DS Automobiles and the French Mint Celebrate 70 Years of the Iconic DS
- DS Automobiles and the French Mint are joining forces in a unique partnership to celebrate the 70th anniversary of an automotive icon, the DS.
- On this anniversary, a one-off silver 10 EURO coin is being created and portrays a 1955 DS 19 mirrored with a DS 23 from 1975. They’re produced in a gold colour that ingeniously shows the headlight beam and lights up the side of the coin in a unique way.
- While this collector’s coin made its international debut at the World Money Fair, held from 30th January to 1st February in Berlin, it is on sale tomorrow on the DS stand at the Retromobile show (Paris, France).
- This special coin will be the starting point for a collection that will be expanded through the year.
The DS: a true 20th century icon
When it was introduced on Thursday 6 October 1955, under the stately vaulted ceiling of the Grand Palais at the Paris Motor Show, the DS instantly became a phenomenon. Designed by Flaminio Bertoni, a talented stylist, sculptor and painter assisted by a team of designers, the DS is as revolutionary as it is elegant with its avant-garde lines and innovations. Its technology also beguiles, thanks to the talent of two men. The first, André Lefèbvre, an aeronautical engineer by training, is a fervent supporter of front-wheel drive, but also of aerodynamics, lightness and weight centring. The second, Paul Magès, a self-taught engineer, is the creator of hydraulics. It’s he who invented the famous hydropneumatic suspension, but also the hydraulic assistance for the DS’s steering, clutch and braking. The DS was revolutionary and quickly established itself as a benchmark in the automotive world and carried several presidents of the French Republic.
Almost 1.5 million units of this car would be produced for twenty years in the heart of Paris. Nearly forty years later – on 1st June 2014 – the two letters of this legendary car were reborn with the creation of the DS Automobiles brand. This legacy of the DS is today rooted in the timeless DNA of the Brand, which is inspired by it to design models embodying the French art of travel. And so the story continues.
On the 70th birthday of its ancestor, DS Automobiles is joining forces with the French Mint to issue a collector’s coin and thereby celebrate this 20th century automotive icon.
The leaders of these two organisations discuss this project:
“The automotive world and French Mint have a distinct taste for beauty and technical innovation in common. It seemed natural for us to mark the 70th anniversary of a legendary vehicle: the DS, a unique opportunity to showcase the expertise of our organisations. Enthusiasts will appreciate all the references focused on this collection event’s coins.”
Marc Schwartz – French Mint CEO
“Our DS Automobiles brand is based on an exceptional legacy, that of the DS 19 born 70 years ago.
In a rapidly changing automotive world, we continue to carry on the values of innovation, excellence and avant-garde that make up the DNA of this legendary car. The DS has become a must-have for car collectors, and they will undoubtedly appreciate our partnership with the French Mint, whose more-than 1,100 years
of history make it the oldest institution in France. We are very proud of this collaboration in aid
of our common history, and of the publication of this special coin.”
Xavier Peugeot – CEO of DS Automobiles