European Heritage Days: Presidential DS N°8 and a DS 21 Used by General de Gaulle on Display in the Élysée Palace’s Ceremonial Courtyard

• For European Heritage Days, on 20 and 21 September, the historic DS Automobiles link with the Presidency of the Republic will be in the spotlight through two special models that will be displayed in the Élysée Palace’s Ceremonial Courtyard.
• PRESIDENTIAL DS N°8 is a unique model designed for the President of the French Republic to commemorate the 80^th anniversary of the armistice on 8 May 1945, making the French head of state the first in the world to adopt a 100% electric vehicle.
• A DS 21 PALLAS used by General de Gaulle will reinforce the Brand’s historic collaboration with the French Presidency since the beginning of the 5^th Republic.

On 20 and 21 September, nearly 10,000 people who have registered will be able to visit the Élysée Palace for the 42^nd  European Heritage Days. Visitors will be able to follow a tour through the various salons, the Ballroom, the Winter Garden, the Murat staircase, the historic office of the 5^th Republic’s Presidents as well as the Ceremonial Courtyard.

In keeping with a tradition rooted in DS Automobiles to support the Presidents of the 5^th Republic, the Brand will display two iconic models. Following the DS and SM of Charles de Gaulle, Georges Pompidou, Valérie Giscard d’Estaing, François Mitterrand and Jacques Chirac, after DS 5 Hybrid4 chosen by François Hollande for his inauguration, and Presidential DS 7 CROSSBACK, designed to celebrate French expertise and showcased at the inauguration of the President of the Republic on 14 May 2017, visitors will be able to appreciate PRESIDENTIAL DS N°8, a unique model made for the commemoration of the 80^th anniversary of the Armistice on 8 May 1945 and a DS 21 PALLAS that was used by General de Gaulle between 1965 and 1967.

« DS Automobiles and the Presidency of the French Republic, a historic collaboration celebrated during European Heritage Days with PRESIDENTIAL DS N°8 and its 750km electric range. »

Xavier PEUGEOT, DS Automobiles CEO

N°8 PRESIDENTIAL: craftsmanship backing French excellence

A unique creation, PRESIDENTIAL DS N°8 brings together the most prestigious expertise from French crafts. A Sapphire Blue colour, specially designed for the Élysée Palace’s vehicles, adorns PRESIDENTIAL N°8, while the distinctive DS LUMINASCREEN grille at the front of this N°8 is lit up in Blue, White and Red. Flag holders are located on the front wings and exclusive tricolour badges are displayed on the bonnet and tailgate. PRESIDENTIAL DS N°8 enjoys special fittings for the parade, such as grab bars and handles for standing up, and a shortened bench seat. This exceptional model calls upon the skills of the best French craftspeople:

• Straw marquetry, by the Lison de Caunes workshops, applied to the dashboard and door panels.
• Dream Satin Blue from Métaphores, combined with a new pleat made by Atelier Lognon, enhanced with “pearl” stitching.
• Seats made by the DS Automobiles master upholsterers, mixing Nappa leather and Dream Blue Alcantara® for unique refinement.
• Special sound system made by FOCAL, a long-standing DS Automobiles partner.
• 100% electric powertrain made in France. The NMC (nickel-manganese-cobalt) batteries are supplied by ACC (Automotive Cells Company) in the Gigafactory located in Billy Berclau Douvrin (62), and the electric motor is manufactured by Emotors in Trémery, Lorraine. The new 100% electric flagship from DS Automobiles, DS N°8 has a record range of up to 750 km.

DS 21 Pallas “General de Gaulle”

A DS 21 PALLAS, which was used by General de Gaulle, President of the French Republic from 1959 to 1969, will be another attraction in the Élysée Palace’s Ceremonial Courtyard during European Heritage Days. Leaving the Javel factory on 29 September 1965 – 60 years ago to the day – it was put into service on 2 October 1965 and registered 1737 RX 75. This DS 21 PALLAS has special features such as side sun visors in the rear seats, pennant holders at the front concealed in the bumper as well as a roundel holder on the dashboard and a document holder. It is a rather discreet example that was mainly used for journeys made by General de Gaulle between the Élysée Palace and his residence in Colombey-les-deux-Eglises. This car is then sold to the manager of the Coopérative Laitière de Colombey-les-deux-Eglises in November 1967, and kept by the family until 2021. That year it will change ownership before being auctioned in October 2023, where it was sold for 59,040 €. The presence of this example is a real nod to history as this iconic model is celebrating its 70^th anniversary this year.