DS Automobiles

In the late 2000s, the French automotive giant PSA Group, home to Peugeot and Citroën, faced a strategic gap. While its brands were strong in the mass market, they lacked a true premium offering to compete with German heavyweights. Rather than build a luxury brand from scratch, they reached back into their own decorated history, to one of the most iconic cars ever made: the 1955 Citroën DS. The plan was to revive its spirit of avant-garde design and innovation. In 2009, the playbook began to unfold with the launch of the 'DS line,' initially a high-specification sub-brand of Citroën. The first car, the Citroën DS3, appeared in 2010, designed to test the market's appetite for a more luxurious French car. The name 'DS' itself was a clever double entendre, referencing the classic car and also pronounced like the French word 'déesse,' meaning goddess. A significant turning point came in 2014 when, after a trial in China, PSA made a bold decision: DS Automobiles would be spun out as a standalone brand. Founded in Paris, its mission was to embody French luxury in the automotive world. This move marked a formal separation from Citroën, with DS establishing its own design, engineering standards, and dedicated retail network. The company became part of the newly formed Stellantis group following the merger of PSA and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in 2021, securing its position within a global automotive powerhouse.