Description
The Waßmann No. 1 SM Cabriolet
When Citroën unveiled the SM at the 1970 Geneva Motor Show, it was the result of many years of development work. It combined aerodynamic and avant-garde design by in-house designer Robert Opron, an optimised and enhanced hydropneumatic suspension system, and a compact, powerful engine developed by Citroën's stake in Maserati.
The result was an unrivalled masterpiece that could reach 220 km/ h and, thanks to its sophisticated chassis, offered exceptional comfort—not without reason earning the nickname "the flying sofa."
The following year, Henri Chapron, who had built over 1, 000 cabriolets and numerous coupés based on the DS, presented the SM as a cabriolet. Due in part to the elaborate manufacturing process, these cost twice as much as the coupé. Only five examples were produced, and including later "recreations," a maximum of eight. These vehicles command prices exceeding €500, 000 on the market.
Approximately 20 years later, a northern German entrepreneur commissioned coachbuilder and vehicle engineer Norbert Waßmann from Zweibrücken in the Saarland to convert an SM into a cabriolet. The car presented here is the result and the first of just seven SM cabriolets built by Waßmann over 20 years.
Whilst naturally very similar to the Chapron conversions in outcome, Waßmann charted his own course. The result is a stunningly beautiful and elegantly proportioned automobile.
The starting point was a 1991 coupé with first registration in March 1972, owned from new. After the conversion, the car remained with the same owner until it was acquired by the current proprietor in 2021.
The leather interior is still original (extremely rare and with lovely patina), as is the technically overhauled Continental Edison radio, which is a very rare specification detail—it was developed specifically for the SM. The car has matching numbers. The Weber carburettors were recently serviced and adjusted by a specialist, and the entire mechanical system has been inspected and improved for over €10, 000.
The Citroën was already registered in Germany with a historic vehicle plate.
The odometer reads just under 58, 300 kilometres—though based on the vehicle's history, the actual mileage is verifiable at 158, 300 kilometres.
The Citroën SM Waßmann Cabriolet is a collectable car because
- as a special model, it was produced in only seven examples, and this is the first one
- it has remained with the same owner for a very long time since the conversion
- it still has the original interior trim and the extremely rare original radio
The Citroën SM Waßmann Cabriolet can be viewed and test-driven here in Bad Essen. Please feel free to get in touch with any questions about the vehicle.
Part-exchange with adjustment is possible.
Verus Classics is selling the car on behalf of the client.
The Citroën SM Waßmann Cabriolet is a collectable car because
- as a special model, it was produced in only seven examples, and this is the first one
- it has remained with the same owner for a very long time since the conversion
- it still has the original interior trim and the extremely rare original radio
