I own an SM. I used to work at a garage in Los Angeles called “SM World” which specialized in the SM. My boss, the late Jerry Hathaway, was close friends with Jay Leno, and we would work on his Citroëns. The only job I’ve ever had where I would choose to go in on my day off. I own a ‘75, Euro-spec headlights, 3.0L with EFI swapped for Bosch K-Jetronic MFI, 5MT. The Hydro-Pneumatic system is quirky, but makes sense once you learn how it works. As long as everything is well-maintained and allowed to warm-up before being driven, it’s fine. The engine needs to stretch, but once it has done so, it needs to be exercised. Classic Maserati DOHC engines need to be allowed to get into the high rev range, don’t short-shift it. If something does go wrong, however, it can go very very wrong, especially in regards to the hydropneumatic system.
Nice! I used to work for George at Sunset Coachmen in NC. We were mostly Peugeot, but got the opportunity to work on a quite a few DS and SM too. *EDIT Sorry to hear about Jerry's passing. He helped me out immensely on a particularly troublesome Palais. Pinched pipe from a poorly spotted lift.
When you have a job that you’re happy to go to on your day off, you’re not actually ‘working’ for a living…you’re actually being paid to enjoy what you do. I too had a job like that for the past 20+ years
I'm french, and I learnt to drive on a Citroën SM. It was new at the time, and my dad also had a DS, which was my favourite car to drive. They were original and very well engineered. Even today, I don't see any other cars that are innovative as these.
No mention of the DIRAVI power steering system? Speed sensitive, actively self centering and effectively "steer by wire, errr, hydraulics". In normal operation there is no mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the mechanical steering mechanism. Only in the event of a high pressure hydraulics failure an emergency steering column is used to safely guide the vehicle to a stop. Thanks to the active self centering the SM (and later CX) are also exceptionally stable in cross-winds, in part helped by the superb for their time Aerodynamics (Cd of 0.338), even with the somewhat lackluster power of the Maserati V6 and 1.6ton curb weight these cars can quite happily drive at 140mph all day long. In theory. The SM chassis and engine are also the base for the ultra rare 1975 Maserati Quattroporte II. During development of said Maserati, one SM was equipped with a 260hp V8 engine, and in fact the standard chassis could quite easily take that extra power with minimal modifications. And finally, the optional factory "alloy" wheels were actually made from glass fiber reinforced plastic, they were developed by Michelin for the SMs rally efforts (rather successful ones) and weighed about half of what the standard steel wheels with covers weighed.
A true piece of rolling art. From the smart and stylish design themes, to the engineering marvels, the SM delivers. Like any good piece of art, you either Love it or hate it. Myself I Love it.
I’m one of those uh… uncommon people who truly delights in the sometimes brilliant idiosyncrasies that is the French automobile industry. It’s a beautiful car!
Circa 1973, when I was just a kid, I noticed a Citroën SM that was regularly being parked in our small town. I was instantly fascinated by it, it’s such a cool-looking car! I wrote a letter to the Citroën company requesting a sales brochure to learn more about the vehicle and so I could have some pictures of it. A couple of months later my mom answered the doorbell to a man who was looking for Thomas (that’s me). When my mom asked what it was about, he explained that I’d requested information about the SM, and he was from the not-so-local car dealership that sold them. My mom told him, “Well, Thomas is here…but he’s twelve years old.” I don’t think I ever got the sales brochure; he must’ve left pretty dejected.
I was into French cars in the late 90s to early 00s. Worked for a Peugeot specialist during the time. Got the opportunity to mess with a few SMs and quite a few more DSs. Amazing cars. Left there and gravitated back towards Porsche, but still respect Citroen cars of this era immensely. Adam, your French pronunciation is very good for an American car guy. The pretty girls were in French class in HS. Thats why it was my first foreign language.
I had a couple of SMs. Brilliant, in the best French tradition. The Italian bits… perhaps not so much. A feature you don’t mention, Adam, is worthy of renown… the CARBON FIBER road wheels shown on several examples here. A very rare factory option, they were developed and produced by Michelin. I acquired a set in the 1980s, which was one of fifty reproduction sets made at the behest of the SM Club of France. I took one by the edge of the rim, with two fingers, and easily lifted it at arm’s length. I don’t recall the weight, but it was like a feather. Those rims were on the SMs that came 1 - 2 in the Morocco Rally, so they were rigged, to boot. Those, along with the inboard disc brakes, mitigated to some extent the quirky steering/road feel by virtue of extremely low unsprung weight, though these cars were notorious understeerers and there was nothing to be done about that. Another most advanced feature was rear ABS… as the rear axle unloaded, the height corrector for the hydropneumatic suspension, as it worked to lower the rear ride height, had an ancillary function which was to reduce rear brake pressure as well, which was coming not from the driver’s foot or vacuum boost, but from the high-pressure pump by way of the “champignon” brake valve. This feature got me out of trouble one night when I had to drop anchor at speed on a slick stretch of I-75. Weak spots not mentioned: Timing chains/tensioners! (Aftermarket solutions have been developed… if one hasn’t yet lunched their Maserati V6.) Carbon water pump seals… Sodium-cooled exhaust valves that come apart at the seams… Stainless replacements are available… again, if your engine hasn’t shot craps… Reciprocating OEM A/C compressors… Either Citroen failed to do a torsional vibration analysis or it was done all wrong… Sankyo rotary compressor is the solution… again, if your V6 ain’t yet blown chunks due to this engineering fumble. The SM was an exquisite prototype… with the customer doing the shakedown run…
I wonder if installing a clutched alternator pulley would be worthwhile on these? I suppose the engine runs smooth enough it's not a huge source of backward loading.
Now we’re talking. The SM is in my “dream car garage,” as is the DS on which it was based. And thank you for taking the effort to pronounce Citroen correctly, a level of respect some other American RUclipsrs could learn to emulate.
I clicked on this video so fast! I loved going to see these cars at the dealership down the street from our house in the 1970's. I remember seeing a Peugeot without sealed beam headlights and that made me so excited because I hated our sealed beam terrible headlights that were required in the USA.
Amazing, amazing automobiles. A DS is on my lottery list; preferably a European model w/ covered , moving head / cornering lights. Thanks for featuring this fantastic car!
One of my favorite cars and the 1972 Motor Trend Car of the Year. My uncle owned a 1961 DS wagon back in the day. It was unlike anything else on the road, so advanced for its time. I recall how incredibly well it rode, its single spoke steering wheel and the bulb for the brake pedal. Thanks for the memories!
