

 

citroen ds
Distinctive indicator location that has actually become modern in recent times.
citroen ds
Inventory after facelift.
citroen ds
Dashboard before facelift.
Another example from a French car meeting.
Gold-plated chevrons tell that this is a DS and not an ID.
The rear end that Porsche copied.

 

See

Citroen DS/ID Club Norway

Citroen CX – a legend?
A completely unique Vedette
Citroën Traction Avant – way ahead of its time