PRESIDENTIAL DS N°8: A UNIQUE EXAMPLE FOR THE PRESIDENCY OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC AT THE 8 MAY 1945 ARMISTICE REMEMBRANCE

• PRESIDENTIAL DS N°8 is a unique expression of French craftsmanship. It was made available to the Presidency of the French Republic ahead of DS N°8, DS Automobiles’ new flagship, going on sale in September 2025.
• The Head of State of France, Emmanuel Macron, took part in the 8 May 1945 Armistice remembrance in PRESIDENTIAL DS N°8. As a result, he becomes the world’s first President of a Republic to have a 100% electric official car.
• PRESIDENTIAL DS N°8, DS Automobiles’ new 100% electric flagship with its ACC battery and record range of 750 km, was presented to the President of the French Republic by the Brand, the craftspeople and partners who took part in its development.

DS and the Presidency of the French Republic constitute a historic alliance. Since the declaration of the Fifth Republic, the DS and SM, then more recently DS 5 and DS 7, have been used by seven Presidents. During his inauguration in 2017, Emmanuel Macron drove down the Champs-Élysées in a PRESIDENTIAL DS 7 CROSSBACK, a unique model designed to allow him to greet the French people. A real work tool, DS 7 ÉLYSÉE was developed as an extended version with a 300-horsepower E-TENSE plug-in hybrid powertrain and intelligent four-wheel drive transmission, joining the Élysée Palace's fleet of cars from November 2021.

For the 8 May 1945 remembrance, DS Automobiles created a new vehicle for the Presidency of the French Republic, with a unique design adapted to parade as close to the French people as possible: PRESIDENTIAL DS N°8.

“The 8 is in the spotlight: 

Presidential DS N°8, on the day of the 80^th anniversary of the 8 May 1945 Victory Day, continues the line of special DS models acclaimed by the Presidency of the Republic for nearly 70 years. Like the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games connecting past and present, with 750 km of electric range, Presidential N°8 is being unveiled ahead of its launch by combining exceptional craftsmanship

and avant-garde spirit, always with a sense of excellence.”

Xavier Peugeot, DS Automobiles CEO

PRESIDENTIAL DS N°8 has been modified in several ways by the DS Automobiles engineers and creative teams. First of all, it features a Sapphire Blue colour (like DS 7 ÉLYSÉE), unique on DS N°8 and perfect for a model joining the presidential car fleet. This is completed by black-painted quarter panels. Its illuminated DS LUMINASCREEEN grille features the Blue, White and Red of the French Republic. Other exterior details include special Blue-White-Red badges that also finish off the front and rear of the car as well as fitting flag holders at the tips of the front bumper.

A unique design based on expertise and technology to embody the Art of Travel, PRESIDENTIAL DS N°8 was created with the help of several French craftspeople and partners. Ahead of remembering the 8 May 1945 Armistice, PRESIDENTIAL DS N°8 was the subject of an exclusive presentation at the Élysée Palace. Xavier Peugeot, DS Automobiles CEO, his teams, as well as the craftspeople who represent French expertise in the service of excellence and who have worked on creating this special car, were able to present their work to the President of the French Republic.

EXPERTISE

Straw marquetry – ATELIERS LISON DE CAUNES

A member of the Grands Ateliers de France and the Entreprises du Patrimoine Vivant, Lison de Caunes carries on the expertise inherited from her grandfather, the decorator André Groult. In her workshop, located in the 6^th arrondissement of Paris, she crafted the straw marquetry on the front of the dashboard as well as on the front door trim of PRESIDENTIAL DS N°8. This rye straw, a material that at first sight appears humble, is enhanced by dyeing and hand. The 12 marquetry craftspeople from Lison de Caunes’ workshops made their talents available to DS Automobiles to deliver straw marquetry trim in a sea green and midnight blue tone with a fan design, for a stunning result.