One of the Life Members of the Citroen Car Club of NSW and Founding members turned 100 in May 2024. Conversion of LHD to Right Hand Drive on a SM is one of the most challenging of any cars. Bruce Scott-Smith did so in his Sydney suburban garage... Such was the quality of conversion the engineer certifying it for registration thought it was a factory produced RHD. A reverse mould for the dashboard was made up and 3 RHD dashboards cast... I had a fabulous drive of his 1971 SM down the Southern Highlands and back up the South Coast.... awesome. The closest I can to ownership of a SM was a 1978 CX Prestige 2400 EFI 5 speed. Magic for eating the vast Aussie open road distances.
From my auto tech's point of view, and I actually worked on these, the Citroen SM was a very quirky car, and trouble prone. These cars were as foreign to an American as you could get. The oil-based hydraulic fluid, which we called green cool aide, because that's what it looked like. I remember that it was sold by Citroen dealers in one or one-half liter rectangular plastic bottle for $50. In the mid-70's, I remember these with stickers of $13K, which was quite pricey for the time. They were also available with a 3 spd. automatic transmission. They sat in showrooms for a long time, so I imagine the dealers had to discount them to dispose of them. Rolls-Royce and Bentley licensed the system from Citroen, which not only was used for rear suspension leveling and the brake system. They referred to it as a mineral oil system. It was actually Castrol Mineral oil and was much cheaper than the Citroen fluid. It was a much more reliable system than R-R's previous Castrol LMA brake fluid system. Jaguar used this system for it's automatic rear leveling suspension in the XJ6 cars from 1988-93. This was problematic and expensive to work on. When Ford took over Jaguar, this system was the 1st to go. Anyway, I could buy this Castrol mineral oil from my Roll-Royce part supplier for less than the Jaguar dealer's paid for their version. Same exact bottle but with different car logos on them. The original Citroen Dealer in town stopped selling the SM's when the car was discontinued. The factory-trained Citroen mechanic left the dealership for parts unknown. Citroen of America no longer brough cars into the U.S., but they still maintained a parts inventory. We were dealing with and buying parts directly from them. They started referring Citroen owners to us. That's where this next car came from. It was an unfortunate mistake. The Maserati V6 was a nightmare. A major problem was the water pump, and not just because it was it was mounted to the engine end which was up against the firewall. The water pump was mounted in the timing cover and used "O" rings to keep the coolant out of the crankcase. They would fail and the water would mix with the engine oil, creating a brown slurry with the consistency of pudding. The car owner didn't want to spend any more on the car. He sold it to a guy who bought it for parts from So. Cal. When he came to trailer the car back, he told us that he paid our customer $3K. We were surprised the amount was so much and he stated that when he sold the rear window, he would get more than that back, plus he would still have all the rest of the parts to sell. Now, we cut our teeth on a 1973 Citroen SM a few years before. Everything was usual for that car, all those problems associated with French cars. Then, they spun a rod bearing in the engine. We ended up buying a factory workshop manual, but it was written in French. We were looking for machine specs so we could repair the engine. There were none in the manual. We ended up buying a connecting rod from Citroen, so we could measure it. We fixed the engine and we never saw the car again. At that time, we never wanted to see another one, but memories are short....
Thanks for reviewing the magnificent Citroen SM model! It should be mentioned that this car in 1972 won the Motor Trend Magazine "Car of the Year" award (when they only awarded one vehicle per calendar year.) The design has aged very well and still looks quite contemporary today!
In 1974, at 11 years old I felt pressure to name the ultimate car I'd ask for if offered my choice. Citroën SM was it for me, although the Porsche Turbo Carrera got some side-eye.
The first Citroen that I ever laid eyes on was when I lived in Spain as a Mormon missionary (a past I truly regret *cough) and since we missionaries were only allowed to move around on foot I saw my first Citroen DS taxi coming towards us way out in the middle of nowhere on the NW coastline above Portugal (tithe hamlet of Pontevedra that was ruined by an Exxon Valdez type oil spill). We Got in the back seat on this very hilly and curvy road and I was flabbergasted at the ride. We were just floating above the road and felt NOTHING! I fell in love immediately and wondered why we didn't have this brilliant car all over the US but of course decades later I learned about the unique properties of the suspension with the green fluid that ran most of the cars underpinnings. Just BRILLIANT engineering and I was so sad when I got back to Tucson Arizona and saw a 1975 SM sitting in the sun next to a gas station just rotting in the Arizona sun...heartbreaking but those shade tree gas jockeys had no clue what they were looking at and the dealers had all vanished from the US (reputable dealers) by then. Yup - just stunning cars and in my opinion they still kick the modern cars right to the curb even today....Thanks for this wonderful video history and education buddy, you never fail to deliver. I am a HUGE fan and yes, I have owned many of the 1970's Fords and merc/Lincolns that you still have in your collection. I still drive my 2005 Merc Grand Marquis daily with only 110k on the clock and it has NEVER failed me other than the AC which just died las week and has been replaced. I Best damned car I have ever owned and identical to the Lincolns in every way except the formal rear roof line. Love the 4.6 V-8 on the Panther platform. Cruises on the freeway at 100 MPH all day long in pure comfort and ya just gotta do that Italian tune up at teat speed for awhile, right???? LOLOL
One of several surprising stories about Mitt Romney and motor vehicles was the accident he had in France driving a Citroen DS while working as a Mormon missionary in 1967. I think it was the other guy's fault, but there was some contention that the whole missionary thing got him out of the draft; I don't remember if that was well founded. Another was of his family vacationing in a 1977 Chevy wagon; they had no room inside for the dog, so they strapped the dog carrier to the roof rack; dog lovers were not amused by that one. Finally, Romney was arrested on Lake Cochituate in Natick, MA because he refused to stop using his boat with an expired registration (or maybe license); he thought that being rich enough to pay the fine, he could just go on boating illegally. The cop didn't see it that way. Whatever their vices and virtues, there is no shortage of strange stories involving the Romneys.
A friend of mine had one in the early 2000s. It was such a fabulous car, everyone stared at it and gathered around to talk about it. It was VERY unreliable and constantly breaking down and of course there was no mechanic in town who knew anything about them. That aside it was the most incredible vehicle and beautiful to ride in, so smooth and the engine sounded beautiful.
I remember in my first job as a mechanic we had a ‘72 SM come in. My boss said it was a piece of junk, I found it a fascinating car. This particular one had six complete exhaust systems from engine to tail pipes. Also the entire underside was plated in with steel panels. I was impressed by the interior layout especially. I didn’t even know about the hydro pneumatic suspension then, but I could see the car was designed all day high speed driving. When in ran it sounded like a V8.
Thank you for this video on one my personal favorites. These cars were engineered like no others and still look as futuristic today as the day they were produced even back to the 50's. Thanks again!
