1970 Maserati-powered Citroen SM - is it Wise to Meet your Heroes?

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  • Опубликовано: 14 окт 2020
  • Exclusive review of this sensational Maserati powered Citroen SM.
    As a young boy, the Citroen SM was one of Kevin Haggarthy’s ultimate dream cars. In this video he drives the real thing to see if it matches up to the dream.
    Introduced in 1970, this car was unique - not only for its exceptional design and aerodynamics, but as the first Citroen to be powered by a Maserati engine.
    As well as inheriting unique Citroen features of the time such as hydraulic self-levelling suspension, it also introduced a number of ‘firsts’ in production car history. They say you should never meet your heroes, but maybe the Citroen SM may well prove this maxim wrong...
    Thanks to Ross Patterson for allowing us to review his car, find him at
    / londoncitroen
    Thanks to Whittlebury Park for allowing us to use their venue, find them at
    www.whittlebury.com/
    Video production by Zebra Digital - find them at
    www.zebradigital.co.uk/
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Комментарии • 733

  • @fritzh2944
    @fritzh2944 3 года назад +68

    Gentleman driving a gentleman‘s car. Thank you!

  • @abrahkadabra9501
    @abrahkadabra9501 3 года назад +100

    Citroën fan here. This is classiest SM review I've seen. Well done!

    • @kevinhaggarthy3462
      @kevinhaggarthy3462 3 года назад +4

      Thankyou so much. Really appreciate your comments 👍🏼

    • @carlosmarques503
      @carlosmarques503 3 года назад +2

      It's the classiest car review I have ever seen, even down to the attire and vocabulary! Very debonair! Well done, my good man.

    • @tonypasma1707
      @tonypasma1707 3 года назад

      Gentleman

  • @strato9223
    @strato9223 3 года назад +34

    When I was 8 years old at the end of the 70s, there was a caramel-coloured SM in a village close to mine. This car looked like a space shuttle compared to the entry-level cars we were used to seeing. My parents had Citroens but 2CVs or derivatives of 2CVs. In 2003, André Turcat, the former Concorde test pilot, came to give a lecture at my school in Toulouse: he parked the same caramel-coloured SM near the amphitheatre. The other students were 10 years younger than me and this image didn't move them as I was... The SM represented the unbridled imagination of French engineers before the arrival of all kinds of constraints.

  • @joelhenderson4450
    @joelhenderson4450 3 года назад +67

    He is the best dressed car reviewer in history! The anti-Clarkson!

    • @Sinnerboy88
      @Sinnerboy88 3 года назад +2

      I suppose that's true.. but to be fair, that wouldn't be a very difficult title to claim! What is it with car reviewers anyways?! They always dress terribly! Look at Doug DeMuro for example. Much as I love his videos he goes to review 3 million pound cars like he's dressed to mow the lawn! In an old faded t-shirt and a pair of cargo shorts! Not that I give a crap.. just an observation.

    • @isaacsrandomvideos667
      @isaacsrandomvideos667 3 года назад

      Pinball Wizard
      Yeah not that it really matters 😂

  • @Quicksilver_Cookie
    @Quicksilver_Cookie 3 года назад +32

    By god the thing is so elegant. They even went through with incorporating the number plates into the design, as not to ruin the lines.

  • @markl8307
    @markl8307 3 года назад +28

    Most of us will never get a chance to drive this amazing car. Compared to an SM, most modern automobile designs are hopelessly dull. Thanks for sharing the experience.

    • @InXLsisDeo
      @InXLsisDeo 8 месяцев назад +1

      I feel that we are in an all time's low in terms of car design at the moment (I'm talking of relatively affordable ones, not the likes of handmade Pagani). They all look the same, and they are all rather ugly.

  • @chrisadams6595
    @chrisadams6595 3 года назад +246

    Citroen made the most wonderful cars , cutting edge stuff, actually light years ahead of the competition.

    • @josemanuelsuanesalbors329
      @josemanuelsuanesalbors329 3 года назад +13

      Now they make ninja turtles.

    • @kevinhaggarthy3462
      @kevinhaggarthy3462 3 года назад +4

      Thanks for your comments Chris 👍🏼 - I do agree

    • @rexomniumregum2486
      @rexomniumregum2486 3 года назад +1

      Light-years measure distance,not time

    • @aaaabababa
      @aaaabababa 3 года назад +6

      @@rexomniumregum2486 yea, that's what it means, he is still correct.

    • @MrMaxwood
      @MrMaxwood 3 года назад +2

      @@rexomniumregum2486 yes Light years... Distance, as in way ahead of the competition... There an episode of Father Ted devoted to you that may help 😂😂😂ruclips.net/video/MMiKyfd6hA0/видео.html

  • @donjorge8329
    @donjorge8329 3 года назад +205

    So so beautiful!!! And today...we have faceless monster-SUV everywhere.