Satin – MÉTAPHORES

MÉTAPHORES is a weaving and fabric company from Paris, in Bussières (42) and Challes (72). It is part of the textile branch of the Hermès organisation. It brings together the centuries-old expertise of Verel de Belval (Lyon silk factory) for furniture silks and horsehair for manual weaving. The Dream Blue satin panels selected to cover the interior of PRESIDENTIAL DS N°8 are made from Verel de Belval fabrics.

Pleated textile – Atelier Lognon

Created in 1853 by Emilie Lognon, Atelier Lognon is an occupant of 19M, a venue for crafts, fashion and trim in Paris. It carries out the artisanal activity of pleating textile using cardboard moulds. The Atelier is made up of a dozen people who work for exclusive clients such as renowned fashion houses or in this case DS Automobiles. As for the PRESIDENTIAL DS N°8, its door panels feature this new pleating.

Master upholsterers – DS Automobiles

Very mindful of attention to detail and comfort in their cars, the DS Automobiles master upholsterers, whose workshop is based in the Paris area next to the DS DESIGN STUDIO, have once again put their skill and expertise towards a special creation. They design and build the front and rear seats of all DS creations, but also the door panels or any area featuring flexible materials that require their involvement.

In PRESIDENTIAL DS N°8, the seats are finished in Alcantara® and watchstrap design Nappa leather – one of the DS Automobiles signatures – in a Dream Blue colour specially chosen for this unique example. All the areas where the satin textile is located as well as the pleats on the doors have been covered and protected by the upholsterers. Pearl stitching, another unique DS Automobiles signature visible in DS production models, has also been added to the door and dashboard areas.

TECHNOLOGY

Centigon

Centigon is a manufacturer of armoured vehicles and bespoke solutions in the field of security. Located in Lamballe (22), it is the preferred and official partner of the French administration, the security forces and other government and private services. Centigon has put its expertise into PRESIDENTIAL DS N°8, to make it compatible for use by the President of the Republic.

ACC

Automotive Cells Company is the French supplier of batteries for PRESIDENTIAL DS N°8. It is a company based in Billy Berclau Douvrin (62), where the first Gigafactory was built with Stellantis as one of the founders and shareholders. The batteries in DS N°8, DS Automobiles’ new flagship capable of a range of up to 750 km, also come from this production site. DS N°8 can travel more than 500 km on the motorway without charging and recover 200 km of range in just 10 minutes of charging or going from 20% to 80% of charge in just 27 minutes.

FOCAL

Founded in 1979 in Saint-Etienne (42), FOCAL specialises in the design and production of high-quality audio systems.  The company, a member of the Comité Colbert since 2024, is recognised around the world for its acoustic expertise, exclusive technology and innovations. A long-standing partner of DS Automobiles, FOCAL is obviously fitting PRESIDENTIAL DS N°8 with an installation designed for it.

PRESIDENTIAL DS N°8 will be on display to the public at the next RÉVÉLATIONS show, a biennial exhibition of crafts with which DS Automobiles is a long-standing partner, that will be held from 21 to 25 May 2025 at the Grand Palais.

FOCUS

DS and the PRESIDENCY OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC

In addition to the DS 19 used by General Charles de Gaulle in 1958 - as well as in 1962 at the time of the Petit Clamart attack ‑ then the presidential DS 21 elongated (6.53 m) by Henri Chapron in 1968 and finally the SM of Georges Pompidou in 1972 (also extended by Henri Chapron, this time to 5.60 m and duplicated), the DS Automobiles brand maintains close ties with the Presidency of the French Republic. In 2012, François Hollande used a DS 5 for his inauguration and it would later become his official vehicle. Then PRESIDENTIAL DS 7 CROSSBACK appeared at the inauguration of Emmanuel Macron and more recently, in September 2023, during King Charles III’s visit to Paris. Since November 2021, DS 7 ÉLYSÉE has been the official model of the Presidency of the French Republic. Today, PRESIDENTIAL DS N°8 continues this long tradition that links DS Automobiles to the Presidency of the French Republic, demonstrating the Brand’s unique expertise and avant-garde spirit.