I visited an exotic car dealership in Chicago in 1973 that had just put an SM onto their showroom floor and was just amazed at how different luxury European cars were compared to the muscle cars I had been driving, especially how much more ergonomic were the interiors and switchgear. Of course I wanted one, but at age 19 that wasn’t in the cards! 😉 I was greatly excited to see one in action in The Longest Yard with Burt behind the wheel. 👍
Thanks for this one! I am lucky enough to have a DS (Break) and an SM, and they are just the very best cars. Fun bit of trivia: The Euro-spec front ends were available for the first couple of years in Canada, and I was able to procure one for my 1973 model. I think the SM interior is the best of any postwar car; it still looks contemporary today, and was just so far ahead when the car was introduced. As with the DS, rust is the enemy, but once sorted, they are without peer in terms of ride quality. I was very happy to hear that you are also a fan of French cars! I think that a Peugeot 604 would be a nice fit in your collection of "executive cruisers"! Thanks again for all of your quality productions... All the very best from Canada.
my granddad had a Panhard from the late 50s as his work car, he loved it, white with red interior. as kids we loved it for the rumbly 2 stroke engine and modern white dash...just lovely. However my grandmother didn't share our admiration and refused to ride in it, but then his other car was a 55 Olds 98.
I was always mesmerized by the advanced looks of the Citroen SM from the first picture in a car magazine to actually seeing one in person. In the mid-1970s a white SM resided in a garage in Austin's posh Highland Hills neighborhood. The last time I saw an SM was years later in a used car lot. Despite it being hunkered down at its lowest setting and a large puddle of hydraulic fluid beneath it, this sand beige metallic SM still looked like a rocketship from the future.
Absolute museum pieces , the french culture is so intricate , and esquite. What a marvel at how cultures make art come out differently. What a cool video , thank a bizunch
@@johnstapler5956 NGL, the Maserati 90° V6 was a suboptimal design. Inherently imbalanced since it was based off the V8. 1st gen SHO powerplant? Love that engine.
I think the SM is the best looking grand tourer ever made. Full stop. It's litterally an art piece on wheels. And with that famous suspension system, you could drive it from the tip of Jutland all the way down to the Mesina Strait without breaking a sweat. And on the way down, you could nip by along the Amalfi coast, and you wouldn't look out of place...
The first time I saw one of these was at the 1973 Detroit Auto Show, and I really loved it. At the time, I couldn’t get over how modern and futuristic it looked, and I think the design has held up really well. It’s still one of my favorite cars.
I saw my first Citroen in the summer of 1973. It left me confused because the lines were rather convoluted to my eyes yet I could, even at the age of 17 see that it was super high quality. Unfortunately I have never had the opportunity to drive one but hopefully the experience will avail itself at some point.
Adam,my uncle in Greece that turned me onto Group B rally racing when I was a kid owned one of those SMs. He was a master at rowing through the gated shifter. I always loved riding in it and I watched him drive it on 3 wheels.Mike the Greek
In 1980, we visited family in Indianapolis over Christmas. We went to a house on the east side of the city, near the Riley towers. There in the garage was a Citroën SM. I was basically led out to the garage to look at it. Perhaps mom knew that I had a Matchbox of this very car? Not sure, but I knew it was special.
I worked on a non-fuel-injected model in the late 70s and was so surprised when we hoisted the car and found those in-board brake discs. Not an easy brake job to perform in those days without special equipment. Many of the steering-controlled headlamp cars came into the US through Japan from returning servicemen since they COULD be sold in Japan.
May have already been said but with the bizarre complexity of French engineering and robust bulletproof reliability/S!!! of Italian powerplants SM wasn't the model designation, it was telling you that being into S&M was a prerequisite of ownership.
I think it is a good thing to include extraordinary European /Japanese cars into this channel which very much helps evaluate with a different view angle extraordinary automotive design and tech conceived in the US at the time.
Last year on the Autobahn here in Germany a SM overtakes my at really high speed (round about 170-180m/h) driven by a very old man. A surreal but cool moment.
I remember as a teenager reading up on the SM when it was named car of the year in Motor Trend magazine in '72 and was absolutely fascinated by it (I'm now 66yo and still a subscriber to Motor Trend by the way - that's a lot of magazines)! They also had side by side pictures of the headlight differences between the Euro and American SM's and thought the sealed beam American version really ruined the look of the front end. Although great looking cars, I've heard these are a nightmare to restore and need constant "attention" to keep on the road and were never really considered "every day reliable transportation" even when new.
A few extra items to note... Like the DS, under medium to heavy braking there was no nose dive, the front and rear would squat together plus there was a load proportion valve which was like an early antilock rear brakes.. The steering was 2 turns lock to lock with Power Self Centring (also on the CX with 2.5 turns lock to lock.) A phenomenal high speed tourer, especially on intermediate roads.
Nice diversion from all the American iron Adam! The SM was, and still is, an automotive engineering tour-de-force. Not sure if I'd ever want to own one but they are cool to look at and ride in. Happily, many US spec cars have since been retrofitted with the European lamps.
These are such timelessly beautiful cars! Ever since I had the Corgi version as a kid, I have been amazed by them and consider it the best-looking French car, by far. And those seats! It would be fun to drive one someday. Thank you for featuring this car, Adam.
My compliments for your pronounciation of Citroën and Peugeot. Fun fact, the name Citroën is a frenchified name from Dutch (Citroen), meaning Lemon.🙂André Citroëns family from his father's side came from the Netherlands and as the French don't know how to pronounce the Dutch "oe" sound, he changed it to "oë".
Growing up in the late 70's, early 80's we had a neighbor who had one (US Spec) certainly the coolest looking car on the block but, being that we lived in Oklahoma it was kind of hard to find someone who could service it. He only had it a few years before selling it.
I had a Peugeot 504 and you’re right. That’s one of the most comfortable rides I’ve ever experienced. Zero power but beautiful driving experience. Big steering wheel. Sliding steel sun roof.
My dad had a customer who owned several Citroens, which we pronounced as "Sit-Ron." Alas, this man, nicest guy, always smiling, was very fat, and this was in the days when being so heavy was rare. He went in for "stomach surgery." He came out, lost a lot of weight, never smiled any more, and then died, at age under 40. Very sad. I know these surgeries are MUCH less risky now than they were 50 years ago.
My wealthy high school buddy's parents had one, along with an Audi 5000. His pop was a local surgeon. I remember looking under the hood and wondering what the heck all these green spheres did! Meanwhile, the rest of the neighborhood drove Plymouth Valiants.
They were so cool, but I got a Lincoln Mark III 1971 because I knew it would work, and it did. Still, I am attracted to this wicked woman and a basket case in terms of reliability. The Mark III got 18 MPG at 65 mph and was ultra reliable. Still, the Citroen SM Was Sexy ! ! !
