1972 Citroën SM - A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing

The Citroen SM marries French engineering and style with an Italian V-6. It is magnificently cool!
Open the bonnet and you will be greeted with a surprise in the form of a naturally aspirated 2.7-litre Maserati V6 engine fed by triple Weber carburettors, producing around 170hp. This really is a wolf in sheep’s clothing!
SELLING AT NO RESERVE, ENDING ON FRIDAY 26TH NOVEMBER AT 19:40 (GMT).
View this Citroen SM auction on Collecting Cars - collectingcars.com/for-sale/1...
To check out the Citroen DS Safari video we mentioned follow this link: • 1964 Citroen ID19 DS S...
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[@stephenberry1205]

Magnificent car ruined by the horrid 4 sealed beam lights to meet US rules. Everywhere else in the world it got 6 headlights under glass that self levelled under acceleration and braking, with the inner spotlights turning with the steering. Quite a number of SMs were imported to Australia from the US by Peter McLeod when they were cheap. He converted many to Right Hand Drive and most got the 4 headlights glassed in, which improved the look a lot. A number of new SMs came to Australia and around a dozen were converted to RHD - very complex because of the DIRAVI power self centring steering and dashboard moulding. Drove one for my 21st birthday in 1974... Fabulous. And later I did a long run down the Southern Highlands and up the South Coast in a stunning deep iridescent blue converted the RHD by a very talented car club member Bruce Scott-Smith.. Maybe the best SM in Australia. Purple is not an enhancement of the SM. They had 2 tail pipes not 4... Glad you were do impressed. This actual car would not be good for a collector in this colour with 4 exhausts.... PS. There is no suspension in the top and bottom settings. Just for changing tyres, looking cool at rest, or slowly fording a flooded road or deep snow. Same as the DS. Position 1 - about 3 inches - used when changing tyres or for depressurizing suspension for servicing. There are 3 drive positions - Normal - about 6 inches clearance in Position 2 - top speed 142 mph. Position 3 - about 7.5 inches - rough road fast - okay for dirt to about 100 mph. Position 4 - about 9 inches - okay for rougher roads to about 50 mph - suspension firmer Position 5 - about 11 inches clearance... flood or deep snow - to about 10 mph. GS & CX had only 2 driving heights.

[@simonturl7961]

Johan Cruyff had one - now that is cool!

[@-DC-]

That US headlight arrangement is horrible, Wonderful car's to drive if you ever get the chance like nothing else I've ever experienced .

[@DontPanicDear]

Federalised version? I wonder if it’s compromised in any other areas?

[@CitEnthusiast]

@@DontPanicDear The US version had emission controls that reduced power, including an air pump by the AC compressor. That's all gone on this example, probably this car even has the euro exhaust headers. The rear end is different too, the US and Italian models got those ugly license plate lights on each side of the plate, but the rest of the markets had a beautiful light set into the bump in the hatch. This car has had the instrument panel facia replaced, the original had a seatbelt warning light set into the space between the warning light cluster and clock. Nice car, but it still needs some help to be great.

[@DimitarStanev]

Looking at the driving footage there seems to be something wrong with the suspension. It shouldn't be that bouncy 15:00. And in some cases it looks like it's being driven on low! 13:12 Next time you do a review of a car, make sure it's in good condition, don't tell us how comfortable it is while you're bouncing inside. A car like that deserves a better review, by someone who knows something about it.

[@DontPanicDear]

Looks like the front is bouncing out of control! Something for the next owner to look into then 👀

[@nigel.w]

Is it just me, or is it also blowing smoke under acceleration? I know the car's been in storage, but still.

[@carmadme]

Spheres are flat shouldn't be driven like that

[@carlgeorgtsigakis498]

@@carmadme Yes This will result in the frame cracks... :(

[@carlgeorgtsigakis498]

And at around 16:00 you see the big red pressure warning light going off as the pressure accumulator sphere is not keeping up. This car Definitely needs a new set of spheres all around

[@SMlFFY85]

I think it's one of the coolest and best looking cars ever made, although US regulations kind of ruined the look of the front, like we see here. I'd love a euro spec on in black, I'd feel like the coolest man in the world.

[@MindDezign]

I meet Roberta Flack, in Atlanta Ga , she had a light Green SM..My friend had a few DS models. These are the ONLY cars where The back seat is the best place to be. Like being in a movie theatre.

[@ddafg]

What a fantastic car!

[@rosshuntley2237]

Such a beautiful and interesting car.

