The picture shows the classic Citroën DS premium car: why was it named "DS"?

The picture shows the late President de Gaulle on a 1963 visit to Isles-sur-Suippe in the Marne “département” of northeast France. Almost as visually striking as the president’s height (196 cm, 6'5") as he waves to the crowd, is the sleek vehicle used for his transport. This is the Citroën DS.

The Citroën DS is a front mid-engined, front-wheel drive executive car manufactured and marketed by Citroën from 1955 to 1975, in fastback, estate, and convertible body configurations, across three series of one generation. The Citroën DS was known for its aerodynamic, futuristic body design; unorthodox, quirky, and innovative technology, and it set new standards in ride quality, handling, and braking, thanks to both being the first mass production car equipped with hydropneumatic suspension, as well as disc brakes. The 1967 series 3 also introduced directional headlights to a mass-produced car.

Italian sculptor and industrial designer Flaminio Bertoni and the French aeronautical engineer André Lefèbvre styled and engineered the car, and Paul Magès developed the hydropneumatic self-levelling suspension. Robert Opron designed the 1967 Series 3 facelift. Citroën built 1,455,746 examples in six countries, of which 1,330,755 were manufactured at Citroën's main Paris production plant.

The name “DS” is not the abbreviation of some technical description, but a pun – a joke using word-play. In the French language, "DS" is pronounced exactly like “déesse,” which means “goddess.”