Futuristic looking and gadget-packed, the Citroen SM was a technological tour de force, but its cutting edge design never won over buyers – until now

Throughout history, there have been some great partnerships. Fred and Ginger, Marks and Spencer, Morecambe and Wise… but Citroen and Maserati – surely that’s a step too far? Despite being unlikely bedfellows, the two companies had a lot to offer each other. Citroen brought its focus on cutting edge technology, comfort and a certain je ne sai quoi to the table, while Maserati offered its racing heritage and exquisite engine craft.

But unlike some of the great partnerships, the Citroen-Maserati tie up was less like a love affair and more like an arranged marriage. It all started one morning when the French car maker decided that, rather than build cars to carry a box of eggs across a ploughed field without breaking any, actually what it really needed to do was build a 180bhp V6-engined, front-wheel drive grand tourer to rival Aston Martin and Jensen. If it worked, it would be the fastest front-wheel drive car ever built.

Perfectly logical, I’m sure you’ll agree. The trouble was that while Citroen’s ride quality was second to none, its engines weren’t renowned for their sporting pedigree. So, rather than build their own new powerplant (or even buy in a batch), they decided things would be much simpler if they bought an engine maker. Like Maserati.

BORN OF FRUSTRATION
Perhaps the inspiration for the SM was born out frustration. After all, for all its accolades and acclaim, the worst part about Citroen’s DS was its engine. The four-cylinder lump was practically prehistoric, dating back to the Traction Avant. It was hardly worthy of powering a car as grand as the DS – and it certainly didn’t deserve a place under the bonnet of Citroen’s new flagship model.

With the Maserati deal signed and sealed, Citroen’s styling chief Albert Grosseau set about bringing his design for a grand tourer to life, completing the bodywork in the summer of 1967. All that was left to do was put in a request for a suitable compact vee engine, ideally a 2.8-litre (to take advantages of French tax regulations), to be ready in six months.

Legend has it that Maserati had the first prototypes up and running within three weeks. Which is no mean feat, considering that the engine was a little unusual, to say the least. Most V6s have a 60-degree angle to give them more even firing intervals and better balance, but the Type C114-1 engine used a 90-degree angle. Initially, there were concerns that it wouldn’t work, but whatever problems Maserati predicted failed to arise and the engine was ready for testing proper in the spring of 1968. Essentially a shortened version of Maserati’s V8, it had a 1mm smaller bore and crank throw reduced by 5mm. At 310mm long, it was incredibly compact and weighed 140kg – perfect for the new SM. Machined from a single, light-alloy casting for maximum strength it was every inch a thoroughbred, with wet liners and twin overhead camshafts on each bank. Bore and stroke measurements of 87mm and 75mm gave a displacement of 2670cc, which was well below the 2.8-litre limit.

Full of great ideas, perhaps one of the most interesting was something Citroen called ‘guided turbulence’. This is where the piston crowns protruded slightly into the hemispherical combustion chambers to promote a cleaner burn.

MAGIC CARPET RIDE
With a suspension set-up that was largely the same as the DS, you’d expect the SM’s ride quality to be second to none – and it still is. The independent suspension has hydropneumatic units on each wheel that act as springs, with a series of sensors and valves providing the car with its automatic self-levelling system at the same time. Confused? All you need to know is that it swallows up the bumpiest of bumpy back roads with ease.

But don’t be fooled by the wafty ride, as things can easily be firmed up thanks to a lever down by the driver’s seat. Five pre-set clearances are available, ranging from magic carpet ride to bottom scratcher. While you become easily accustomed to the ride, the braking system takes a little bit longer to get used to. Gone is the conventional brake pedal, replaced instead by a small, pressure-sensitive button. In true SM style, it shouldn’t work – but it does. Operating discs all round, it has split front and rear circuits and automatically adjusts brake balance according to weight and distribution. Neat.

The thing that I never really got the measure of during my test drive was the speed-sensitive power-assisted steering. Although commonplace nowadays, this was definitely cutting edge technology back in 1970. At motorway speeds, the fast rack action and over-assistance feels deceptively planted, thanks largely to the self-centring arrangement. Pull out of a T-junction, however, and you’re suddenly all too aware of the high-geared steering. At just two turns lock to lock, you end up donning your mawashi and wrestling with a snappy wheel.

SIZE MATTERS
We’ve talked about the engine; we’ve talked about the hyrdopneumatic-thingamy-jigamy; so what’s left? Ah yes… the styling. Designed in-house by styling chief Robert Opron, it managed to capture the spirit of the DS while still looking like it came from outer space.As you might expect, not everyone was a fan. Autocar questioned the vehicle’s packaging saying, ‘In many ways, the SM is an inefficient design. It’s built on a wheelbase five inches shorter than a DS, yet it is two inches longer overall and has less room inside. It is claimed to be a four-seater coupe, although the rear seat legroom is insufficient when a tall driver is at the wheel. This is largely the result of lowering the roofline a full six inches.’ They had a point. For a 2+2, 16ft was a hell of a length – eight inches more than an E-type, six inches more than an Austin 3-litre. In fact, the SM’s size was closer to a five-seater four-door saloon uber barge.

