Citroen SM LHD 2.7 Litre 1973
General description :
Sold new in Italy to a very wealthy family
Midnight Blue/Black with Red leather interior
Stunning example
Extremely well maintained
Recent major service
Upgraded mechanically for reliability
Drives like they did when they were new-thrilling!
1973 Citroën SM-Maserati For sale in London
When Citroën first set about creating a new French national flagship, it was with the very clear view of reliving the glorious pre-war grandes routières built by Bugatti, Delage and Talbot-Lago. Beyond that, the bosses at the most innovative of French companies was also well aware that there was a vacuum at the top of the market left by the departure of Facel Vega.
Taking the Deesse concept of 1955 and uprating it into its greatest form – the Citroën SM – ready for the 1970s, was the company’s typically bold response.
The Maserati connection. The question of how to create a suitable engine more quickly was answered in January 1968. These were expansionist times for the major car manufacturers, most of which were going through a ‘grow or die’ period. Corporate mergers were all the rage. In the UK, that led to the creation of the British Leyland, whereas, in France, it led Citroën to even less logical conclusions.
To outsiders, Citroën’s riposte to the mood of the moment was baffling to say the least. Pierre Bercot (below), the company’s Michelin-appointed Managing Director pushed ahead with his own expansionist policies. The company purchased a controlling interest in Maserati, industry watchers wondered why.
The super engine for a new super-car:-
Within days of the takeover, Citroën abandoned Walter Becchia’s continuing six-cylinder powerplant programme. Instead, Bercot tasked Maserati with developing a new V6 for the SM. Maserati’s Chief Engineer, Ing. Giulio Alfieri, set about designing a fresh unit from scratch using the Indy V8’s tooling. It needed to be compact and light to work with Citroën’s traditional FWD layout, which forced the gearbox forward of the axle line, effectively turning it into a mid-engined car.
Turning the 4136cc Indy into a sub-2.7-litre V6 to fit into France’s 15CV puissance fiscale tax band required a shorter-throw crankshaft and a reduction in stroke from 85 to 75mm.
A one-millimetre smaller bore size was the last change needed to get the capacity down to a tax-friendly 2670cc, although further work was essential to allow the engine to work with Citroën’s sublime twin-shaft five-speed manual gearbox – the same unit that would end up being used in the Lotus Esprit.
This truly stunning and exceptional example is now available for viewing in our Brentford showroom.
http://ddclassics.com/car-listing/citroen-maserati-sm-lhd/
1973 Citroen SM LHD 2.7 Litre is listed sold on ClassicDigest in Surrey by DD Classics for £67950.
Car Facts
Car type : Car Make : Citroen Model : SM Model Version : LHD 2.7 Litre Engine size : 2.7 Model Year : 1973 Location : Surrey
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Seller Information
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About Citroen
French industrialist André Citroën had been building arms for the French army during WWI by the end of the war he was left with great industrial facilities but no product for the post war market. In 1919 he founded Citroen that became the first mass-production car company outside the USA[3] and a pioneer of the modern marketing as well as factory backed services network. Mind you, even Eiffel Tower served as a billboard for Citroën from 1925 to 1934 -Mon Dieu, monsier!
Soon Citroën earned a reputation for innovation and revolutionary engineering. Staying true to their slogan "Créative Technologie" Citroën has many "firsts" under their belt:
Europe’s first all-steel-bodied car, the B10 In 1934.
The world's first mass-produced front-wheel drive car,Traction Avant, (also one of the first cars to feature a monocoque-type body)
The world's first hydropneumatic self-levelling suspension system, introduced with the revolutionary Citroën DS / ID models in 1955, as well as the first production car with disc brakes.
Swiveling headlights in 1967, and finally variable assist power steering in 1970
With Citroën purchasing Maserati in 1968 a door opened for a high speed GT-model that would compete with Ferrari, Aston Martin et. al, when introduced Citroen SM was the world's fastest fwd-car.