1973 Citroën SM
Quick Specs
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2.7-Liter Maserati-sourced Aluminum DOHC V-6
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175 hp.
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12,900 (est.)
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$13,000 in 1973.
Technological Marvel: Brake-By-Button, Variable Steering Pioneer
In 1964, Robert Opron became Citroën’s chief stylist. He took over the then-conceptual sports car project and transformed it into the SM, a premium grand tourer with a space-age body that was even more cutting-edge than Bertoni’s DS (that it was based on). Sensing that it had a winning follow-up to the still-popular DS, Citroën set about finding a high-performance engine that worked as well mechanically as the body did aerodynamically. The answer came from Italy, and in January 1968, Citroën acquired noted sports car manufacturer Maserati, which then set about designing a compact, all-aluminum V-6. The SM also featured an all-new power-steering system, which had no direct connection to the wheels, and a self-leveling hydropneumatic independent suspension.
The steering system, named DIRAVI, used hydraulics to provide self-centering, helping eliminate torque steer and any tugging from potholes or other road deformities. It was also the first variable-assist power-steering system that required both greater steering effort at high speeds and lower steering effort at slow speeds and when parking. This combination of steering and suspension technology created highly refined driving characteristics. The Citroën SM’s advanced engineering resulted in a vehicle that was both maneuverable and stable regardless of speed, and journalists were united in their declaration that the experience of driving the car was unlike any that had come before. With its unparalleled combination of comfort, handling, power, and braking, along with its unique styling, it became the first foreign car to win Motor Trend’s Car of the Year award.
Collection of the Petersen Automotive Museum, gift of John Burnham
This vehicle featured in the ‘The Vault’.
1973 Citroen SM Gallery
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