    • @kevinhaggarthy3462
      @kevinhaggarthy3462 3 года назад +1

      yes, individuality is so lacking to day . Thanks for your comments

    • @RivieraByBuick
      @RivieraByBuick 3 года назад +4

      hah. and what did people have back in those days? Everubody was driving SM? Ford Cortina, Citroen 2CV, Mini. No thanks, i`d rather drive a "faceless SUV"

    • @donjorge8329
      @donjorge8329 3 года назад +18

      @@RivieraByBuick ANY of the models you named had more style than any strange SUV-tank of today. But you can drive what you want to...

    • @cytrynowy_melon6604
      @cytrynowy_melon6604 3 года назад

      To be honest, most normal 70s, 80s cars also look similar to each other.

    • @cytrynowy_melon6604
      @cytrynowy_melon6604 3 года назад +1

      @@donjorge8329 You're looking through the nostalgia glasses. There are also attractive suvs/crossovers, such as new KIA Sorento, DS7 Crossback, Peugeot 3008 after facelifting, Range Rover Velar, Volvo XC90, etc... They even look better than most of boxy wagons.

  • @estebandelamancha6545
    @estebandelamancha6545 3 года назад +15

    Même en France, c'est encore une légende de l'automobile. In France, it's a legend for ever. Big up

  • @lucrolland7489
    @lucrolland7489 3 года назад +32

    As a child, my mother would take us to see a dentist in Montreal. I went to talk to him and told him that I saw a crazy car from a sci-fi movie not far on the street.Then, he told that it was his car and it was a green Citroen SM. The reinforced my impression that I already had with the DS that we saw at the Auto Show. Since the beginning, every modern ideas were quickly getting their way in the Citroen and on their factories.

  • @G58
    @G58 3 года назад +62

    My two humbler BX estates had some of those ride qualities. I miss the days when cars had genuine character.

  • @roverwaters3875
    @roverwaters3875 3 года назад +98

    The coolest feature is when you brake, the back end sinks down, keeping the car balanced.

    • @bobmcl2406
      @bobmcl2406 3 года назад +7

      Yes, the braking is the most unusual dynamic aspect. There is very little of the "forward pitch" sensation that we are used to. It feels like the entire car squats down into the road, almost as if gravity suddenly got a lot stronger!

    • @trespire
      @trespire 3 года назад

      @Rover Waters , ...or slams you into the dashbord. The breaks are like dropping 4 ships anchors.

    • @popuptoaster
      @popuptoaster 3 года назад +4

      Trailing arm rear suspension causes that, it's accentuated by the suspension trying to self level at the same time, Citroen 2CVs do it as well, if the rear brakes are still working.

    • @trespire
      @trespire 3 года назад

      @@popuptoaster Agreed. The SM has trailing arm suspention on the front as well, basically DS suspention geometry turned arround.

    • @manfredschmalbach9023
      @manfredschmalbach9023 3 года назад +3

      @@trespire A Citroën (back in the days when they _were_ Citroëns) has some specialities making Your drive way better than any other drive in any other car. Those do come with a sometimes steep learning curve though, which is why the lesser gifted traffic participants often tend towards calling Citroëns from the great era "undrivable". That isn't anything to worry about though, there's an abundance of Fords and Vauxhalls and VWs and Skodas and Seats and Audis and BMWs and Mercedesses for that kinda people.

  • @randomdude9269
    @randomdude9269 3 года назад +118

    10 year old me: I want a Ferrari!
    Teen me: I want a Miura!
    Me now: I want a Citroen SM!

    • @lucrolland7489
      @lucrolland7489 3 года назад +5

      The same here.

    • @5610winston
      @5610winston 3 года назад +1

      I loved the look of the SM back in the day, but when I became aware how finnicky they are, I went back to lusting for a Studebaker Avanti.

    • @ONTHEPASSWITHMAX
      @ONTHEPASSWITHMAX 3 года назад +2

      Basically my experience in a nutshell

    • @randomdude9269
      @randomdude9269 3 года назад +2

      @@5610winston Why would you want that thing?

    • @5610winston
      @5610winston 3 года назад +3

      @@randomdude9269 Which thing?
      The Avanti?
      Magnificent styling, bomb-proof mechanicals, fiberglass body, point-and-shoot handling, first modern caliper-type disc brake system in the US, and the fastest production car ever tested at Bonneville when it was new.

  • @jamesjames3525
    @jamesjames3525 3 года назад +10

    Even today this Sm looks spectacular.

  • @tonythedwvyer
    @tonythedwvyer 3 года назад +18

    I drove a Citroen SM a couple of times back in the early 1970's. They were glorious!

  • @Lth56
    @Lth56 3 года назад +12

    My Dad was a big Citroen fan in the ‘70’s. He had a DS & 3 CX’s, one being a prestige, all beautiful cars & very reliable. He did often enquire about the SM but didn’t ever follow it up.

