DS Automobiles Celebrates 10 Years With Bold SM Tribute Concept

To mark its 10-year anniversary as a standalone brand, DS Automobiles has unveiled the SM Tribute, a concept car that pays homage to the bold Citroen SM from the 1970s. The gold-and-black coupe reimagines what the classic SM might look like today if it continued to evolve instead of being discontinued in 1975.

Like the original SM, this tribute concept features a long, tapering hood and a glazed section at the front, a nod to the innovative headlights on the European SM models that turned with the steering wheel. The rear design also pays homage to the past with partially covered 22-inch wheels.

Other throwbacks include the swept-back C-pillar and wraparound rear window, design cues that made the SM look ahead of its time when it first appeared at the 1970 Geneva Motor Show.

Inside, the retro vibes continue, with hammock-style ribbed seats and a dashboard design that echoes the lines of the original SM’s interior.

Although the 1970s model boasted advanced features such as hydropneumatic suspension, variable-assist steering, and an optional fiberglass steering wheel, it lacked DS's fully digital gauge pack and the rectangular steering wheel with an integrated display. DS hasn’t revealed what powers the SM Tribute, but it’s safe to assume it’s electric.

EV power would suit this concept well, even though it wasn't an option in the 1970s, when the original SM used a 2.7-liter V6 sourced from Maserati, Citroen's then-parent company.

Unfortunately, there’s no chance of the SM Tribute going into production in its current form. However, DS Automobiles suggests that some of the design elements featured in the concept may influence future models.

Thierry Metroz, head of design at DS, noted, “It is not our habit to disconnect from our other work; we have included a lot of details about what DS Automobiles models and our future projects are.”

This is promising news, especially since the DS brand, though full of design flair, has yet to fully live up to the legacy of the original DS sedan launched nearly 70 years ago. The brand's future looks much more exciting with this idea and the recent news that DS is developing an EV flagship model in the style of the iconic DS.