In the late 1960s, Citroen acquired a controlling interest in the Italian sports car manufacturer Maserati. First fruit of this marriage was the big Citroen SM of 1970, a prestige GT car utilizing the best from both companies. Power came from a smaller V-six version of Maserati's long-lived quad-cam V-eight engine. At 2.7 liters, it stayed just the right side of the punitive French tax laws that came down heavily on engines over 2.8 liters. Like the DS, the SM had front-wheel drive, with the gearbox/transaxle unit slung out ahead of the compact engine. Its 170 bhp through the front wheels was handled by Citroen's now well-tried hydropneumatic self-leveling suspension, interconnected with the four-wheel disc brakes (in-board up front) and ultra-quick power steering.
Fast and refined, with excellent handling, once a sensitive touch with the steering and brakes had been learnt, the SM was a consummate long-distance GT, superbly stable at speed and with the magic-carpet ride familiar to DS owners.
It was the shape, though, that captured enthusiasts' hearts: crafted inside Citroen, it was dramatic and purposeful with a broad nose fully flared in glass and a tapering tail that was as slippery as it looked. It was a four-seater, just, with a futuristic cabin that matched the body.
Sales were initially strong as French enthusiasts flocked to buy their high-class GT car since the death of the Facel Vega. The love affair was to be short-lived. The fuel crisis hit in 1973, making big 18mpg super cars somewhat unfashionable.
Citroen improved the car with injection, a bigger three-liter version and an automatic option, but it was too little avail. Production ground to a halt in 1975, just short of 13,000 cars down the line.