  • @fuckinantipope5511
    @fuckinantipope5511 Год назад +5

    The Citroën SM went to my favorite car ever in just half a year.
    My dad got me completely into Citroën over the last 2 years.
    I was already aware of Citroën before because he drives them and had a few Xantias because they were cheap to get. But in 2021 he got a C6, which really started my curiosity in Citroën, first the C6 only though.
    But last year I got totally sucked into the Citroën addiction and got a super nice Citroën C6 as my first car, which is not only a rarity but supposidly also the last ever C6 build with the 2,2 4 cylinder engine.
    Now I am waiting to be done with my apprenticeship to earn some Real money so I can get some. More Citroëns with hydropneumatic. First I wanna get something for daily driving, probably a third gen C5.
    But I also got a CX and BX on my list.
    I would love to get an SM, but the cost of getting one and the difficult and expensive maintenance makes it unattractive for me to get one of those beauties. But I won't 100% cross that option out. Who knows, maybe I will get the money for one some day.

  • @user-sj5mv7zg6l
    @user-sj5mv7zg6l 2 года назад +2

    Magnifique voiture, une légende en France, félicitation Monsieur.

  • @ExAnimoPortugal
    @ExAnimoPortugal 3 года назад +9

    Gladly surprised to have been recommended this video - a dapper gentleman driving one of the most amazing cars ever made. Awesome!

  • @Rammstein56
    @Rammstein56 3 года назад +34

    The two of you were made for each other, it suits you very well!
    Chique but aristocratic chique !

    • @kevinhaggarthy3462
      @kevinhaggarthy3462 3 года назад +2

      Cheers for your comments John

    • @manfredschmalbach9023
      @manfredschmalbach9023 3 года назад +1

      @@kevinhaggarthy3462 I second that. SM drivers are either naturals or not. You are.

  • @cadicorniche
    @cadicorniche 3 года назад +49

    Gorgeous car, well done video. The moderator exudes class, excitement and a love for a great car.

    • @kevinhaggarthy3462
      @kevinhaggarthy3462 3 года назад

      Very kind. Thankyou so much

    • @jamesb.492
      @jamesb.492 3 года назад +1

      I would have preferred to see more of the car like the inside and less of the talking diva.

  • @Jack-hy1zq
    @Jack-hy1zq 18 дней назад +1

    I used to drive a silver SM (ODP 591M) back in the late 70s in the West End of London. It's wonderful to drive and a real head turner. My all time favourite car.

  • @jjefferyworboys8138
    @jjefferyworboys8138 3 года назад +27

    Lovely old car, very elegant and very French in a good way.

    • @promerops
      @promerops 3 года назад

      The automotive equivalent of Brigitte Bardot

  • @rosebuddesign635
    @rosebuddesign635 3 года назад +7

    What a gorgeous car. The reason it failed was the oil crisis of 1973. Terrible timing for cars not very on the economy side regarding gaz.
    Thank you for this lovely video.

  • @kirklenagh3095
    @kirklenagh3095 3 года назад +7

    Citroen and Maserati what a great collaboration. It really is a French specialty.

  • @narabdela
    @narabdela 3 года назад +30

    I'm pretty sure that the Citroen DS had swivel headlights before the SM. So probably not a 'first' .

    • @SmallBlogV8
      @SmallBlogV8 3 года назад +2

      Yup, the DS facelift introduced them two years earlier, in 1968.

    • @jackdeniston59
      @jackdeniston59 3 года назад

      And the Tucker....sort of

    • @davidiscostarica6097
      @davidiscostarica6097 3 года назад +1

      Tucker was first.

    • @Jordanmilo
      @Jordanmilo 3 года назад +3

      @@davidiscostarica6097 Duesenberg (among other super high end cars) had turning headlights in the 1930's, more than 10 years before Tucker.

    • @richardgoffin-lecar1951
      @richardgoffin-lecar1951 3 года назад

      I believe you are correct!

  • @johnmajkowski7200
    @johnmajkowski7200 3 года назад +6

    Can't stop seeing Burt Reynolds driving it off of the pier in The Longest Yard every time one of these in sight.

  • @petergibbs
    @petergibbs 3 года назад +4

    The SM along with the E-type and the LP400 Countach are I think the prettiest cars ever designed. They just flow and look beautiful and make you want to drive them or simply have them in your lounge to look and smile at.

  • @MichaelThomas-be7gq
    @MichaelThomas-be7gq 3 года назад +4

    Such a beautiful car, it's always been in my lottery garage along with the DS Decapotable. Citroen made such beautiful and advanced cars back then.

  • @sharonec5419
    @sharonec5419 4 месяца назад +1

    Stunning car and a stunning colour too. Its classy and brilliant. Amazing what Citroen achived with this at the time.

  • @montydon6777
    @montydon6777 3 года назад +1

    My late father had a sm JUS843L what a great car. He rebuild the engine twice. With parts from Andrew brodie. Remember going to London to some strange garage under the rail lines. The place was full of Italys finest. We had a DS as well. Two cars ahead of their time.

  • @OneSwitch
    @OneSwitch 3 года назад +17

    Remember seeing a dusty one in Beirut in the 90s. Looked so cool down on its lowest suspension setting with Arabic plates. Owning a CX is the closest I'll ever get to having one of these I think. Beautiful machine.

