Certainly wasn’t built for looks...
Aesthetic judgments are a subjective matter. Many Americans would agree with you because it was and remains unconventional. But, auto enthusiasts the world over hold the DS (pronounced as the French would pronounce it, is also the word for “goddess” and they’re known as such) in very high esteem. People pay good money to go over to France for a tour in a chauffeured DS Pallas. They’re famously stout and versatile cars, as attested by the survival of Charles de Gaulle who was able to flee an attempted assassination in a DS at high speed with the tires shot out Yes, they’re weird to our eyes, but these cars are held in very high esteem and are a major automotive landmark as far as technical innovation. I’ll own one, one day, as I mentioned. I think they’re beautiful.