The steering ratio was indeed ultra-quick compared to its contemporaries, but the Americans were not as slow as described here. By the early 1970s the Fords still had bog-slow power steering at 4.0 turns lock-to-lock, Chryslers were 3.5 turns, and GMs, which were largely the wonderful Saginaw variable-ratio gear, were typically between 3.0 and 3.5, if memory serves.
I remember seeing these at auto shows in Boston in the early seventies. At that time the vast majority of people attending auto shows were mainly interested in American cars, so these cars, as well as other obscure foreign cars were all displayed off to the side of the shows getting very little attention.
Citroen got the Maserati engine, and the Maserati Bora and Merak got the Citroen hydropneumatic system - including the headlamps, pedal adjustment and seat adjustment - the Bora's 5-liter V8 was awesome to drive - a favorite trick was to have someone sit on top of the pop-up headlamps when "down" and then "pop them open" - the hydraulics would throw you off of the car.
Adam if you just wanted to flex your perfect _Francias_ you could've just said so ... we would've watched anyway 😂😂 Good job, Great vid per usual buddy👌✌👍
Watched Scott @Cold War Motors do a top-shelf resto on a DS then immediately drive it across Canada to deliver it (Edmond AB to Montreal ON!). He's also got a Safari wagon he drives seasonally and an SM queued up to restore. Rarely see any Citroens being driven here in Monterey California despite this being ground zero for classic cars and Euro exotica. They were relatively popular rich-guy cars back in SE Pennsylvania when new; legendary for their unsurpassed ride but quirky and finicky and expensive to maintain since new. Also legedary for rust, weren't they?
As an SM owner I hear all sorts of misinformation about them. You've done well, except for mentioning that the engine lived on in the Maserati Biturbo. It didn't. The Biturbo engine was based on the C114 in the SM, but was very different. It had turbos, it had 3 valves per cylinder, it had timing belts instead of chains, it was 2.0 Litres, 2.5 Litres etc. Not the same engine at all
Thank you Adam. I recall this car and the film The Longest Yard where it was featured. I recall how Burt Reynolds drove this car in the film and the actress Anitra Ford told him do you take my Maserati. I thought the SM was interesting looking. I have been in two Citroens. The 1970 DS and the larger model from the late 1980's. Thank you for sharing this car.
The jack shaft which turned the belt to power the accessories was done that way to make servicing much easier. The Maserati engine faced backwards because the clutch and transmission are at the front of the car. If not for the jack shaft, all those belt driven accessories would have been facing the firewall, and completely impossible to fix. Not sure who called it an eccentric shaft, which would mean it is not mounted on its axis, so wobbles as it turns. It’s unusual, but not technically “eccentric”. Also, I think the ID and DS used the same thing.
Adam, with all due respect Bentley (and Rolls-Royce) did not use the Citroën hydraulic suspension system. They did, however, use certain aspects of it, but the two systems are very different. Additionally, you missed a unique instrumentation point in the SM (and the DS): the speedometer incorporates braking distance calibration.
Very interesting. When I was 19 I had a 1972 ( if memory serves) Peugeot 504. Fun little sedan with long suspension travel. Transmission went south and that was that.
If you ever watch the movie "Gattaca" it features a Citroen DS, which is the predecessor to the SM and with similar styling. They still look futuristic today! The SM reminds me slightly of the early Honda Insight hybrid cars. They had very "aero" styling and fender skirts. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Honda took some inspiration from Citroen when designing those cars.
My father had one and it was fantastic, but by the end of his ownership every one of the family knew the name of the mechanic because my dad has been so much time there, the car was serviced at a Costa Mesa dealership
It's fair to say Citroen's amazing suspension system saved French President Charles de Gaulle's life. At the Petit Clamart assassination attempt in August 1962, OAS terrorists machine-gunned his DS, but chauffeur François Marroux was able to carry on driving despite tyres being shot out. Speaking to his Prime Minister afterwards de Gaulle said, "My dear fellow, those men shot like pigs!". He had extraordinary sang-froid, & died eight years later, peacefully, at home.
It's awesome that you review a foreign car Adam! May I suggest a VW Corrado or Porsche 928 next? My neighbor has three Citroens: An ID, a DS, and an SM. He says the SM is by far the most fun to drive, but still not all that fast. But it is also the most trouble of the three. Great video!
Авто/Мото
I own an SM. I used to work at a garage in Los Angeles called “SM World” which specialized in the SM. My boss, the late Jerry Hathaway, was close friends with Jay Leno, and we would work on his Citroëns. The only job I’ve ever had where I would choose to go in on my day off. I own a ‘75, Euro-spec headlights, 3.0L with EFI swapped for Bosch K-Jetronic MFI, 5MT. The Hydro-Pneumatic system is quirky, but makes sense once you learn how it works. As long as everything is well-maintained and allowed to warm-up before being driven, it’s fine. The engine needs to stretch, but once it has done so, it needs to be exercised. Classic Maserati DOHC engines need to be allowed to get into the high rev range, don’t short-shift it. If something does go wrong, however, it can go very very wrong, especially in regards to the hydropneumatic system.
Awesome!
Nice! I used to work for George at Sunset Coachmen in NC. We were mostly Peugeot, but got the opportunity to work on a quite a few DS and SM too.
*EDIT
Sorry to hear about Jerry's passing. He helped me out immensely on a particularly troublesome Palais. Pinched pipe from a poorly spotted lift.
Remembering Jerry. Always accessible for support for SM enthusiasts
There are few people I envy. You are one.
When you have a job that you’re happy to go to on your day off, you’re not actually ‘working’ for a living…you’re actually being paid to enjoy what you do. I too had a job like that for the past 20+ years
There's an axiom I heard about the French.
"The French copies nobody and nobody copies the French"
I'm french, and I learnt to drive on a Citroën SM. It was new at the time, and my dad also had a DS, which was my favourite car to drive. They were original and very well engineered. Even today, I don't see any other cars that are innovative as these.
No mention of the DIRAVI power steering system? Speed sensitive, actively self centering and effectively "steer by wire, errr, hydraulics". In normal operation there is no mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the mechanical steering mechanism. Only in the event of a high pressure hydraulics failure an emergency steering column is used to safely guide the vehicle to a stop. Thanks to the active self centering the SM (and later CX) are also exceptionally stable in cross-winds, in part helped by the superb for their time Aerodynamics (Cd of 0.338), even with the somewhat lackluster power of the Maserati V6 and 1.6ton curb weight these cars can quite happily drive at 140mph all day long. In theory. The SM chassis and engine are also the base for the ultra rare 1975 Maserati Quattroporte II.
During development of said Maserati, one SM was equipped with a 260hp V8 engine, and in fact the standard chassis could quite easily take that extra power with minimal modifications.
And finally, the optional factory "alloy" wheels were actually made from glass fiber reinforced plastic, they were developed by Michelin for the SMs rally efforts (rather successful ones) and weighed about half of what the standard steel wheels with covers weighed.