    • @pashakdescilly7517
      @pashakdescilly7517 3 года назад +2

      The SM has underpinnings derived from the DS. Some of the special features of the SM made their way into the CX, I believe this includes the speed variable power steering.

    • @kevinhaggarthy3462
      @kevinhaggarthy3462 3 года назад +2

      Absolutely _ I cant recall when I last saw a CX on the road - lucky you if you have one

    • @pashakdescilly7517
      @pashakdescilly7517 3 года назад

      @@kevinhaggarthy3462 I saw a silver restored CX on a local road during the summer before lockdown. Also local, there's a nice SM that i sometimes see on a Sunday morning - or used to....

    • @OneSwitch
      @OneSwitch 3 года назад

      @@kevinhaggarthy3462 Long sold to the scrap yard sadly. Fine review by the way. Enjoyed it.

  • @patrickXWAY
    @patrickXWAY 3 года назад +3

    enfant j'ai le souvenir d'un ami de mon père qui venait avec cette MASERATI , oui il l'appelait comme ça et moi j'étais émerveillé de voir ce paquebot France arriver sur ces routes d'automnes , elle était si racée élégante majestueuse ! un jour j'en prendrai une pour remonter les temps anciens ou il faisait bon vivre merci monsieur Kevin excellente vidéo !

  • @domherbin8562
    @domherbin8562 3 года назад +7

    Cette Citroën SM est magnifique 😎🎩
    The Splendid blue of the body matches perfectly with the Brown leather interior
    Beautiful car indeed...to Cruise for long

  • @davidalexander-watts6630
    @davidalexander-watts6630 2 года назад +1

    A good match of an elegant reviewer with an elegant car - they're made for each other.

  • @marwancabbabe
    @marwancabbabe 3 года назад +8

    I’ve just discovered you, mainly because of the SM.
    Great video, classy with a perfect allocution and a nice scenery. No fussy music, very enjoyable to watch. Bravo

  • @jeremywestenra4178
    @jeremywestenra4178 6 месяцев назад +1

    In my young days, driving through Morocco through Atlas Mountains at steady 50MPH when a fleet of Police outsiders at huge speed in front of bright red Citroën SM driven by King of Morocco flashed past, pushing us off the road. Wow...hugely impressive. Very desirable car

  • @josecarvalho9388
    @josecarvalho9388 3 года назад +11

    It's such a Beautiful car!! It was the time when Citroen produced original cars, elegant, unique, with charisma and different from the rest!

  • @planetwisconsin9901
    @planetwisconsin9901 3 года назад +7

    Duesenberg had driving lights that turned with the steering wheel in 1929. They probably weren't the first though but it was on a production car.

  • @bernardmeyre
    @bernardmeyre 3 года назад +4

    One of Citroën ' s secrets / genius innovations: the notorious (green) spheres system...yeah the DS / SM cars were total masterpieces

  • @SFAXDU
    @SFAXDU 3 года назад +8

    Bravo Mister Kevin Haggarthy for the excellent presentation of this report on the CITROËN SM.
    It's beautiful CITROËN SM is made for you!
    The best report on the CITROËN SM.

    • @kevinhaggarthy3462
      @kevinhaggarthy3462 3 года назад +4

      Thanks so much Jean-Gilles - it would have been ideal to be driving the car en-francais!! 🙂

  • @RobBroderick44
    @RobBroderick44 3 года назад +1

    Now that's a clean example ! Good job.

  • @f.mazz.459
    @f.mazz.459 2 года назад +1

    Classy man driving a classy vintage car

  • @jybe75013
    @jybe75013 3 года назад +9

    Good video, just a point : the height corrector of the hydropneumatic system is totally mechanic, the clearance does NOT depend on the speed. Only the Citroen C5 adjust clearance depending on speed, with the third generation of hydropneumatique named " Hydractive 3"

    • @AxLWake
      @AxLWake 2 года назад

      Yeah, height can be adjusted manually but does not adjust depending on the speed you drive indeed.

  • @SinanderBoss
    @SinanderBoss 3 года назад +20

    Love the SM! I own an XM myself and am really into hydropneumatics, yet I have never heard about the suspension lowering when going at faster speeds! AFAIK the C5 equipped with the hydractive 3 system was the first model to change height according to speed :)

    • @genius1a
      @genius1a 3 года назад +1

      I don't know about the SM, but I know that the close following Citroen CX of the same Era had speed adapting steering force, so I would not be too much surprised by a speed adaptive riding height.

    • @trespire
      @trespire 3 года назад +2

      As far as I know, neither the SM, nor the later CX had "active" ride hight. Only self leveling for each axle, rigardless of the load, as it was self correcting. The CX has 4 selectable hight, the SM has 5. The XM I don't know, but the C5 is active and speed depandent.

    • @carlgeorgtsigakis498
      @carlgeorgtsigakis498 3 года назад +4

      Yes The SM does not have active height.. Steering yes. Also this car cannot be a 1970 as it has Injection, which came in 72, but it is not a 73 as the door handle changed in 73. Also the 3,0 never got IE, only carbs. Carbs do sound better. :) Regards an SM owner. (CX, XM and C6 also.. ;) )

    • @Precis66
      @Precis66 2 года назад

      My XM did hunker down at high speed, but I won't say where and when. I still miss it!

