The Citroën SM is a high-performance coupé produced by the French manufacturer Citroën from 1970 to 1975. The SM placed third in the 1971 European Car of the Year contest, trailing its stablemate Citroën GS, and won the 1972 Motor Trend Car of the Year award in the U.S.
History
In 1961, Citroën began work on 'Project S' – a sports variant of the Citroën DS. As was customary for the firm, many running concept vehicles were developed, increasingly complex and upmarket from the DS.[2] At some stage in the 9-year project, it evolved from developing a faster variant of the 1955 DS to developing an entirely new, thoroughly engineered car – in terms of engineering effort, a replacement for the high volume DS model. Citroën purchased Maserati in 1968 with the intention of harnessing Maserati's high-performance engine technology to produce a true Gran Tourer car, combining the sophisticated Citroën suspension with a Maserati V6.[3]
The result was the Citroën SM, first shown at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1970. It went on sale in France in September of that year. Factory produced cars were all left-hand-drive, although RHD conversions were done in the UK and Australia.
This car was unusual for France – production of luxury cars was heavily restricted in the country by post-World War II puissance fiscale horsepower tax, so France had not had a production vehicle in this market sector since before World War II.[4] The SM had an engine of only 2.7 liters owing to these regulations; it was the first response to the luxury/performance sector since the export oriented Chrysler Hemi V8 engine Facel Vega in the late 1950s.[5] Citroën's flagship vehicle competed with high-performance GTs of the time from other nations and manufacturers, such as Jaguar, Ferrari, Aston Martin, Alfa Romeo, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Maserati's Merak.
The origin of the model name 'SM' is not completely clear. The 'S' may derive from the Project 'S' designation, the aim of which was to produce what is essentially a sports variant of the Citroën DS, and the 'M' perhaps refers to Maserati, hence SM is often assumed to stand for "Systeme Maserati" or "Sports Maserati". Another common alternative is Série Maserati,[6][7] but others have suggested it is short for 'Sa Majesté' (Her Majesty in French), which aligns with the common DS model's nickname 'La déesse' (The Goddess).
The SM did not find a sufficient customer base in the small European GT market, but much of the SM's technology was carried forward to the successful Citroën CX, launched in 1974 the DIRAVI steering being the most obvious example. The same basic engine in enlarged 3.0 L form (some in Italy had 2.0 L) was used in Maserati's own Merak (1,800 units) and later with some modification in the Biturbo (40,000 units).[8] The Merak, Khamsin, and Bora, used Citroën's high-pressure hydraulics for some functions, and the Citroën gearbox in the Merak, during the Citroën-Maserati alliance.
Performance
Contemporary automotive journalists were effusive about the SM's dynamic qualities, which were unlike anything they had experienced before. The SM provided a combination of comfort, sharp handling, and braking not available in any other car at the time.[9] The magazine Popular Science reported that the SM had the shortest stopping distance of any car they had tested.[10]
Automotive journalists marveled at the resulting ability to travel for hours at 200 km/h in comfort.[11] In 1972 Motorsport (U.K.) noted ..."that rare quality of being a nice car to be in at any speed, from stationary to maximum."[12] The touring range based on the SM's fuel economy and the large 90 L fuel tank made long, fast, relaxing journeys possible.[13]
Because the SM had a smaller 170 PS engine than competitors, the acceleration was adequate rather than exemplary – some competitors were quicker.
Technical innovations
The SM combined many unusual and innovative features, some of which were only becoming commonplace on cars manufactured many decades later. It borrowed heavily from the innovations introduced on the DS, by including hydro-pneumatic (oleo pneumatic) self-leveling suspension, and self-leveling lights that swiveled with the steering (except in the United States, where these were illegal at the time).
The SM was Citroën's means of demonstrating just how much power and performance could be accommodated in a front-wheel drive design. This was novel, and many technical issues needed to be overcome, especially related to torque steer, where excessive steering feedback affects control of the vehicle.
A solution was found – no road feedback at all – the driver points and goes, regardless of what the driven wheels are experiencing.[9][23] Hitting a pothole at high speed would not turn the steering wheel in the driver's hands.
This new type of variable assist power steering was later fitted to the Citroën CX in large numbers and its basic principle has since spread throughout the vehicle production.[24]
Styling
Designed in-house by Citroën's chief designer Robert Opron, the SM bears a family resemblance to the Citroën CX and Citroën GS, and to some extent the Maserati Mistral. Like the CX, the SM retains the rear fender skirts, and seen from above, the SM resembles a teardrop, with a wide front track tapering to a narrower rear track.
The SM was unusually aerodynamic for its era, with a Kamm tail and low drag coefficient. At launch, Citroën claimed a drag coefficient of 0.26,[34] although it later published a revised figure of 0.339.[35] The ventilation intake is located in a "neutral" area on the hood, which makes the ventilator fan regulate the interior ventilation at all road speeds.