Well said. I owned a few CX's, all had the same DIRAVI steering. Magical, especially on the open road. So sure footed.
Used to quality content on this channel, my appreciation for it rose to a new level today!
Refreshing to see a Euro car here for sure.
A true piece of rolling art. From the smart and stylish design themes, to the engineering marvels, the SM delivers. Like any good piece of art, you either Love it or hate it. Myself I Love it.
Ultra-smooth ride and huge interiors. Engineering tour-de-force from France.
One of the most important cars ever made, in styling and engineering. 50 years after introduction it still looks like a future concept.
I’m one of those uh… uncommon people who truly delights in the sometimes brilliant idiosyncrasies that is the French automobile industry.
It’s a beautiful car!
WEIRDO! 😁 Love it.
Circa 1973, when I was just a kid, I noticed a Citroën SM that was regularly being parked in our small town. I was instantly fascinated by it, it’s such a cool-looking car! I wrote a letter to the Citroën company requesting a sales brochure to learn more about the vehicle and so I could have some pictures of it. A couple of months later my mom answered the doorbell to a man who was looking for Thomas (that’s me). When my mom asked what it was about, he explained that I’d requested information about the SM, and he was from the not-so-local car dealership that sold them.
My mom told him, “Well, Thomas is here…but he’s twelve years old.”
I don’t think I ever got the sales brochure; he must’ve left pretty dejected.
I was into French cars in the late 90s to early 00s. Worked for a Peugeot specialist during the time. Got the opportunity to mess with a few SMs and quite a few more DSs. Amazing cars.
Left there and gravitated back towards Porsche, but still respect Citroen cars of this era immensely.
Adam, your French pronunciation is very good for an American car guy. The pretty girls were in French class in HS. Thats why it was my first foreign language.
Adam's from the Franco-American city of Détroit, Michigan.
A friendly poke from your bilingual neighbour to the north. 😊
Part of the problem with Citroen in the US was too many people would "mess with" them.
I had a couple of SMs. Brilliant, in the best French tradition. The Italian bits… perhaps not so much.
A feature you don’t mention, Adam, is worthy of renown… the CARBON FIBER road wheels shown on several examples here. A very rare factory option, they were developed and produced by Michelin. I acquired a set in the 1980s, which was one of fifty reproduction sets made at the behest of the SM Club of France. I took one by the edge of the rim, with two fingers, and easily lifted it at arm’s length. I don’t recall the weight, but it was like a feather. Those rims were on the SMs that came 1 - 2 in the Morocco Rally, so they were rigged, to boot. Those, along with the inboard disc brakes, mitigated to some extent the quirky steering/road feel by virtue of extremely low unsprung weight, though these cars were notorious understeerers and there was nothing to be done about that.
Another most advanced feature was rear ABS… as the rear axle unloaded, the height corrector for the hydropneumatic suspension, as it worked to lower the rear ride height, had an ancillary function which was to reduce rear brake pressure as well, which was coming not from the driver’s foot or vacuum boost, but from the high-pressure pump by way of the “champignon” brake valve. This feature got me out of trouble one night when I had to drop anchor at speed on a slick stretch of I-75.
Weak spots not mentioned:
Timing chains/tensioners! (Aftermarket solutions have been developed… if one hasn’t yet lunched their Maserati V6.)
Carbon water pump seals…
Sodium-cooled exhaust valves that come apart at the seams… Stainless replacements are available… again, if your engine hasn’t shot craps…
Reciprocating OEM A/C compressors… Either Citroen failed to do a torsional vibration analysis or it was done all wrong… Sankyo rotary compressor is the solution… again, if your V6 ain’t yet blown chunks due to this engineering fumble.
The SM was an exquisite prototype… with the customer doing the shakedown run…
*rugged*
I wonder if installing a clutched alternator pulley would be worthwhile on these? I suppose the engine runs smooth enough it's not a huge source of backward loading.
Now we’re talking. The SM is in my “dream car garage,” as is the DS on which it was based.
And thank you for taking the effort to pronounce Citroen correctly, a level of respect some other American RUclipsrs could learn to emulate.
I concur ... I was going to make a similar comment, but decided to see if anyone else mentioned it !
(Having said that, your “English” pronunciation of Jaguar needs, um, work…)
I clicked on this video so fast! I loved going to see these cars at the dealership down the street from our house in the 1970's. I remember seeing a Peugeot without sealed beam headlights and that made me so excited because I hated our sealed beam terrible headlights that were required in the USA.
This car reminds of something my art teacher once said, "It might be art, but it's not hanging on my wall."
I would love to have a Citroën. DS, SM, whatever. Just cool cars
I love the Traction Avant as well. Didn't Adam start a "Gangster Car" series recently? That one should be on there.
Amazing, amazing automobiles. A DS is on my lottery list; preferably a European model w/ covered , moving head / cornering lights. Thanks for featuring this fantastic car!
One of my favorite cars and the 1972 Motor Trend Car of the Year. My uncle owned a 1961 DS wagon back in the day. It was unlike anything else on the road, so advanced for its time. I recall how incredibly well it rode, its single spoke steering wheel and the bulb for the brake pedal. Thanks for the memories!
One of the Life Members of the Citroen Car Club of NSW and Founding members turned 100 in May 2024. Conversion of LHD to Right Hand Drive on a SM is one of the most challenging of any cars. Bruce Scott-Smith did so in his Sydney suburban garage...
Such was the quality of conversion the engineer certifying it for registration thought it was a factory produced RHD. A reverse mould for the dashboard was made up and 3 RHD dashboards cast... I had a fabulous drive of his 1971 SM down the Southern Highlands and back up the South Coast.... awesome.
The closest I can to ownership of a SM was a 1978 CX Prestige 2400 EFI 5 speed.
Magic for eating the vast Aussie open road distances.
From my auto tech's point of view, and I actually worked on these, the Citroen SM was a very quirky car, and trouble prone. These cars were as foreign to an American as you could get.
The oil-based hydraulic fluid, which we called green cool aide, because that's what it looked like. I remember that it was sold by Citroen dealers in one or one-half liter rectangular plastic bottle for $50. In the mid-70's, I remember these with stickers of $13K, which was quite pricey for the time. They were also available with a 3 spd. automatic transmission. They sat in showrooms for a long time, so I imagine the dealers had to discount them to dispose of them.
Rolls-Royce and Bentley licensed the system from Citroen, which not only was used for rear suspension leveling and the brake system. They referred to it as a mineral oil system. It was actually Castrol Mineral oil and was much cheaper than the Citroen fluid. It was a much more reliable system than R-R's previous Castrol LMA brake fluid system. Jaguar used this system for it's automatic rear leveling suspension in the XJ6 cars from 1988-93. This was problematic and expensive to work on. When Ford took over Jaguar, this system was the 1st to go.