    • @malcolmgay2206
      @malcolmgay2206 2 года назад

      MB R129 SL 1989-1998 (?) had lowering of suspension once you go over 120kph

  • @tomasjones3755
    @tomasjones3755 Год назад +1

    Lovely. I was 13 yrs old, when I saw the SM at the Los Angeles Auto Expo. I was blown away. I ended up owning one for 15 yrs, as well as a DS Pallas & DS Safari.
    Part of their failure was the ’73 oil crisis. You can likely add their price and (in the U.S.) poor dealer service support

  • @studiobencivengamarcusbenc5272
    @studiobencivengamarcusbenc5272 3 года назад +1

    This is bloody design - the real deal 🤗🤗🤗

  • @whitepuf75
    @whitepuf75 3 года назад +3

    An elegant video for an elegant car. Thank you and bravo ! It reminds me of my first encounter with the SM. My father was driving a Renault as he was working for that company. No other car makers or cars could be considered acceptable for him except Citroën. And when he saw one ahead of him on the road he told me to look and I was in a state of shock : the car looked like à spaceship compare to anything at that time in France! This moment of time is still alive in my mind and I remember the music played on the radio. It was the Bee Gees with the song Tragedy which is a very climactic song. A perfect planet alignment!. What a car...

  • @SandorSoptei
    @SandorSoptei 3 года назад +1

    Pretty cool being in one with the window open while going fast.

  • @Sheffield_Steve
    @Sheffield_Steve Месяц назад

    I've only ever seen this car in silver and/or possibly bronze. But looks absolutely stunning in dark blue! 👍👍

  • @BillWoodillustrator
    @BillWoodillustrator 3 года назад +29

    Makes you wonder why Citroen don’t revisit some of their earlier designs FFS.

    • @nathanbrumpter2904
      @nathanbrumpter2904 3 года назад +2

      I think Citroën doesn't revisit its earlier designs because its principle is innovation and not reinterpretation or tradition :)

    • @BillWoodillustrator
      @BillWoodillustrator 3 года назад +2

      @@nathanbrumpter2904
      They’ve lost the plot with them though. Their sales show that

    • @jetaddicted
      @jetaddicted 3 года назад +4

      They did, the XM was the successor to the SM

    • @cytrynowy_melon6604
      @cytrynowy_melon6604 3 года назад +6

      @@BillWoodillustrator It's not because of Citroën, it's because of internal strategy of PSA group. They made a mistake of making Peugeot brand more premium than Citroën. They should do it this way: Peugeot for normal cars, Citroën as upper-middle class car, DS brand as their most luxurious cars. But they did it this way: Citroën as budget brand, Peugeot as upper-middle class brand, DS as semi-premium brand. This is a mistake in my opinion.

    • @richardrichard5409
      @richardrichard5409 3 года назад +1

      @@cytrynowy_melon6604 well Peugeot do own Citroen, have done since the SM bankrupted them.

  • @alloam
    @alloam 3 года назад +7

    Snap! I laughed aloud at your introduction as I have that same Corgi Whizzwheels SM sitting on my desk today, I've had it since the late 70s as a boy. Alas, I have yet to drive my dream car. One day.

    • @kevinhaggarthy3462
      @kevinhaggarthy3462 3 года назад

      I think your model will be worth a penny or two . I loved it and would genuinely use it as a daily if I could

  • @alanhindmarch657
    @alanhindmarch657 3 года назад +9

    The SM was the first Citroen to have headlights that swivelled, the 1960s DS was. Hydrophobic Suspension and Self-centred Steering was also used on the DS. Same with the brakes.

    • @DopravniPoradce
      @DopravniPoradce 3 года назад +2

      Well let's be honest, the first car with swivelling headlight was Tatra 87 (and some say that it was available as the option even on Tatra 50 and 77). We are talking 30's here. Citroën adopted this on DS and SM many years after Tatra.

    • @pashakdescilly7517
      @pashakdescilly7517 3 года назад +1

      Hydrophobic suspension? The SM was the first Citroen with steering power assistance which reduced as the speed rose, and it was later fitted to the CX.
      There were early '30s American luxury cars with swiveling headlamps, such as Cadillac V16. Also, the Tucker was planned to have a swiveling centre headlamp

    • @richardrichard5409
      @richardrichard5409 3 года назад

      Wtf is hydrophobic suspension 🤔😂😂😂

    • @shanehnorman
      @shanehnorman 3 года назад

      @@richardrichard5409 Don't drive in the rain.

    • @pashakdescilly7517
      @pashakdescilly7517 3 года назад

      @@richardrichard5409 It was Citroen's radical attempt to prevent the SM from rusting. The system was designed to shield the cars from rain, and thus avert the bane of monocoque cars, the dreaded tin worm. It was a clever system, but needed more development.

