Courtesy: Bring a Trailer
- The Citroën SM is the grand touring coupe that evolved from the revolutionary DS.
- With Maserati power, these cars were very quick. This one has a bit more displacement for even more grunt.
- Comprehensively refreshed, it’s ready for a new owner.
In 1955, Citroën introduced the DS, a sedan so futuristic and forward-looking that driving one today is still a revelation. It had the ride quality of a cloud, stunning styling inside and out, and numerous technical innovations. Its initials said aloud were the French word for goddess—déesse—and that became the car’s nickname. What it did not have was an engine worthy of mention, but by 1968, Citroën had purchased Maserati and was about to release probably France’s greatest-ever grand tourer.Courtesy: Bring a TrailerPick du jour at Bring a Trailer (which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos) is a 1973 Citroën SM, one with a host of improvements to make it an even better driver’s car. Styled by French automotive design genius Robert Opron, it is a beautifully unusual coupe, with a tail that tapers away to the rear. At rest, settled low on its hydropneumatic suspension, it resembles nothing so much as a parked spacecraft, the kind of thing that might have cruised up to that wedding party from Andor.Courtesy: Bring a TrailerYou could be forgiven for wanting to pull up a table and chair and contemplate this car’s golden angles over a nice glass of Bordeaux. Skip the wine and settle into the tobacco leather seats instead, and prod that Maserati V-6 to life. There are several stories told about what the SM’s two-letter designation stands for, but given the way it drives, it could be Sublime Movement.Courtesy: Bring a TrailerOriginally, SMs came with a 2.7-liter displacement good for about 170 horsepower. That was plenty at the time, but the engine did demand revs for maximum acceleration. This example’s triple-Weber-equipped V-6 has been bored and stroked to just over 3.1 liters and is dyno rated at 215 horsepower and, more important, 239 pound-feet of torque. Effortless shove makes for an even better GT experience. The transmission is a five-speed manual.Related Stories
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Besides the superlative glide of the suspension, which could make a hovercraft feel like a BMW on run-flat tires, the SM also featured clever speed-adaptive and self-centering steering. This last takes a bit of getting used to, but after experiencing it, the steering of practically anything else of the period will feel a bit uncouth.
Courtesy: Bring a TrailerThis example also has air conditioning and power windows—even rain-sensing wipers. In 1973! A modern hookup for digital media has also been added. The car has been extensively refurbished, including a repaint, and fitted with handsome period-look 15-inch aluminum wheels.Courtesy: Bring a TrailerThe odometer shows 10K miles, but any SM owner will tell you that one of the best things about these cars is that they demand to be driven. Possibly the best car Citroën ever built, the SM isn’t like anything else on wheels. Born from a French goddess, powered by an Italian heartbeat from a company with a heritage of Grand Prix wins, it’s like a visitor from another world.The auction ends on August 13.Ici C’est Paris
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Brendan McAleerContributing EditorBrendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki’s half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels.
Source: caranddriver.com