Anyway, I could buy this Castrol mineral oil from my Roll-Royce part supplier for less than the Jaguar dealer's paid for their version. Same exact bottle but with different car logos on them.
The original Citroen Dealer in town stopped selling the SM's when the car was discontinued. The factory-trained Citroen mechanic left the dealership for parts unknown. Citroen of America no longer brough cars into the U.S., but they still maintained a parts inventory. We were dealing with and buying parts directly from them. They started referring Citroen owners to us. That's where this next car came from. It was an unfortunate mistake.
The Maserati V6 was a nightmare. A major problem was the water pump, and not just because it was it was mounted to the engine end which was up against the firewall. The water pump was mounted in the timing cover and used "O" rings to keep the coolant out of the crankcase. They would fail and the water would mix with the engine oil, creating a brown slurry with the consistency of pudding. The car owner didn't want to spend any more on the car. He sold it to a guy who bought it for parts from So. Cal. When he came to trailer the car back, he told us that he paid our customer $3K. We were surprised the amount was so much and he stated that when he sold the rear window, he would get more than that back, plus he would still have all the rest of the parts to sell.
Now, we cut our teeth on a 1973 Citroen SM a few years before. Everything was usual for that car, all those problems associated with French cars. Then, they spun a rod bearing in the engine. We ended up buying a factory workshop manual, but it was written in French. We were looking for machine specs so we could repair the engine. There were none in the manual. We ended up buying a connecting rod from Citroen, so we could measure it. We fixed the engine and we never saw the car again. At that time, we never wanted to see another one, but memories are short....
Thanks for reviewing the magnificent Citroen SM model! It should be mentioned that this car in 1972 won the Motor Trend Magazine "Car of the Year" award (when they only awarded one vehicle per calendar year.) The design has aged very well and still looks quite contemporary today!
Happy watch any video you make on cars. Just take me for a ride of information
In 1974, at 11 years old I felt pressure to name the ultimate car I'd ask for if offered my choice. Citroën SM was it for me, although the Porsche Turbo Carrera got some side-eye.
The first Citroen that I ever laid eyes on was when I lived in Spain as a Mormon missionary (a past I truly regret *cough) and since we missionaries were only allowed to move around on foot I saw my first Citroen DS taxi coming towards us way out in the middle of nowhere on the NW coastline above Portugal (tithe hamlet of Pontevedra that was ruined by an Exxon Valdez type oil spill). We Got in the back seat on this very hilly and curvy road and I was flabbergasted at the ride. We were just floating above the road and felt NOTHING! I fell in love immediately and wondered why we didn't have this brilliant car all over the US but of course decades later I learned about the unique properties of the suspension with the green fluid that ran most of the cars underpinnings. Just BRILLIANT engineering and I was so sad when I got back to Tucson Arizona and saw a 1975 SM sitting in the sun next to a gas station just rotting in the Arizona sun...heartbreaking but those shade tree gas jockeys had no clue what they were looking at and the dealers had all vanished from the US (reputable dealers) by then.
Yup - just stunning cars and in my opinion they still kick the modern cars right to the curb even today....Thanks for this wonderful video history and education buddy, you never fail to deliver. I am a HUGE fan and yes, I have owned many of the 1970's Fords and merc/Lincolns that you still have in your collection. I still drive my 2005 Merc Grand Marquis daily with only 110k on the clock and it has NEVER failed me other than the AC which just died las week and has been replaced. I Best damned car I have ever owned and identical to the Lincolns in every way except the formal rear roof line. Love the 4.6 V-8 on the Panther platform. Cruises on the freeway at 100 MPH all day long in pure comfort and ya just gotta do that Italian tune up at teat speed for awhile, right???? LOLOL
One of several surprising stories about Mitt Romney and motor vehicles was the accident he had in France driving a Citroen DS while working as a Mormon missionary in 1967. I think it was the other guy's fault, but there was some contention that the whole missionary thing got him out of the draft; I don't remember if that was well founded. Another was of his family vacationing in a 1977 Chevy wagon; they had no room inside for the dog, so they strapped the dog carrier to the roof rack; dog lovers were not amused by that one. Finally, Romney was arrested on Lake Cochituate in Natick, MA because he refused to stop using his boat with an expired registration (or maybe license); he thought that being rich enough to pay the fine, he could just go on boating illegally. The cop didn't see it that way. Whatever their vices and virtues, there is no shortage of strange stories involving the Romneys.
A friend of mine had one in the early 2000s. It was such a fabulous car, everyone stared at it and gathered around to talk about it. It was VERY unreliable and constantly breaking down and of course there was no mechanic in town who knew anything about them. That aside it was the most incredible vehicle and beautiful to ride in, so smooth and the engine sounded beautiful.
I remember in my first job as a mechanic we had a ‘72 SM come in. My boss said it was a piece of junk, I found it a fascinating car. This particular one had six complete exhaust systems from engine to tail pipes. Also the entire underside was plated in with steel panels. I was impressed by the interior layout especially. I didn’t even know about the hydro pneumatic suspension then, but I could see the car was designed all day high speed driving. When in ran it sounded like a V8.
People who can'r fix them call them junk. People who understand them, love them.
@@andoletubemechanics hate complicated cars
One of the most beautiful cars ever made
Thank you for this video on one my personal favorites. These cars were engineered like no others and still look as futuristic today as the day they were produced even back to the 50's. Thanks again!
I visited an exotic car dealership in Chicago in 1973 that had just put an SM onto their showroom floor and was just amazed at how different luxury European cars were compared to the muscle cars I had been driving, especially how much more ergonomic were the interiors and switchgear. Of course I wanted one, but at age 19 that wasn’t in the cards! 😉 I was greatly excited to see one in action in The Longest Yard with Burt behind the wheel. 👍
I saw my first SM in 1971 and although I didn't like what was done to it for the U.S. market, it was one of the most beautiful cars I had ever seen.
‘The French copy no one, and no one copies the French.’ And many of us frequently love them precisely because of that!
Thanks for this one! I am lucky enough to have a DS (Break) and an SM, and they are just the very best cars. Fun bit of trivia: The Euro-spec front ends were available for the first couple of years in Canada, and I was able to procure one for my 1973 model. I think the SM interior is the best of any postwar car; it still looks contemporary today, and was just so far ahead when the car was introduced. As with the DS, rust is the enemy, but once sorted, they are without peer in terms of ride quality. I was very happy to hear that you are also a fan of French cars! I think that a Peugeot 604 would be a nice fit in your collection of "executive cruisers"! Thanks again for all of your quality productions... All the very best from Canada.
my granddad had a Panhard from the late 50s as his work car, he loved it, white with red interior. as kids we loved it for the rumbly 2 stroke engine and modern white dash...just lovely. However my grandmother didn't share our admiration and refused to ride in it, but then his other car was a 55 Olds 98.