  • @derekstocker6661
    @derekstocker6661 2 года назад +2

    Great intro to a great car!
    Thanks for this, well done in actually getting to drive your dream car, very few of us do!
    Fabulous car, I well recall a mate of mine driving us along a main road many years ago and a Citroen SM shot past almost silently and we were both very impressed. Very few seen these days and the innovations these cars had as mentioned in the video were world beating technology at the time, and STILL a fantastic car. Great video, thanks.

    • @kevinhaggarthy3462
      @kevinhaggarthy3462 2 года назад +1

      Hi Derek- Thankyou so much for taking the time to comment. It’s interesting how these cars have a lasting effect on our memories from small incidents. I am thinking of doing something on the ISO Grifo or Lambo Espada as legends of the past!

    • @derekstocker6661
      @derekstocker6661 2 года назад

      @@kevinhaggarthy3462 Well done, both if possible!

  • @spanishpeaches2930
    @spanishpeaches2930 3 года назад +2

    We had a Citroen Safari when I was a kid, in the early Seventies and I used to love the lift of the suspension. Happy days.

  • @jeanjean4245
    @jeanjean4245 3 года назад +3

    My dad had 3 DS , the most comfortable car of the century, the turning lights were all installed on the DS. He dreamt of an SM but it was just too expensive .

  • @Kerros973
    @Kerros973 3 года назад +2

    What a fantastic car 👏♥️

  • @MrGutfeeling
    @MrGutfeeling 3 года назад +3

    Still an amazing-looking car, and very impressive in the flesh!

  • @KutchaKutchakutchinKutchin
    @KutchaKutchakutchinKutchin 6 месяцев назад

    Excellent, inspiring review! Well done!

  • @ar6985
    @ar6985 3 года назад

    Man oh Man what a nice video!!
    I too have always dreamed of getting a chance to drive one. It's still ahead of it's time; it seems.
    Glad you got to enjoy it!!!!

  • @LNSLateNightSaturday
    @LNSLateNightSaturday 3 года назад

    Instant Subscriber. This is the first video of yours I've seen, and I look forward to many more! ;)

  • @pablocespedes5880
    @pablocespedes5880 3 года назад +1

    I had the same Corgi! but in blue, it just took me almost 50 years back in memory!

  • @JakePurches-Base2music
    @JakePurches-Base2music 3 года назад +1

    I had the privilege of driving a friends SM twice. And at excessive speeds too! Wonderful. Out of all the cars I have driven, and several Citroens, too, this is the greatest car ever made.

  • @kattharsismic
    @kattharsismic 3 года назад +4

    I have one, wonderful car, unfortunately I inherited it from my father and he had an accident with it shortly before his passing, I don't think we'll ever be able to have it in as great a condition as it was. It was originally restored by my father to an incredible extent, it was always the best one in meetups. Word of advice if you ever drive one, be careful with the direction, it's extremely sensitive, much more than what you would be used to when at low speed, my father use to say this car has to be steered with the thumbs haha.

    • @chucku00
      @chucku00 Год назад +1

      J'espère que vous avez toujours votre SM et si vous en avez les moyens, je ne peux que vous recommander de la confier à RGP (anciennement Garage Régembeau) à Crèches sur Saône. Le créateur de ce garage, Georges Régembeau, était un génie qui a proposé des versions améliorées avec un moteur totalement fiabilisé et optimisé et il avait même crée une version turbodiesel de 165cv et boite six vitesses dans les années 70. C'est certainement l'un des meilleurs endroits en France pour faire réparer dignement ce monument.

  • @donpatisson
    @donpatisson 3 года назад

    The Citroën SM was the peak of the brand. What a beauty! From that point, it went all the way down... how is that possible with such a heritage?! Merci pour ce beau reportage, in style!

  • @terryhuggett3799
    @terryhuggett3799 3 года назад +1

    As a child I had a love for a sm citroen I had a Weekend job cleaning the new cars in a citroen an fiat garage in footscray, one day the sm came in weirdly it took all day cleaning that car as was pretending to drive it I still look back fondly thinking what a great day I had

  • @hughrobinson9978
    @hughrobinson9978 Год назад

    Wonderful video of an absolute dream car! You really understand it and explain it excellently. thanks!

  • @nativesystems
    @nativesystems 3 года назад +7

    Beautiful car - way ahead if it’s time. Great review and video. Thanks guys. Dilip.

    • @kevinhaggarthy3462
      @kevinhaggarthy3462 3 года назад +1

      Thanks so much Dilip. Really appreciate your comments 👍🏼

    • @nativesystems
      @nativesystems 3 года назад

      Oops, just spotted my typo - should be ‘way ahead of it’s time’.

  • @RealWorldCarReviews
    @RealWorldCarReviews 3 года назад

    They’re an incredibly classy car. Beautiful, in fact. Thank you for the great review.I have just subscribed.

