1973 Citroen SM news, pictures, and information

In the 1960s, Citroen entered into negotiations with several companies including Maserati, the result of which was the SM sports coupe with a 3.0 liter, 4 valve, V-8 engine developing 180 horsepower. This drove the front wheels via a five-speed synchronmesh gearbox. It featured power steering and disc brakes.

The name SM stands for Serie Maserati. It began production in 1970. The Italian based company Maserati was the supplier of the engine.

The quad-cam V-6 engine, located in the front of the vehicle, was based on Maserati's V8. The V8 would have been used but it was too powerful for the front-wheel drive vehicle and would have extended the hood of the car too far. The V6 ended up being an unreliable engine that needed constant re-tuning. Fuel consumption was poor, but on the bright side, it could go from zero-to-sixty in 8.5 seconds and reach a top speed of around 142 miles-per-hour.

The SM featured a self-leveling hydro-pneumatic suspension that gave the car a soft, smooth ride. There was a lot of body roll during cornering and under high velocity. The height of the vehicle could be set from inside the vehicle.

The cramped interior had a single-spoke steering wheel and oval instruments that was intended to be futuristic in appearance. The outside of this super-car was sleek and smooth. The SM was very innovative and used technology that was rather creative. The front of the car had six lights, three on each side of the vehicle. The middle lights would move with the steering wheel, illuminating the path of the vehicle. The disc brakes were very sensitive and responsive due to the power-brake hydraulic system. This took some time getting used to, and usually resulted in screeching-stops.

In 1974 Citroen was sold to Peugeot and the SM was dropped from the line-up. Peugeot then sold Maserati in May of 1975.

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