“More than just nostalgia”: The 70th anniversary of the Citroën DS and the Renault New Ryusei [Retromobile 2025] Part 1

Students recreate legendary catalogue photos

Stellantis’ DS Automobiles celebrated the 70th anniversary of the Citroën DS, showcasing 11 historic models from the manufacturer’s Aventure DS division and those owned by private owners.

The Citroën DS was unveiled on October 6, 1955, and 1,456,115 units were produced over the 20 years until 1975. Flaminio Bertoni’s avant-garde design was praised by philosopher Roland Barthes in his 1957 book Mythology as “an exceptional object that clearly fell from the sky…” The car won the Industrial Arts Prize at the Milan Triennale that same year, and is now part of the collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.

It was also used as the official vehicle for the French President, and during the attempted assassination of Charles de Gaulle on August 22, 1962, it escaped unscathed despite being shot at, thanks to its hydropneumatic suspension that allowed it to continue moving on three wheels at all times. It has also appeared in numerous films, including Back to the Future Part II, directed by Steven Spielberg.

The first thing that greeted visitors at the venue were two cars displayed facing each other: the 1969 DS 21 Pallas, and the latest DS No. 8. The latter is the DS brand’s first mass-produced EV, and this time it made its French debut following its world premiere at the Brussels Motor Show in January 2025.

Visitors who made their way through the space were astonished by a Citroën DS sculpture mounted on four balloons, a reproduction of a famous 1959 catalogue photo that demonstrated the ride quality of the car’s hydropneumatic suspension, which used oil and nitrogen gas.

The vehicle used at the time disappeared a few months after the filming, but it has now been recreated by the Automobile and Transport Engineering School (GARAC), based outside Paris.

Under the supervision of Denis Huille, president of Aventure Citroën, the students began by restoring the interior and exterior of a 1958 ID (a budget version of the DS), which had fallen into a state of severe disrepair. They also completed the necessary sheet metal work, leading to the car being unveiled at Retromobile.

In addition to the official DS Automobiles booth, there were many other exhibits at the venue featuring the Citroën DS and the brand’s past models.

Your ancestors are monsters

Meanwhile, Renault displayed past models as well as current models and concept cars that were inspired by those models. Models on display included the 4 Super and the 4E-Tech Electric due to be released in 2025, the first-generation 5TL and the 5E-Tech Electric due to be released in 2024, the 17TS and the R14x Ora-It concept car from the 2024 Paris Motor Show.

However, the biggest topic of conversation they provided was the world premiere of the EV “Philante Record 2025.” Inspired by Renault’s previous land speed record-breaking cars, the 1926 “40CV” and the 1954 “Étoile Philante” (Meteor), the vehicle’s eccentric appearance suggests it’s a fantasy designed to attract attention. However, this is a mistake. In addition to optimizing aerodynamics, it is equipped with an 87kWh battery, the same as the commercially available “Schenic E-Tech Electric.” The vehicle weight has been kept to just 1,000kg. The tires are low-friction, and by-wire technology is used for both steering and braking. With these specs, the aim is to break energy efficiency records for an EV in terms of power consumption and driving range within the year. It is quite realistic.

Renault also unveiled a model called “Mute the Hod Rod” at Retromobile in 2023 and 2024. It is an open-top model based on a 1924 vehicle that has been reborn as an EV. In the first year, it was exhibited in a development state, and in the second year, it was exhibited as a completed vehicle. It

is currently being refined with the aim of breaking the vehicle’s own speed record.

Where does this momentum within the brand to make use of its heritage come from? It’s undoubtedly largely down to the influence of Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo. During his time at Fiat, he launched the 500 in 2007 and also revived the nearly dormant Abarth. His keen understanding of how heritage can translate into business is also evident at Renault.

Students recreated legendary catalog photos and created an EV efficiency record car inspired by a speed record car from a century ago. Retromobile had lost its way for a time, but by moving beyond mere nostalgia, the event has begun to show new value.

Report & photo by Akio Lorenzo OYA

Related reading

“Retro yet high-tech?” The latest developments in the evolution of classic cars [Retromobile 2025] Part 2

Retromobile, one of Europe’s leading historic car shows, was held in Paris, France for five days from February 5, 2025. In this second report, we’ll be looking at some interesting non-French brands.