  • @G58
    @G58 3 года назад +4

    What an excellent review of a truly classic car. Subscribed. Thank you for sharing

    • @kevinhaggarthy3462
      @kevinhaggarthy3462 3 года назад +1

      Thankyou so much for your comments

    • @G58
      @G58 3 года назад

      Kevin Haggarthy You’re most welcome. I really like your presentation style. After a diet of Jezza, Captain Slow and The Hamster, then some average YT car and bike guys, it’s so refreshing to find Harry Metcalf, and now your good self. The appeal is far more that just the absence of the BBC mix of smug license fee mockery, faux incompetence and bad sarcastic ‘jokes’.
      Genuine enthusiasm coupled with knowledge, and real appreciation of great design makes a huge difference.
      Kate Humble always seemed very sincere and a nice person too. I do still watch James May because he’s brilliant at explaining things, and seems to have severed his Auntie strings. Hammond hasn’t. As Stewart Lee says, he’s not even a real hamster...! 🧐😎😎
      Anyway, looking forward to more vids from you. If you do bikes, even better. Cheers.

  • @alexron2023
    @alexron2023 3 года назад +4

    Lovely presentation, A car ahead of its times " une machine incroyable pour le temp"

  • @TheGuerillapatriot
    @TheGuerillapatriot 3 года назад

    awesome presentation, Mr. Haggerty

  • @genius1a
    @genius1a 3 года назад +4

    Very nice made review! The problem seemed to have been mainly with the engine that broke down very easily and repairs came at exorbitant cost. It was later sort out, the maserati engine timing chain tensioner had a tendency to break in rough pull push situations which caused the engine to break valves and pistons. They fixed that in the following years, but the reputation was badly damaged. For the image driven high value "jet set" audience that surely was a no go.
    Many design and technical features of the SM lived on in the close following Citroen CX cars and seem to have worked relieable. CX Line cars were built up to 1991, so nearly 30 years without significant changes.
    The hydraulic steering systems of SM and CX were exceptional. Go through a 3 cm deep one sided puddle with a normal car and you feel how it tries to turn your steering wheel. Got through the same puddle with a CX and you feel nothing - it takes the straight line withoud irritation. That maybe bad for occasional drivers, but I think its great for experienced drivers that don't need that feedback to make road condition decisions.
    I once took a trip in a 120 horsepower CX Break (stationary wagon) that covered the distance of 1200 km (745 miles) in 10 hours, including heavy rain on a span of 300 km. (That's where the special hydraulic steering shines: no irritation forces from the street ever reach the steering wheel) After that I stepped out of the car with agile body tension. I wasn't tired at all ! Starting point was a camping site in Rome, finish was a little village in Austri, including a short break we took. I wouldn't do that nowadays for safety and legal reasons, but I was young and had a trusting girlfriend on my side. I also remember how surprised I was, beeing outpaced by a brand new Mercedes ML on the Italian Autobahn. That car did a cruising speed of 200 km/h (124 mph) with 5 people on board, which I didn't want to keep up more than a few minutes. It was a curvy part of the Autobahn in the alps. So cudos to mercedes at this point! Yes it also hit me *g* I doubt that they had an equal smooth ride like we had in the Citroen CX.

  • @stcuthbertschurchwesthamps1549
    @stcuthbertschurchwesthamps1549 3 года назад

    Beautiful car! Thank you for sharing!

  • @PetrolHeadBrasil
    @PetrolHeadBrasil 3 года назад +2

    Fantastic review!

  • @james2450
    @james2450 3 года назад +6

    Excellent review. Pure class 👌

  • @ExBenzi2
    @ExBenzi2 3 года назад +7

    Thank you for this very nice video. It feels so relaxed and sincere.
    The SM is a masterpiece. Unfortunately they‘re getting more and more expensive as we speak. This one has an especially lovely colour combination on the in- and outside. Neven seen one like that before. It‘s quite a shame you couldn‘t keep the car. You two look like you were made for each other ;).

  • @automotiveaffairsshorts
    @automotiveaffairsshorts 3 года назад +9

    Awesome review... love it 👏

    • @kevinhaggarthy3462
      @kevinhaggarthy3462 3 года назад

      Thanks so much and very grateful for the positive feedback. More to come! 👍🏼

  • @lefuedebout
    @lefuedebout 2 года назад

    Enjoyable video. Re. the swivelling headlamps, I had a DS23 Palas, which pre-dates the SM and it too had those.

  • @mw8653
    @mw8653 3 года назад +2

    Very envious of your luck to drive an SM and a nice review of this unique car, I had a CX estate for a couple of years and it was so nice to drive.
    I always smiled starting it up first thing in morning the rear suspension lifted first then the large bonnet raised up to driving height and away you go. The self centering steering was really helpful when parking, I wish more cars today with electric power steering had this feature.
    It was also the best car I have used to tow a caravan the self levelling suspension kept the caravan level, and the long wheel base made it very stable and was hardly ever affected by crosswinds or passing HGVs on motorways.