Despite the criticism, the SM still had plenty going for it. Its design was very aerodynamic, which meant it could easily achieve a top speed of more than 135mph – with an engine half the size of the rival Jensen Interceptor. And it was packed full of neat touches, like headlights that turned in time with the steering for better visibility at night; and a steering column with reach and rake – something rare for the period.

SUCCESS STORY
So how come the SM was never as successful as it arguably should’ve been? Well, it didn’t get off to the best start in life. Launched at the 1970 Geneva Motor Show, the car had some serious competition, including the gorgeous Alfa Romeo Montreal and equally mouth-watering Monteverdi Hai 450SS – a blatant attempt by manufacturers to tempt buyers back into the showrooms after a dry spell.

The real stumbling block, however, was the price. When it finally came to the UK in 1971, the SM cost £4689 (including taxes). Add air-con (£206), leather (£186), radio (£112) and fog lights (£19) and the bill was well over five grand.

The final nail in the SM’s coffin, however, was the energy crisis of 1973 – which meant nobody wanted an expensive, thirsty GT. With production falling, the SM was dead after only five years and with just 12,920 built.

But maybe Citroen didn’t want the SM to be a commercial success. After all, it had largely ignored the top end of the market and had no desire to revive the glory days of Delahaye, and Talbot-Lago. Citroen designed the SM as a publicity tool: the aim was to get people talking, fill column inches in car magazines, and generate sales of more mundane models like the recently launched GS.

For a time at least, the Citroen Maserati partnership had worked a treat. The company had fulfilled its vision of perfectly combining performance and comfort. According to Citroen’s head of automobile operations, Claude-Alain Sarre, the company wanted to ‘develop a sports car anyone could drive. You couldn’t let the grocery man on the corner handle a Ferrari or a Lamborghini, but he will be able to drive the Citroen SM – we made it so that I has to be safe, whatever the driver’s capabilities.’

By that measure, the Citroen SM was a resounding success.

MEET THE OWNER

Sixty-three year old Jim Holyoake bought this Citroen SM in November 2004. ‘I’d always wanted one, ever since reading enthusiastic reviews in Motor Sport magazine.’ It was tired, but full of neat original touches like the aerial that sits flush. Having swapped the existing cloth interior for leather, Jim set about reviving a few tired panels. Luckily, the engine had recently been rebuilt so that didn’t need any attention. Now, Jim likes to focus on enjoying the car as much as possible – when we met him, he’d just clocked up an 800-mile round trip to France, and then driven the car to work. That’s the way to do it.

Specifications

CITROEN SM
ENGINE: 2670cc V6 OHC
POWER: 178bhp at 5500rpm
TORQUE: 170lb-ft at 4000rpm
PERFORMANCE: 8.2secs 0-60mph / 142mph top speed
CONSUMPTION: 22mpg
GEARBOX: 5spd man
LENGTH: 16ft 1 1/2in (4913mm)
WIDTH: 5ft 0 5/16in (1836mm)
WEIGHT: 3284lb (1490kg)

SPECIALISTS
Andrew Brodie Engineering, 0208 4593725
B L Autos, 01707 327555
David Asworth, 01253 696294

VALUES
£10k will get you into a carburetted SM, but you could easily spend that again sorting it, while £15k should get you a late 2.7 injection model.

THINKING OF BUYING ONE?
When it comes to grand tourers, the Citroen SM is up there with the best of them – but the complexity that gives it its silky smooth ride and gutsy performance means that buyers need to take extra care.

Stuart Ager, of SM specialists Andrew Brodie Engineering, recommends checking the front and rear screens, which can leak and cause the usual corrosion carnage. When it comes to the body, you can get second hand bonnets and tailgates for around £500, while wings and doors will set you back around £350. But it’s the front end that’s the most costly to put right: the front traverse can cost £400, the steering headlamp mechanism £200, and the headlamp glass £250 each.

Things don’t get any cheaper under the bonnet, either. Original, hollow stem exhaust valves are the car’s weak spot because the heads can snap off, especially if it hasn’t been used for a while, so make sure they’ve been swapped for solid valves.

An engine-driven hydraulic pump supplies fluid to the suspension, brakes and power steering – it’s just one system, and it all shares the same hydraulic fluid. If the suspension suddenly goes rock solid, chances are the diaphragm in the suspension sphere has failed, filling it with incompressible fluid. Fear not, you can replace the spheres for as little as £45. And there’s more good news: brake discs cost ‘just’ £90. Don’t get too excited – reviving a tired leather interior costs £3000.

Published in the July 2010 issue of Classic Car Mart.

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