With its distinctly modernist influence, the interior styling of the SM is as dramatic as the exterior. The small oval steering wheel is matched by oval gauges. The manual shift lever 'boot' is a highly stylized chrome gate. The seats are highly adjustable buckets with centre padding composed of many individual 'rolls'. High-quality materials are used throughout. The bonnet is aircraft grade aluminum, while the external bright work is stainless steel, rather than 'cheaper' chrome (except for "plastichrome" "SM" trim at the rear base of the rain gutter).
US exports
The main export market for the SM was the U.S., where the market for personal luxury cars was much larger than in Europe. Competitors included the Cadillac Eldorado, Lincoln Mark IV and Ford Thunderbird alongside Italian, British, and German imports.[37] The unique design of the SM made quite a splash and won the Motor Trend magazine's Car of the Year award in 1972, unheard of for a non-US vehicle at the time.[38][39][40]
The SM's system of six replaceable-bulb composite halogen headlamps with swivelling high beams was illegal in the U.S., where regulations at the time required all vehicles to have two or four round sealed-beam
Engines
The SM was sold with a small, lightweight engine in various forms, designed from scratch by Giulio Alfieri but capable of being assembled on the existing tooling for the Maserati V8 engine. Because of this, the engine sported an unusual 90° angle between cylinder banks – a trait shared with the later PRV V6. It was a very compact and innovative design that allowed the use of just one pattern for the cylinder heads and an intermediate shaft extended out to drive the auxiliaries.
The engine was aluminum, weighing just 140 kg, and was always mounted behind the front axle.[44]
The size of the 2.7 L engine was limited by French puissance fiscale taxation, which made large displacement vehicles too expensive to sell in any quantity in France.[5] One SM had a Maserati V8 motor – this was a heavily used test bed developed by Maserati for the 1974 Maserati Quattroporte II.[45] Despite developing 260 HP, the car required relatively modest adjustments, and the performance made the SM into a true sporting car.
Motorsport
The SM won its first competitive outing, the gruelling 1971 Rallye du Maroc. Citroën continued rallying the SM, eventually developing a "breadvan" short-wheelbase racing variant.
SM World, a marque specialist in Los Angeles, California, produced a turbocharged SM, which in 1987 set the land speed record for production vehicles in its class at the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah – traveling 202 mph.[47]
Demise
After the 1974 bankruptcy of Citroën, Peugeot took ownership of the company and, in May 1975, divested from Maserati. Peugeot quickly decided to stop building the SM, as production had dropped to 294 cars in 1974 and 115 units the final year.
Observers often attribute the demise of the SM to the 1973 oil crisis and economic recession.[48][37]
While the oil shock certainly affected sales, many far more profligate cars were introduced at the same time the SM ceased production, including the hydropneumatically suspended Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9. Peugeot even introduced a V6 powered car of similar displacement and fuel consumption in 1975, the 604. In the U.S. (the main export market for the SM), the SM was actually an economical vehicle relative to its competitors.[49]
Production numbers
A total of 12,920 SMs were produced during its lifetime. Sales declined steeply each year following the first full year of production. The North American market took 2,400 cars in 1972 and 1973.[53]
Variants
The factory produced just a single body style – a LHD two-door fastback fixed head coupé, but the design did inspire a variety of derivatives, none produced in any quantity.
Coachbuilder Henri Chapron from Levallois-Perret produced several very collectible variants of the SM.
French Presidents from Georges Pompidou to Jacques Chirac enjoyed touring Paris in the two 4-door convertible Citroën SM présidentielle models, sharing them with such notables as Pope John Paul II and visiting heads of state. The inaugural drive for this version was a month after completion, by Pompidou and Queen Elizabeth II in May 1972.[54] Built by Chapron to a design by Citroën, the chassis was stretched by 52 cm to an overall length of 5.60 m.[54] These manual transmission cars have special low gearing and additional cooling suitable for parade use, allowing them to travel at a speed of 6-7 km/h.[55] They also feature a small, rearward-facing dropdown seat for the use of a translator or secretary, and an electrically powered top with hydraulic actuators.[55]
Prominent owners
Like the Citroën DS, the SM has had many celebrity owners.[10] General Secretary of the Communist Party of the USSR Leonid Brezhnev,[62] Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman,[63] Adam Clayton of the rock group U2,[64] and Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia each drove SMs, while Ugandan dictator Idi Amin had seven of them.[65] The Shah of Iran drove an SM.
Actors Lorne Greene
External links
- Ate Up With Motor: She Likes Whips and Chains: The Pleasures and Pains of the Citroën SM – a retrospective of the SM
- Curbside Classic: 1972 Citroen SM – Gran Touring, Franco-Italian Style – another retrospective of the SM
- Citroen SM Wiki
References
- 1970 Citroen SM Coupe performance data, specs & photo Automobile-catalog.com, retrieved 28 November 2011^
- DS – the Search for Speed Citroenet, 1996^
- Citroën SM – Hemmings Motor News hemmings.com^