1971 Citroën SM

The vehicle is a Citroën SM produced in 1971, with license plate 2112QQ91 and chassis number 00sb5448. To date, the odometer marks 8370 km.

There is no history of the maintenance carried out because Mr. Soeur, the current owner, is an expert mechanic with a remarkable career in Ferrari so he has always carried out the maintenance himself.

The car recently passed successfully the MOT inspection and it is equipped with a new starter motor and a new fuel pump.

This Citroën SM certainly does not go unnoticed given its might: 4.9 meters long, it is incredibly graceful because the tapered line guarantees excellent aerodynamics. The elusive tail with rich chrome details and the large front light cluster characterizes the car.

Always stored in the garage, the exterior of this specimen is in fair condition and the historic Burgundy paint needs some restoration work, especially along the proximity of the driver's side door and under the front of the vehicle. There are some superficial scratches and minor damage to the paint.

The bodywork is intact and no signs of repair are visible, the spaces between the panels are uniform and the overall exterior chrome parts are also in good condition. The Citroën badges are clearly visible and well preserved, the car model is shown on the rear pillars.

The front bumper, although not damaged, is not in good condition and the front chrome shows some signs of aging. The front grill is intact and undamaged. On the hood, the symbol of the French manufacturer decorates the air intake.

The two large optical groups dominate the front grille: divided into three sections consisting of two low beams (external) and four high beams (central). The internal pair of high beams follows the steering. The entire headlight assembly of six headlights is self-levelling according to the load of the car.

Visibility from inside the car is excellent thanks to the large windows the vehicle is equipped with.

The original wheels have been replaced with Delta Mics 5-spoke wheels which, with their gold-silver colour design, adorned with 5-wheel nuts, give the car an even sportier touch. The star shape of the rim is surrounded by Michelin tires in the size 205/70r14.

The well-preserved rear is dominated by the chrome plating that frames the large rectangular rear lights of the Citroën SM. Two well preserved tailpipes make their room at the ends of the shaped bumper which is in fair condition. The front and rear headlights are not opaque, a sign that the car has been well preserved from the weathering.

Unlike many of its competitors' coupes of the time, the SM is a true four-seater coupe. The two front seats are imposing and their comfort has always been praised by the press of the time. Although the two rear seats are inevitably smaller than the front ones, they still manage to ensure a fair margin of ease.

When opening the driver's door, the first thing that catches the eye is the simple and linear dashboard with three oval-shaped instruments, with the eyelid gradually descending towards the right of the passenger side.

The leather on the steering wheel is in very good condition, which unfortunately cannot be said about seats and door inserts.

The leather of the interior needs heavy restoration, as well as the tapestry (including the boot) while the chrome plating and the dashboard inserts are still pleasant to look at after more than fifty years of age. The high and practical gear lever stands out in the centre console.

Moving on to the mechanics, the engine marked with the initials C114 /1, is a 2670 cm³ V6 built under the supervision of Giulio Alfieri and therefore of Maserati origin. The architecture of this engine is made atypical by the 90 ° angle between the banks, an angle usually found in V8 engines. Among the other features of this engine we must certainly mention the power supply with three Weber 42DCNF double-barrel carburettors, and the double overhead camshaft distribution per bank. Despite this last feature, each cylinder head has two valves per cylinder. The maximum power achieved by this engine is 170 HP. With these characteristics, combined with the particular aerodynamic profile of the body, and considering a weight of only 1,450 kg, the top speed reaches 220 km/h. With the "SM", Citroën wanted to show how front-wheel drive can also lend itself to classy and high performance.

The chassis can tell the story of the car on its own. Lying under the vehicle you can see some signs of wear but there are no strange leaks or any damage. The hydro-pneumatic suspensions are based on the principle of four spheres filled to half with hydraulic fluid and half with air; these suspensions, taken from the DS, are a given on the Citroën SM. The hydraulic circuit distributes the flow of fluid according to the profile of the road surface keeping the car always in a level position. The particularly powerful braking system was considered the best in its class at the time: the system mounts discs on all four wheels. It is characterized by the presence of a device that prevents the rear wheels form locking of on slippery surfaces. This is not really a true ABS system, but the commitment of Citroën engineers is certainly worthy of attention.

Particular care in the restoration phase must certainly be taken to the steering arms.

The first owner of the Citroën SM in question received it in 1971 when, according to the production records of the Quai André Citroën plant, fewer than 6,000 units had been completed. The second owner, Mr. Soeur, bought it in 1979 from the widow of the original owner when the car had only covered 2000 kilometres.

Mr. Soeur has accumulated just over 6,000 kilometres on the car in 43 years, bringing the overall speedometer reading to 8370 kilometres.

The car is currently in France and is working perfectly, the Maserati engine seems to have just come out of the Modena factory.

In our opinion, this Citroën SM is a car of great interest for enthusiasts or for those wishing to expand their collection by adding a classic model of great historical interest. The defects in the description make it clear that the car, despite working perfectly, requires special attention (especially on the interior) to be fully enjoyed.

Price estimate for this Citroën SM: € 50.000 - € 80.000

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located in Laroque-des-Albères, France. To arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below or try our “Frequently Asked Questions”.