Citroën SM: French luxury with a Maserati heart
A gran turismo that did almost everything its own way.
The Citroën SM combined Italian engine craftsmanship with French engineering stubbornness. Beneath Robert Opron’s long bodywork sat a Maserati V6, hydropneumatics and steering that wanted to return to the centre of its own accord. The result was one of the most distinctive luxury cars of the 1970s – and a classic that demands more than a handsome service book.
By Henrik SjöbergReporter · Special cars and classic carsTranslated from Swedish with the help of AI.
When Citroën gained access to Maserati
The Citroën SM, built from 1970–1975, was a new kind of French luxury coupé: front-wheel drive, hydropneumatic suspension and a V6 from Maserati. Here, the focus is on the original European 2.7-litre version from 1970. It was a gran turismo for long journeys at high speed, not a family car with a sports pack. Citroën wanted to combine the DS model’s technical lead with performance and prestige in a higher class.
When Citroën took control of Maserati in 1968, the project gained access to an engine manufacturer capable of delivering something more exotic than a further development of the DS four-cylinder engine. Maserati’s Giulio Alfieri was responsible for the compact V6. Its unusual 90-degree bank angle linked the design to Maserati’s V8 experience, but the engine was no simple workshop exercise in sawing off two cylinders.
Displacement was kept below 2.8 litres to avoid a higher French tax bracket. The engine sat well back in the front of the car, with the gearbox ahead of it. This allowed Citroën to retain front-wheel drive while giving the car the low nose its shape demanded. The collaboration was therefore more than an Italian badge on the cam covers: it influenced the layout of the entire car.
Opron’s long lines
The SM was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in 1970. Under Robert Opron’s direction, it gained a body that tapered towards the rear, with a long bonnet, generous glazing and partially covered rear wheels. The shape was as much about aerodynamic drag as making the car unmistakable. There was hardly much danger of confusing it with the neighbour’s Mercedes.
On European cars, six headlamps sat behind a continuous glass front; the innermost pair turned with the steering. American regulations demanded a different arrangement with four exposed, round headlamps. The nose therefore tells you something about the car’s origins, but imported and modified examples must be checked against their documentation.
Inside, the individuality continued with oval instruments and a single-spoke steering wheel. The seats were designed for long-distance travel, while the rear seat offered added practicality rather than limousine space. Leather was available, but is not in itself proof of original specification. The correct upholstery, instruments, controls and market-specific details matter a great deal in a collector’s car.
The luxury lay just as much beneath the bodywork. The hydropneumatic suspension maintained normal ride height even as the load changed. The engine provided the drama; the suspension was there to ensure the journey did not.
Steering that seeks the centre
The SM’s most idiosyncratic technology was DIRAVI. This was not ordinary power steering that merely helped the driver turn the wheels. The hydraulics also controlled the return to the straight-ahead position, and the centring resistance increased with speed. The steering wheel could return towards the centre even when the car was stationary with the system pressurised.
That explains why the system takes some getting used to. The driver works against an engineered centring resistance rather than the usual mixture of tyre forces and jolts from the road surface. The steering was also very direct. Small hand movements were enough; anyone turning the wheel as they would in an older car with slower steering simply applied more input than intended.
The aim was stable long-distance driving and minimal disturbance from bumps, not maximum mechanical feedback through the wheel. The short-travel brake button also demanded a different touch from a conventional pedal. The SM therefore asked its driver to learn afresh, but there was clear engineering thinking behind its peculiarities. This is a description of the design, not the editorial team’s own driving impressions.
Buy the history, not just the paintwork
Production stopped at 12 920 cars. During the model’s life, additions included fuel injection and a larger engine for automatic versions. Weak sales and Citroën’s financial reorganisation contributed to its demise in 1975. Today, a valuation should therefore be based on the exact version, originality and documented condition, not just the model name.
The Maserati engine needs expert attention. Ask for records of valve adjustment, the condition and tension of the timing chains, and cooling-system work. Invoices showing what has actually been done carry more weight than the phrase “engine rebuilt”. Modifications and improvements should be identified, not hidden behind gleaming covers.
Have an SM specialist workshop check hydraulic pressure, leaks, suspension spheres, steering and brakes. Also inspect the sills, floors and structural mounting points for rust and old repairs. Missing glass, trim or interior parts can prove difficult to replace. The best example is rarely the one that shines brightest in the advert photograph, but the one whose owner can explain every major workshop bill.
Sources
- Citroën Origins, SM
- Brian Long och Philippe Claverol, SM: Citroën's Maserati-Engined Supercar (2006)
- John Reynolds, Citroën: The Complete Story
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