I was always mesmerized by the advanced looks of the Citroen SM from the first picture in a car magazine to actually seeing one in person. In the mid-1970s a white SM resided in a garage in Austin's posh Highland Hills neighborhood. The last time I saw an SM was years later in a used car lot. Despite it being hunkered down at its lowest setting and a large puddle of hydraulic fluid beneath it, this sand beige metallic SM still looked like a rocketship from the future.
Absolute museum pieces , the french culture is so intricate , and esquite. What a marvel at how cultures make art come out differently. What a cool video , thank a bizunch
I love SMs. They're unique and beautiful. I know I'll take some flak but a restomod could be sweet as part of the fleet.
Nice car
Despite not being a fan of restomods myself, I can sure see why you'd be in favor of it.
@@johnstapler5956 NGL, the Maserati 90° V6 was a suboptimal design. Inherently imbalanced since it was based off the V8.
1st gen SHO powerplant? Love that engine.
I think the SM is the best looking grand tourer ever made. Full stop. It's litterally an art piece on wheels. And with that famous suspension system, you could drive it from the tip of Jutland all the way down to the Mesina Strait without breaking a sweat. And on the way down, you could nip by along the Amalfi coast, and you wouldn't look out of place...
also love the four-door Opéra and Présidentielle versions.
The first time I saw one of these was at the 1973 Detroit Auto Show, and I really loved it. At the time, I couldn’t get over how modern and futuristic it looked, and I think the design has held up really well. It’s still one of my favorite cars.
My absolute favourite motor car of all time. ❤😊
I saw my first Citroen in the summer of 1973. It left me confused because the lines were rather convoluted to my eyes yet I could, even at the age of 17 see that it was super high quality. Unfortunately I have never had the opportunity to drive one but hopefully the experience will avail itself at some point.
Adam,my uncle in Greece that turned me onto Group B rally racing when I was a kid owned one of those SMs. He was a master at rowing through the gated shifter. I always loved riding in it and I watched him drive it on 3 wheels.Mike the Greek
In 1980, we visited family in Indianapolis over Christmas. We went to a house on the east side of the city, near the Riley towers. There in the garage was a Citroën SM. I was basically led out to the garage to look at it. Perhaps mom knew that I had a Matchbox of this very car? Not sure, but I knew it was special.
I worked on a non-fuel-injected model in the late 70s and was so surprised when we hoisted the car and found those in-board brake discs. Not an easy brake job to perform in those days without special equipment. Many of the steering-controlled headlamp cars came into the US through Japan from returning servicemen since they COULD be sold in Japan.
May have already been said but with the bizarre complexity of French engineering and robust bulletproof reliability/S!!! of Italian powerplants SM wasn't the model designation, it was telling you that being into S&M was a prerequisite of ownership.
I think it is a good thing to include extraordinary European /Japanese cars into this channel which very much helps evaluate with a different view angle extraordinary automotive design and tech conceived in the US at the time.
Bravo on your great French . My absolute dream car.
Love from Canada
I too was impressed with his pronunciation, and I haven't studied French since junior high school!
Oui. Vraiment.
Well, Adam does live right on our doorstep, in Détroit!
Agreed, Adam's French pronunciation is impressive.
GM EV1 similar design .
I always wanted one of those.
A doctor had one at marina i worked at in NY .
Really unique.
Love it, Adam. Thanks for reviewing this one.
Thank you for showing the SM..I love watching your videos and the SM was always one of the cars I loved when I was younger and still today...
Last year on the Autobahn here in Germany a SM overtakes my at really high speed (round about 170-180m/h) driven by a very old man. A surreal but cool moment.
Great and surprising episode. I own an SM and it is really a commitment and lifestyle. Thanks!
Great way to express it
@RareClassicCars keep up the great programs. Since you are doing foreign cats also now, think about the Volvo 1800, which I also have.
Hi, the BiTurbo V6 is not related to the earlier SM/Merak engine. Its got timing belt and initially was 3 valves per cylinder.
I remember as a teenager reading up on the SM when it was named car of the year in Motor Trend magazine in '72 and was absolutely fascinated by it (I'm now 66yo and still a subscriber to Motor Trend by the way - that's a lot of magazines)! They also had side by side pictures of the headlight differences between the Euro and American SM's and thought the sealed beam American version really ruined the look of the front end. Although great looking cars, I've heard these are a nightmare to restore and need constant "attention" to keep on the road and were never really considered "every day reliable transportation" even when new.
A stunning Euro spec model with the Cibie rotating headlamps and flush, blade bumpers.
Glad to hear you pronounce the name, I'm sure I've been saying it wrong all these years. Fascinating and nice looking car.
A few extra items to note...
Like the DS, under medium to heavy braking there was no nose dive, the front and rear would squat together plus there was a load proportion valve which was like an early antilock rear brakes..
The steering was 2 turns lock to lock with Power Self Centring
(also on the CX with 2.5 turns lock to lock.)
A phenomenal high speed tourer, especially on intermediate roads.
A beautiful grand touring car. I think it was Motor Trend’s car of the year.
Motor Trend 1972 car of the year
Looks like an absolute mechanics nightmare to work on
Big time
I was horrified, when the engine compartment was shown 🤣
I'll pass!
@@Galfrid co called it a nightmare but this car is much worse.Adam likes it.I wouldn,t want anything to do with it.cj not co
Nice diversion from all the American iron Adam! The SM was, and still is, an automotive engineering tour-de-force. Not sure if I'd ever want to own one but they are cool to look at and ride in. Happily, many US spec cars have since been retrofitted with the European lamps.
These are such timelessly beautiful cars! Ever since I had the Corgi version as a kid, I have been amazed by them and consider it the best-looking French car, by far. And those seats! It would be fun to drive one someday. Thank you for featuring this car, Adam.
I had the Matchbox version! It was orange, and the last Matchbox car I ever had. I held onto that thing for years.
My compliments for your pronounciation of Citroën and Peugeot. Fun fact, the name Citroën is a frenchified name from Dutch (Citroen), meaning Lemon.🙂André Citroëns family from his father's side came from the Netherlands and as the French don't know how to pronounce the Dutch "oe" sound, he changed it to "oë".
Ha! Even before the video was rolling I was thinking about that scene in the Longest Yard! These were gorgeous cars.
Growing up in the late 70's, early 80's we had a neighbor who had one (US Spec) certainly the coolest looking car on the block but, being that we lived in Oklahoma it was kind of hard to find someone who could service it. He only had it a few years before selling it.
The SM and DS are two of my absolute favourite cars. Really good video and nicely explained
Love your content man! Continuous !
