“We are working on the genes of our iconic models to promote research into the shapes of future models that will see the light of day at the end of the decade,” says Thierry Metroz, Design Director of DS Automobiles. ‘What we share, dating back to 2020, and our presence in Chantilly with SM TRIBUTE are testimonies of this activity and our research on the subject.’ The story of the SM Tribute concept car began in 2020, when DS Automobiles shared a series of sketches called #SM2020 on its social networks. The sketches were the result of an internal creative competition for designers from the Ds Design Studio Paris on the reinterpretation of the majestic SM presented in 1970.
“Following the publication of the designs we received a number of very strong messages from our community,” recalls Thierry Metroz. “The first was that our customers really cared about the iconic models that are part of our history. And the second was that the community did not want the original designs to be distorted”. Much more than a simple homage, SM TRIBUTE celebrates ten years of art and elegance since the birth of DS Automobiles and its participation in the first edition of Chantilly Arts & Elegance, while at the same time offering a contribution to the research into the forms of the future undertaken by the Parisian style centre.
Frédéric Soubirou, Head of Exterior Design at DS Automobiles, says: “We drew inspiration from the study of several SM models, including some prototypes and two presidential cars. They all had a distinctive trait, a sort of signature. They gave the impression of flying on the road, as if they were floating”. This lightness, suggesting dynamism and efficiency, is reflected in the sleek yet muscular silhouette of the SM Tribute. A direct relationship strongly characterised by the iconic front end and a profile dominated by the elongated bonnet.
Inside, too, the design of the 1970s has been reinterpreted, with the characteristic profile of the upper part of the dashboard and the oval shape of the instrument panel. Remaining true to the avant-garde soul of the SM, information is projected while the curved ‘screen console’, linked to the steer-by-wire steering wheel, is a further example of the innovative spirit so dear to the brand. Sounds and lights envelop the occupants. The light interior is made of leather and ivory Alcantara. A large area at the front of the dashboard offers extraordinary space for an almost infinite range of finishes and materials. The seats reproduce the iconic upholstery of the SM, with horizontal cushions.
