{"id":5672,"date":"2020-03-12T09:08:53","date_gmt":"2020-03-12T09:08:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.co.uk\/magazine\/?p=5672"},"modified":"2024-09-12T10:21:27","modified_gmt":"2024-09-12T09:21:27","slug":"1972-citroen-sm-project-profile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1972-citroen-sm-project-profile\/","title":{"rendered":"1972 Citro\u00ebn SM – Project Profile"},"content":{"rendered":"

When it comes to making cars that are weird and wonderful, the French have been at the forefront. If they can engineer something that is, quite frankly, a little bit bonkers, they will. And nine times out of ten, they\u2019ll do so in a way that stuns the motoring world. Take the Citro\u00ebn DS of 1955. It looked like it had come from outer space, but at the same time, it revolutionised vehicle comfort. Its weird, liquid-filled suspension served to make the DS a wheeled magic carpet. It was, and still is, an exceptional automobile. The Traction Avant was, as the name suggests, front-wheel drive. But did you know it was the first mass-produced front-wheel drive car? Both cars were mad, but they were innovative.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Then of course, there was the car we\u2019re looking at here. The <\/span>Citro\u00ebn SM<\/span><\/a> was a wheeled lunatic, but in the best possible way. Citro\u00ebn wanted a fast, comfortable GT car. It had comfort covered thanks to its hydropneumatic suspension, but it had to look outside to sort the \u2018fast\u2019 bit. It could have just built its own engine, of course. Instead, because Citro\u00ebn was bonkers, it bought Maserati just to use one of its engines. The resulting SM could cruise at over 100mph for hours on end in total comfort. The suspension was so clever that, in rally guise, an SM lost a wheel yet managed to finish on three. Madness. But brilliant madness. The SM is, quite frankly, an icon.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is it?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

The car we\u2019ve found here is an early 1972 Citro\u00ebn SM<\/a> with a carb-fed 2.7 Maserati V6 and manual transmission, which is a pretty tasty specification. While it may be a GT car, it\u2019s one that is so much better with a manual gearbox, which makes this car so desirable. Another thing that makes it so desirable is the fact it\u2019s come from California. The SM, while beautiful, is also a car that attracts rust in a big way. Thankfully though, the dry climate in which this car has lived has helped preserve it. Of course, there is some work to be done, but not much. Though, we\u2019ll get to that later.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Citro\u00ebn,<\/a><\/p>\n

This SM has just 47,000 miles on the clock, it\u2019s complete and it comes with spares, which is useful on a rare car like this. While it does need a small bit of metalwork, it\u2019s worth noting that the car has never been welded in the past, making this a wonderfully honest project. You won\u2019t have to pick through years of bodges. The seller, <\/span>All American Imports<\/span><\/a>, has had the car running and driving, and has all the paperwork needed to get this SM registered in the UK. And it can be yours for just \u00a310,995. That, for such a rare and complete, rust-free car is a bargain!<\/span><\/p>\n

Why is it a project?<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

While we don\u2019t know how long this SM has been off the road, we would be confident to say it\u2019s been a while. As such, it\u2019s going to need a complete mechanical service and overhaul. The car was running, however, it\u2019s developed an electrical\/earth issue since and now won\u2019t fire up. So that\u2019s something else you\u2019d need to tackle. If it were our money, we\u2019d get an auto electrician along for the viewing and see if he or she can get the SM fired up. This is an incredibly complicated car, and as such, seeing it running would be wise. Just for peace of mind.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Citro\u00ebn,<\/a><\/p>\n

As mentioned earlier, some metal work is required, but nothing major nor structural. There is some rot in the boot floor, along with the front passenger footwell\/floorpan. Simple, easily accessible stuff, which is good. What\u2019s not good is the way the old SM looks. Yes, the California climate is great for keeping rust at bay, but it takes its toll in other ways. The paint is faded and cracking, rubbers are perished and the once sumptuous interior is now in tatters due to being dried out. You\u2019re going to need to budget for a full re-trim.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Five things to look for:<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

1) Trim<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

This is a rare car, and while some of the trim is past its best thanks to the California sun, it\u2019s still better if it\u2019s all there. At least then it can be used as a template.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2) Engine<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The vendor states that the car did run. However, even in its now \u2018non runner\u2019 state, you can still check the engine. How does the oil look, what about bolts and fixings? Does it look like it\u2019s been apart in the past? Also, check the condition of the carbs, as they\u2019re notorious for failing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Citro\u00ebn,<\/a><\/p>\n

3) Electrics<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The car currently has an earthing issue, which needs investigating. As we said above, we\u2019d take an auto electrician with us to have a look over the wiring to see what\u2019s needed, and to assess how safe it is.<\/span><\/p>\n

4) Suspension<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The hydropneumatic system on the SM is clever and comfortable, but it\u2019s not what you\u2019d call robust. Check the spheres, the fluid condition and the lines. Look for leaks or any evidence of past leaks. There are specialists out there, but they\u2019re not cheap.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

5) Paperwork<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

We say this with every imported car, but do check the paperwork, if only to satisfy yourself that everything is in order. Andy at All American Imports has been doing this for a long time though, so there shouldn\u2019t be anything to worry about.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What should you do with it?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s an SM<\/a>. The only way to go with this would be to restore it back to its former, factory condition glory. We would be inclined to sort the mechanicals out and then drive it around \u2018as found\u2019 for a while, not just for the cool points, but also to give the oily bits a chance to prove themselves before you start down the long road of sorting the paint and interior.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a complete, low-mileage car and deserves to one day be fully restored. Plus, by doing so you will be building value into the car, and that\u2019s never a bad thing. And yes, if it were us, we would keep that glorious turquoise colour. If you\u2019re going to have a car like the SM<\/a>, you want it to stand out! <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When it comes to making cars that are weird and wonderful, the French have been at the forefront. If they can engineer something that is, quite frankly, a little bit…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":5673,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[322],"tags":[1711,15,110,12,13,47,1508,11,629,1712,525,14,325,108,16,1507],"yoast_head":"\n1972 Citro\u00ebn SM - Project Profile - Car & Classic Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"SMs don\u2019t come up often, and they certainly don\u2019t come up at an affordable price. 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