I had a Peugeot 504 and you’re right. That’s one of the most comfortable rides I’ve ever experienced. Zero power but beautiful driving experience. Big steering wheel. Sliding steel sun roof.
The engine looks exotic though. No power?
My dad had a customer who owned several Citroens, which we pronounced as "Sit-Ron."
Alas, this man, nicest guy, always smiling, was very fat, and this was in the days when being so heavy was rare.
He went in for "stomach surgery." He came out, lost a lot of weight, never smiled any more, and then died, at age under 40. Very sad. I know these surgeries are MUCH less risky now than they were 50 years ago.
Such a super sophisticated vehicle of its time, also is a very unique and good looking car as well!
It reminds me, somewhat, of the Taxi from the movie Back to the Future, but a bit newer.
Adam, this is a great "out of the box" episode.
Quirky, odd, funky and obscure content here lately Adam!!
Always liked these as well as it’s very quirky predecessor
My wealthy high school buddy's parents had one, along with an Audi 5000. His pop was a local surgeon. I remember looking under the hood and wondering what the heck all these green spheres did! Meanwhile, the rest of the neighborhood drove Plymouth Valiants.
They were so cool, but I got a Lincoln Mark III 1971 because I knew it would work, and it did.
Still, I am attracted to this wicked woman and a basket case in terms of reliability. The Mark III got 18 MPG at 65 mph and was ultra reliable. Still, the Citroen SM Was Sexy ! ! !
The steering ratio was indeed ultra-quick compared to its contemporaries, but the Americans were not as slow as described here. By the early 1970s the Fords still had bog-slow power steering at 4.0 turns lock-to-lock, Chryslers were 3.5 turns, and GMs, which were largely the wonderful Saginaw variable-ratio gear, were typically between 3.0 and 3.5, if memory serves.
I had a first gen Miata which also has quick steering. Lovely around town, but quite twitchy at interstate speeds!
Quirky...... A great descriptor for French cars. And that's why I luv 'em!
My all time favorite car. IMy other favorite car is a 1963.5 Falcon Sprint the Mustangs immediate predecessor .
I was always fascinated with these. Stunning looking and seem like had great features. Also Maserati Bora. Strange bedfellows at this time.
I remember seeing these at auto shows in Boston in the early seventies. At that time the vast majority of people attending auto shows were mainly interested in American cars, so these cars, as well as other obscure foreign cars were all displayed off to the side of the shows getting very little attention.
Citroen got the Maserati engine, and the Maserati Bora and Merak got the Citroen hydropneumatic system - including the headlamps, pedal adjustment and seat adjustment - the Bora's 5-liter V8 was awesome to drive - a favorite trick was to have someone sit on top of the pop-up headlamps when "down" and then "pop them open" - the hydraulics would throw you off of the car.
Adam if you just wanted to flex your perfect _Francias_ you could've just said so ... we would've watched anyway 😂😂
Good job, Great vid per usual buddy👌✌👍
You forgot to mention you can change a tire using the hydraulics and this car can be driven with 3 wheels
Watched Scott @Cold War Motors do a top-shelf resto on a DS then immediately drive it across Canada to deliver it (Edmond AB to Montreal ON!). He's also got a Safari wagon he drives seasonally and an SM queued up to restore. Rarely see any Citroens being driven here in Monterey California despite this being ground zero for classic cars and Euro exotica. They were relatively popular rich-guy cars back in SE Pennsylvania when new; legendary for their unsurpassed ride but quirky and finicky and expensive to maintain since new. Also legedary for rust, weren't they?
As an SM owner I hear all sorts of misinformation about them. You've done well, except for mentioning that the engine lived on in the Maserati Biturbo. It didn't. The Biturbo engine was based on the C114 in the SM, but was very different. It had turbos, it had 3 valves per cylinder, it had timing belts instead of chains, it was 2.0 Litres, 2.5 Litres etc. Not the same engine at all
I have always love these because of there awesome looks.
We nicknamed them "Spaceship" back in the day. They were very rare in Florida.
Thank you Adam. I recall this car and the film The Longest Yard where it was featured. I recall how Burt Reynolds drove this car in the film and the actress Anitra Ford told him do you take my Maserati. I thought the SM was interesting looking. I have been in two Citroens. The 1970 DS and the larger model from the late 1980's. Thank you for sharing this car.
The jack shaft which turned the belt to power the accessories was done that way to make servicing much easier. The Maserati engine faced backwards because the clutch and transmission are at the front of the car. If not for the jack shaft, all those belt driven accessories would have been facing the firewall, and completely impossible to fix.
Not sure who called it an eccentric shaft, which would mean it is not mounted on its axis, so wobbles as it turns. It’s unusual, but not technically “eccentric”. Also, I think the ID and DS used the same thing.
Adam, with all due respect Bentley (and Rolls-Royce) did not use the Citroën hydraulic suspension system. They did, however, use certain aspects of it, but the two systems are very different. Additionally, you missed a unique instrumentation point in the SM (and the DS): the speedometer incorporates braking distance calibration.
SO BEAUTIFUL.......
Very interesting. When I was 19 I had a 1972 ( if memory serves) Peugeot 504. Fun little sedan with long suspension travel. Transmission went south and that was that.
If you ever watch the movie "Gattaca" it features a Citroen DS, which is the predecessor to the SM and with similar styling. They still look futuristic today! The SM reminds me slightly of the early Honda Insight hybrid cars. They had very "aero" styling and fender skirts. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Honda took some inspiration from Citroen when designing those cars.
My dream car in 1973, eclipsing even the Ford Pantera.
My father had one and it was fantastic, but by the end of his ownership every one of the family knew the name of the mechanic because my dad has been so much time there, the car was serviced at a Costa Mesa dealership
I'd love to have one 👍🇺🇸
13:37 the diagonal door handles - arm rests are spectacular. Off kilter, just like the entire car.
Thanks for covering my favourite car. My intention is to own one of these one day. Nice to hear some proper pronunciation too. Great content.
I greatly enjoy watching your videos….
Me too !!!
It's fair to say Citroen's amazing suspension system saved French President Charles de Gaulle's life. At the Petit Clamart assassination attempt in August 1962, OAS terrorists machine-gunned his DS, but chauffeur François Marroux was able to carry on driving despite tyres being shot out. Speaking to his Prime Minister afterwards de Gaulle said, "My dear fellow, those men shot like pigs!".
He had extraordinary sang-froid, & died eight years later, peacefully, at home.
The day of the jackal movie.
It's awesome that you review a foreign car Adam! May I suggest a VW Corrado or Porsche 928 next?
My neighbor has three Citroens: An ID, a DS, and an SM. He says the SM is by far the most fun to drive, but still not all that fast. But it is also the most trouble of the three.
Great video!
I never knew how to pronounce Citroen. Thank you.