Find us
Call us
My account
My account
In light of his victory in the recent elections, the new French President Emmanuel Macron was seen riding to his inauguration in a special edition DS 7 Crossback in mid-May. This was the first public outing of the New DS 7 Crossback, previously revealed back in late February at the Elephant Paname Art and Dance Centre in Paris. It’s not the first time a French president has used a DS vehicle as their official state car, with all previous national heads traditionally driving French manufactured vehicles. Here are some of the memorable ones.
Citroën DS
The very first Citroën DS was a car ahead of its time, first produced in 1955. The sloping rear, half covered back wheels and general futuristic body design made it a real hit when it first went on sale, becoming president Charles de Gaulle’s motor of choice. One of its unique features at the time was that the original Citroën DS featured hydropneumatics suspension with short shock absorbers filled with pressurised oil and gas, meaning the car and driver would remain level by adjusting no matter what the road or load were like. This saved de Gaulle’s life in 1962 when subject to an assassination attempt, allowing his driver to remain level and speed off despite the tyres being shot out.
Peugeot 604
Despite the lifesaving abilities of the Citroën DS, by the time Valéry Giscard d’Estaing came to power in 1974 the president’s car had switched not just the model but manufacturer as well. A smart Peugeot 604 saloon was the car of choice, sleek and professional with a shiny black finish and room for a flag or two at the end of the bonnet, it had all the traditional traits of a presidential car though no assassination prevention stories to go with it.
Peugeot 607 Paladine
For his inauguration in 2007 the new French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived in a Peugeot 607 Paladine. This was a special edition of the popular executive car, which was first unveiled in 1999 before undergoing a facelift in 2004. The Peugeot 607 Paladine was powered by a 3.0 litre V6 engine and the car’s body was lengthened by over five metres, with a retractable metallic roof. This allowed Sarkozy to pop his head out while driving through the crowds gathered to see the new president.
Citroën DS 5 Hybrid4
One of the last vehicles before DS rebranded itself separate from Citroën, Francois Hollande was seen riding to his inauguration in a Citroën DS 5 Hybrid4. This was also the first hybrid model any French president had been officially driven in, no doubt showcasing his green/environmental credentials. The retractable roof again allowed Hollande to be displayed to the crowds. As a diesel-hybrid hatchback with entry level versions available at an affordable price, it really was a car of the people.
DS 7 Crossback
The latest French presidential car is a specially personalised DS 7 Crossback with an open roof. It features the same diamond-effect grille and LED rotating headlamps which will be equipped on regular models when they go on sale, but with a small French flag above the DS logo. Details about the presidential engine have not been released, but the public range will include a diesel BlueHDi 180 S&S and petrol THP 225 S&S choice.
The New DS 7 Crossback is not expected to go on sale until the last quarter of 2017, but you can register your interest and keep up to the latest news about the New DS 7 Crossback here at Robins and Day. Soon you can be driving around like a president as well.
