DS Automobiles Unveils Stunning SM Tribute as Present for Its Tenth Anniversary

If you know your Citroen history, the SM may not be as iconic as the Citroen DS or its CX successor, but it's certainly out there in the pantheon of flagship French automobiles. The performance grand tourer with a three-door hatchback coupe body style was related to the Maserati Merak and Quattroporte II as Citroen had just purchased Maserati in 1968 and was introduced in 1970 as a model that combined the legendary sophistication of the Citroen suspension with the prowess of a Maserati V6.

It was short-lived – from 1970 to 1975, but still had an impact on the brand as a whole. It even had an effect on other brands – namely the DS Automobiles premium marque that was initially a part of Automobiles Citroen and then became independent starting in 2014 before coming under the umbrella of the Stellantis group since 2021 when the French over at PSA merged with the Italian-American folks over at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.

Ten years later, to celebrate the first decade of independence, DS Automobiles approved a project that dates back to 2020 when the company shared a few sketches called #SM2020 on its social networks. Now, it's called DS Automobiles SM Tribute and was created as a retro-futuristic set piece to celebrate "ten years of art and elegance since the creation of DS Automobiles and its participation in the first Chantilly Arts & Elegance."

Crafted by the DS Design Studio Paris, it's the interpretation of the SM as if production never stopped since 1975, and the original's glass panel acting as the grille is now a light bar / 3D screen tucked between the slim LED headlights. They're not swiveling, though. Compared to the original, the tribute concept is now slightly longer, much wider, and also lower to reflect today's aerodynamic stance – it also doesn't ride on tiny wheels but on massive 22-inch alloys fitted with aero covers.

Of course, there's also a cutout in the rear fender to remind us of the covered wheels of the past, a futuristic treatment of the rear with glossy black elements and ultra-thin LEDs contrasting the main Gold Leaf paint, plus there are cameras instead of door mirrors. Inside, predictably, there's little resemblance to the original from the 1970s, and instead, the SM Tribute features many screens and almost no physical controls. Unfortunately, the automaker says nothing about the propulsion system or the performance details – so we can even presume it doesn't feature a powertrain, which is not uncommon for unique design projects.