1972 | Citroën SM

Transmission: 3 gears, Automatic
Top speed: 225 km/h
Service history: Present

The Citroën SM was the top model of the French company Citroën in the 1970s. It is not known whether the letters SM stand for anything. Some sources say that the S may come from 'Project S', others that SM could mean "Sport Maserati", and still others that it could stand for Sa Majesté, meaning her majesty - this following DS, Déesse. In 1961, Citroën started 'Project S', with the aim of developing a luxury car based on the DS with revolutionary performance such as a top speed of more than 180 km/h and far-reaching technical refinements. The first contacts with the Italian Maserati, for the development of a new engine block, followed two years later. In 1968, Citroën took over the Italian company, with the aim of using the powerful V6 engine from Maserati for the SM.

Design
The design of the SM is by the head of the Citroën design department, Robert Opron. The technical design was the work of a team of technicians, led by Jacques Né. Their work featured some 'traditional' Citroën features, such as the headlights that turned with the front wheels, and novelties such as the self-centering, speed-dependent power steering (DIRAVI)(Direction à Rappel Asservi - Forced return steering). Traditional Citroën was also the steering wheel, which had only one spoke. The Maserati engine was a V6 in 2.7 or 3.0 liter versions, with three double Weber carburetors or a Bosch D-Jetronic injection system. The 3.0 liter version was made for the American market, for which they had also started to replace the manual five-speed gearbox with a three-speed automatic. The top speed was 228 km/h for SMs with a manual gearbox. As usual, the SM also had front-wheel drive, and the gearbox was placed in front of the engine.

Of course, these vehicles were also equipped with the characteristic hydropneumatic suspension system with a constant ride height and a load-dependent brake pressure.

This SM presented here is one that was delivered in the USA and whose first owner lived in Chicago. Because this is an American version of the SM, this engine has a capacity of 2965 cc. Furthermore, this car is equipped with an automatic gearbox. The SM has only driven 41,000 miles and has a beautiful brown leather interior. The car has never been completely restored and is almost as new. It drives, brakes, shifts and steers perfectly. A fantastic Citroen SM for the enthusiast.