    • @kevinhaggarthy3462
      @kevinhaggarthy3462 3 года назад

      Cheers - Interesting to hear of your experiences 👍🏼

  • @bb_lz9790
    @bb_lz9790 3 года назад +1

    Thanks for an enjoyable video. As a child growing up in the US in the '60s, one of my favorite Corgi toys was a Citroen DS. I've always loved the uniqueness of Citroen. Never saw an SM until the mid '80s and thought it was a beautiful car.
    I think my only ride in a Citroen was in an economy model during a business trip to Germany decades ago. Not the same as a DS or SM but a thrill to be riding in a Citroen, none the less. I had to satisfy my appreciation of non-traditional automobiles by nearly 40 years of Saab ownership.

  • @andrewgurney6019
    @andrewgurney6019 3 года назад +3

    Beautiful car and great review, thank you.

  • @jeffb9010
    @jeffb9010 2 года назад

    Love the car and a slick presentation too - well done Sir

  • @kennethramonet5421
    @kennethramonet5421 2 года назад

    This particular example is my dream SM. The elegant dark blue over tobacco leather color combination, combined with the beautiful composite road wheels makes this car absolute SM perfection, sans pareil. I would not change one single thing (except perhaps get all that crap out of the boot).
    Oh, my God what a beautiful car!

  • @domsventures3918
    @domsventures3918 3 года назад +15

    Really good review, such a lovely car!

  • @ericgrigorof1509
    @ericgrigorof1509 2 года назад

    One of the most beautiful cars ever made IMO.

  • @1KJRoberts
    @1KJRoberts 3 года назад +11

    The headlamp glass coverings are not heated. The horizontal lines (and text) in the glass is a design flourish. For comparison, the Citroen DS 21 headlamp coverings have vertical lines and they serve no function.

    • @error079
      @error079 3 года назад

      Yes and no. The white lines absorb a little heat from the bulbs and keep the glass covers from fogging up.

    • @1KJRoberts
      @1KJRoberts 3 года назад +1

      @@error079 ?!. No. This is a claim in search of evidence. The radiated heat from the headlight lamps would be sufficient to resolve the alleged fogging irrespective of the white lines. There is no credible documentation from Citroen or elsewhere, that supports your claim. If your claim were true, it would be innovative & Citroen wouldn't pass up the opportunity to mention it and use it on other models.

  • @martin05111981
    @martin05111981 3 года назад +5

    Great! I had that metallic-green Corgi-car too, it was one my favorite childhood-cars too and I am also dreaming for so many years, to drive a Citroen SM. This video is really cool!

  • @simonsimpson4695
    @simonsimpson4695 2 года назад +3

    Looking at a lot of retro reviews of Citroen cars. Makes me want to try the 2CV and GSA. The XM was my personal favourite after Ronin. They have character. The SM looks futuristic even today.

  • @TheGalacticEmperorOfLabels
    @TheGalacticEmperorOfLabels 6 месяцев назад

    A great review, Kevin. You're the kind of dapper gent I can see behind the wheel of something Avant Garde like the SM on a daily basis.

  • @overmarsdaria3222
    @overmarsdaria3222 3 года назад +5

    I fell in love with the SM when I watched in the 70s the French movie " La Marge" with Joe d Allessando and Sylvia Kristel.

  • @aidans6274
    @aidans6274 3 года назад

    I saw one in my grandfather's golf club car-park, when I must have been 6 or 7. The thing stood out as it was so futuristic. Put all the other 70s cars to shame. I've always wanted one since then.

  • @stuartliddle7228
    @stuartliddle7228 3 года назад +6

    Great presentation, very enjoyable review.

  • @brinleyphillips9367
    @brinleyphillips9367 3 года назад +6

    Stunning car!!!

  • @nnoddy8161
    @nnoddy8161 3 года назад

    Great review. Subscribed.

  • @youtubeforeveryone
    @youtubeforeveryone Год назад +2

    If the Citroen DS was cool, this is even better!!! Very good video. Greetings from Spain❤💛❤

  • @socialghost4400
    @socialghost4400 3 года назад +1

    That was a great video, very nicely done....Subscribed!

    • @kevinhaggarthy3462
      @kevinhaggarthy3462 3 года назад +1

      Thankyou so much! - Really appreciate your comments - More coming soon....

  • @danturpening5773
    @danturpening5773 3 года назад

    What a wonderful review! Thank you for making this.

    • @kevinhaggarthy3462
      @kevinhaggarthy3462 3 года назад +1

      Thankyou so much for your feedback - really enjoyed making it too!

    • @danturpening5773
      @danturpening5773 3 года назад

      @@kevinhaggarthy3462 Thanks for responding! Hope to see more reviews..

    • @danturpening5773
      @danturpening5773 3 года назад

      @@kevinhaggarthy3462 Maybe a review of a 2CV would be fun? The other end of the product line..

  • @maxderay
    @maxderay 3 года назад +6

    Love the sitting down scene at first, very well shot !

    • @kevinhaggarthy3462
      @kevinhaggarthy3462 3 года назад +2

      Thanks so much - hope you enjoyed the video

    • @maxderay
      @maxderay 3 года назад

      @@kevinhaggarthy3462 I did !

  • @davidthomas1424
    @davidthomas1424 3 года назад

    Beautiful car. Cooool review. Love the bucket in the boot ;) Subscribed straight away.