DS Automobiles Logo PNG
Brand cars came from the future. The DS logo is a stylish, futuristic design. The emblem shows the ease of construction and control, requiring minimal driver intervention.
DS Automobiles is a French car brand that produces premium cars. Citroën formed it and was its parent company from 2009 to 2014. Then, the firm gained legal independence and became a separate brand. From 2025, it plans to manufacture hybrid and electric vehicles. Its headquarters are now located in Rueil-Malmaison.
The company’s founders are Groupe PSA, which includes “Citroen”, Peugeot, and Talbot. None of them were luxury car brands. Therefore, it was decided to experiment with prices and brands, as Volkswagen (which created Audi) and Chevrolet (which founded Buick) did. The project began in 1976, but the manufacturers lacked the technical capabilities to justify the car’s higher cost.
This continued until Citroën launched the DS series, promoting one of its older models (1955-1975), designed by Andre Lefebvre and Flaminio Bertoni. The lineup began in 2010 with the Citroën DS3, based on the C3 Pluriel and DS Inside concept lines. Top Gear praised the novelty, and JD Power magazine called it a supermini four times.
In 2013, the subcompact became the best-selling car in its class and held 40 percent of the European premium segment. So, the DS series became widely known, although the company continued to produce similar cars on the same base, simply improving them. As a result, the updated concepts DS4 (2010) and DS5 (2011) appeared. They were based on the previous Hypnos (2008) and C-SportLounge (2005) lines.
Meaning and History
The abbreviation DS is old, with several stories of its origin. According to the first, the brand name is an abbreviation for “Different Spirit.” According to the second, it comes from the first letters of the phrase “Distinctive Series.” The third assumption is more romantic and holds that the French abbreviation means “goddess.” And it is pronounced that way – “DS,” from the term “deesse.” This shape was the basis for the logo, which has hardly changed.
What is DS?
DS is the name of an automotive brand believed to be derived from the phrases “Different Spirit” or “Distinctive Series.” DS Automobiles was introduced in 2009 but became independent only in 2014. The French company Citroën owns it, and it was founded to revive the futuristic design of the Citroën DS model.
1955 – 1975
At first, the famous chrome triangles on the DS logo were double arrows. They were at the junction between the first and second parts of the car company’s name, pointing upward. It symbolized growth, progress, development, and movement. The thin, angled lines resembled birds soaring into the air and the classic herringbone tire track. The word “Citroen” was bold, in capital letters, with a diacritic above the “E,” while the abbreviation “DS” was subtle and elegant.
2009 – 2014
When “Citroen” launched the division, it immediately gave it a distinct logo. The badge was placed on the back seat and did not reflect the parent company’s identity – it was completely different. The graphics and text were combined because the two silver shapes are abbreviated as “DS.” The designers made the first letter a triangle or arrow pointing right. They presented the second symbol as a zigzag, with the outlines of an “S” suggested. It is elongated vertically, and its top resembles a mirror image of “D.” All elements are silvery and show reflections and shadows; therefore, they appear three-dimensional.
2014 – 2019
He did not change the logo after the brand was separated from the parent company and became independent. The only innovation is the appearance of the “DS Automobiles” lettering. The font is thin, in uppercase, with a balanced outline and wide letter spacing. The graphic part has remained the same, with two pointers pointing at each other to symbolize the letters “D” and “S.”
2019 – today
The label has been changed, but the icon has not. Instead of thin letters, it now uses bold, elongated ones. They are grouped more tightly than before, so they look serious and imposing.
Font and Colors
It has always been the same: the abbreviation “DS” is stylized in metal. The latest redesign relates to the merger of PSA and FCA, which formed the Stellantis group.
Until 2019, the brand name on the emblem was set in a typeface resembling Rival Sans Regular or Arkit Regular, a thin sans serif font. After 2019, a different writing style was approved, as close as possible to Althawra Fikra Bold or Config Condensed Medium with minor changes.
The corporate palette consists mostly of shades of gray, which makes the logo look three-dimensional. It uses silver, cold white, graphite, chrome, ash, and other colors.