THE CITROËN SM

One of the most original models of car-driving history is returning to Auto e Moto d'Epoca 2019. In 1970, Citroën took over Maserati and asked engineer Alfieri to create a motor suitable for an extraordinary model. The SM that was manufactured soon after did not disappoint. Comfort, efficiency at high speed, new materials, active and passive safety and much more: this all merged into the SM, transforming it into the quintessence of creativity and avant-garde which reigned supreme at Citroën during the 70s. The suspensions with automatic balance ensured that the vehicle's height from the ground was constant and self-regulated based on the load. The aerodynamic line with the flat bottom, the drop-shaped profile with the truncated and tapered tail transformed this car into a high-performing road vehicle. The servo-assisted steering was absolutely innovative: the pressure reserve of the hydro-pneumatic systems limited the steering effort, but the effect diminished progressively as the speed increased until acting as an actual "stabiliser" which maintained the direction given to the car with great precision, even when driving at over 200 kilometres an hour; the realignment took place automatically. The front gauge was wider than the back gauge to compensate for the difference in weight existing between the front and back chassis. Michelin manufactured particularly light resin rims for the SM model. The high-pressure braking system acted automatically depending on the weight on the wheels and the beam of light of the headlamps lit up track on the bend at the first hint of a rotation of the steering wheel. This and many other innovations made the SM an absoluted original granturismo, which was both fast and comfortable at the same time. The Citroën SM is an exciting car to drive, even today, almost 50 years since it was first manufactured.

The President of SM Club Italy
Pietro Ciccone
www.smclubitalia.info