At the tenth anniversary of the Chantilly Arts & Elegance event, held in the French gardens of the Château de Chantilly, DS Automobiles introduced the SM TRIBUTE, a concept car offering a glimpse into the brand’s future. Thierry Metroz, Design Director of DS Automobiles, shares his insights.
Text by Anja Van Der Borght
What was the most challenging element of designing this concept car, and what are you most proud of?
TM: “The most challenging part was recreating the large, streamlined rear wing, a defining feature of the SM from the 1970s. We wanted to maintain its spirit without copying it exactly, focusing instead on elegance and lightness. This required significant research to create the small opening that reveals the top of the wheel and makes the wing appear lighter. It’s magical to see the wheel above the wing and the lighting signature with its subtle crescendos. This gives the design an extremely modern and lightweight feel.”
Are you concerned that the innovative lighting design might not resonate with fans of the original model?
TM: “Not at all. We’ve respected the key elements of the SM, such as the large glass panel at the front. The shape of the headlights also reflects modern expectations. People today want sleek, refined lighting signatures with powerful LEDs. We also paid homage to the original SM’s light block design, which featured two squares and a rectangle. On the prototype, you’ll see two short segments representing the squares and one long segment for the rectangle. It’s not Morse code (laughs), but it’s our way of being modern while linking to future DS models.”
Can you elaborate on this link to future models?
TM: “The goal was to honor the past while showcasing our vision for the future. The headlights on the prototype offer a glimpse of features that will appear in production models, starting with the new DS N°8. The prototype also includes illuminated elements and a logo that will feature on another DS model. Additionally, the two-tone hood is a major technological innovation. We’ve developed a new way to achieve this design without masking or covering parts during production. This allows us to produce two-tone designs directly in the factory at high speeds. It took our production team, engineers, and suppliers four years to develop this technology, and we’re the first to offer such two-tone hoods. This innovation allows for designs similar to what we’ve been doing on the roofs of the DS4 and DS3. Now, we’ve extended the two-tone design to the hood and, in the case of the SM TRIBUTE, even the rear. This concept, recently introduced on the DS N°8, pays homage to the craftsmanship of prestigious French carmakers from the 1930s, like Delage, Talbot-Lago, Saoutchik, and even Bugatti Royale. Two-tone designs radiate elegance and luxury and feel inherently French.”
Will French savoir-faire, a hallmark of DS, continue to influence the interiors of your cars?
TM: “Absolutely. We are constantly exploring innovative materials. With our sustainability strategy, we aim to give noble character to sustainable materials. For instance, feathers are beautiful but challenging to incorporate into interiors because they can’t be sat on. To address this, our design team is experimenting with inclusion techniques. For example, we combine ground oyster shells with resins for mother-of-pearl effects. In our DS Aero Sport Lounge concept, we used straw and straw marquetry, a traditional technique. These innovations take time, but we’re finding solutions. In the SM TRIBUTE, the passenger-side dashboard is essentially a showcase—a large glass panel that displays delicate materials like feathers. These elements will be featured in vehicles launching around 2028–2029.”
Why did you choose the SM as your focus instead of the DS?
TM: “Both are iconic and deeply connected to the brand’s DNA. The SM was essentially a high-performance coupe version of the DS with a redesigned body. That said, we’ve been working on two parallel concepts. For the Chantilly Arts & Elegance Richard Mille event, we created an SM-specific concept due to its elegance and suitability for a concours d’élégance. At the same time, we’ve developed a DS concept, which remains under wraps for now, to inspire future models and the overall product line. Instead of showcasing old cars from museums, we’ve placed the SM TRIBUTE and a DS concept side by side in our studio. These two icons will serve as inspiration for all our future projects. Depending on our communication strategy, we may reveal the DS concept in 2026 or 2027.
“We deeply admire the SM and the DS. Together with Olivier François, CEO of DS Automobiles, we are building a strategy to strengthen our connection to our history and roots. This is especially important today as we face competition from Chinese and Korean manufacturers. However, one thing they lack is history, storytelling, and the emotional bond people feel with a brand. That’s what makes us unique.”
