1971 | Citroën SM

Citroën SM – French Grandeur with a Heart from Modena

Some cars try to be sports cars. And then there are cars so far ahead of their time they don’t even need comparisons. Welcome to the Citroën SM – the coupé so radical, Citroën had to buy Maserati just to build it.

Historical Context – A Marriage of Two Worlds

In the early 1970s, Citroën dreamed of a Grand Tourer as comfortable as a DS – but twice as fast. The problem? No one in France knew how to build an engine that could cruise reliably at 220 km/h. The solution? They knocked on Modena’s door – home to engines with more temperament than the French Revolution.

In 1968, Citroën bought Maserati. Seriously – an entire company acquisition just to get an engine for the SM. Alfieri Maserati had recently developed the silky-smooth V6 originally meant for the Merak. For the SM, it was downsized to 2.7 litres – enough to go toe-to-toe with Ferrari Dinos and Porsche 911 Turbos.

Engineering – Maserati V6, Made in Modena

Under the long bonnet of this spaceship lies no ordinary six-cylinder, but a genuine Maserati Tipo C114 V6 – built in Modena by the same mechanics who once assembled V8s and V12s for Italian GTs.

✅ 2.7-litre displacement, triple Weber carbs, 170 hp – a serious threat to Stuttgart at the time.
✅ A sound nothing like your average Citroën – pure Italian pulse and passion.
✅ A rev-happy engine wrapped in Citroën’s hydropneumatic silk – sporty when provoked, smooth as velvet when cruising.

The SM was the first and last Citroën to hit the road with so much Maserati DNA – a true unicorn of automotive history.

This Example – Cultured Eccentricity Meets Perfection

✅ Originally registered in France, spent decades in collector hands.
✅ Fully overhauled in 2025 by Citroën specialists who know not to treat a Maserati V6 like a 2CV.
✅ Body: freshly painted with taste – refined, without erasing its past.
✅ Interior: unrestored and original – a rare treat.
✅ Documentation includes invoices from the 1970s and ’80s, proving the engine’s Modena origin in black and white.

The Drive – The Maserati of Citroëns

Once behind the wheel, you’ll feel it immediately: this car wasn’t just made to glide. Push the V6 past 4,000 rpm and the SM transforms into a Grand Touring missile – but with suspension that makes you forget about French back roads altogether.

Conclusion – A Car Like No Other

The Citroën SM is more than a classic. It’s the only Citroën ever to carry a Maserati heart. A car that proves what happens when French engineering and Italian engine artistry join forces: a masterpiece never to be repeated.

If you want a Citroën that sounds like a small Maserati – voilà. And if you’d rather drive a normal sedan, then by all means – get yourself an XM Diesel.