[@jansefran1752]

Time machine. Forteleportation. In style. 👍🚙🛸

[@juancoccs]

I love it, it’s. a complete. masterpiece unrepeatable and such a great ingenier frech jewel! Citroen has discovered techonologies that are in all the brands for almost 100 years, and still today it’s one of the most important brand in the world!, grat documentary about the Citroen SM! , the original french version brings another front with original 6 headlamps and two of them are guided by the sterring wheel and turns to light the road in the direction wheels are leaded to! Brilliant!!

[@javelsaudades6537]

Fantastic! Thanks. Namaste!!!!

[@chrisperyagh]

That is one bumpy ride! Get that suspension sorted out and you won't lose your confidence in cornering and hitting any bumps as it should glide over the majority of road surface imperfections without you even noticing them. The entire hydraulic system is crying out for help with that warning light flashing as you're demonstrating the DIRAVI's party trick in keeping the front wheels returning to pointing straight ahead when you let go of the steering wheel. My XM 3.0 V6 Si's ride was like that until I had the spheres replaced with the correct ones which made a massive difference as someone before I got it put either GS or BX spheres in. Although the XM V6Si was not a patch on my CX23 GTi Turbo 2 which was by far the best and most fun big Citroen I ever had.

[@kimchristensen3727]

It's cringe worthy how you praise the design of the front end without realizing that this is not a real SM front end.

[@Jack-hy1zq]

Those American headlights destroy the SM's beauty.

[@iconicon5642]

What a marvellous design - check out the colour

[@kevmagill5163]

I still want one.

[@robinbobin3129]

I remember this car well ,I used to sell them new ,the model you are showing look s like it was possibly sold in America, because the headlamp surrounds were enclosed for Europe,and no side markers on the front wings,,there were ,I believe 3 right hand drive models

[@sdry1688]

Has to be in the top 20 best ever european car designs of the post war period...maybe top 10?

[@laurentthevret6091]

Les sphères de suspension sont à changer de toute urgence. C'est triste de montrer cette Diva sans suspension, sans son réel confort.

[@georgiodegrenoble8675]

En plus il roule en position basse ...

[@jamespatagueule4599]

C'est un hommage, le mec est mort après l'essai

[@MrToluen60]

I love the color !

[@ursmorach5599]

The spring balls urgently need to be refilled. Then the SM would not shake so much, but almost float.

[@guinnessharvey4476]

Doug would have a field day with this :)

[@gearoid21]

Euro spec front end conversion should be the very first thing done to that car. American regulations ruin what is otherwise a beautiful car.

[@1KJRoberts]

This video would benefit from a bit more homework on the technology and terminology. To wit: At 13:40, the steering isn't 'leveling', it's returning to the on-center position because of the DIRAVI system.

[@mescko]

The steering shaft has a heart-shaped cam affixed to it, with a loaded roller riding on the cam which provides the self-centering action.

[@silkdestroyer]

And the "big innovation" wasn't the self entering, but rather the "vari-power" assistance. More assistance at low speed, when parking, less at high speed. Important with only 2 turns lock to lock!

[@silkdestroyer]

To correct another little slip he made, it wouldn't "self-centre" with the engine off, except very briefly before the system pressure fell away. If you had lived in SF where you were required to "kerb" the wheels on certain streets, you would have needed to have held the wheel on lock for a few seconds until that happened.

[@Photoandcargeek]

There is no way you can do Paris for lunch and Cannes for dinner ... 1000km or so in 6 or 7h ! Not at 130kph or so and certainly not with fueling and breaks. As a kid we used to do that trip in two days and book a hotel half way. But yes it could be done in 10-11h. This car is quite different from the French/EU specs ones, headlights being a difference but there seem to be a few other differences. European headlights look better I think.

[@Carrera-gp9od]

Definitely agree on the headlights

[@jamespatagueule4599]

in the 70' maybe it's possible. Cops had renault 4 at the time

[@Photoandcargeek]

@@jamespatagueule4599 yes but not many people had cars able to do it... Or drivers

[@silkdestroyer]

@@jamespatagueule4599 I'm sure that some French cops had SMs!

[@discount8508]

the coolest you can look in a fwd

[@benbuchanan672]

Wonderful. I’d take this over the 430 manual.

[@1KJRoberts]

Notice the Citroen badge in the bonnet is the air intake grill for the passenger compartment. (6:16)

[@rjnation5042]

Just another great car messed up by US lawmakers, though I do love the colour, very cool for its era, Rj in Oz

[@CitEnthusiast]

Not an original color as you are likely aware. Yep, the US screwed it up royally, front and rear!

[@frozencarguy6274]

It’s odd looking but I like it

[@cheharrison7107]

lovely quirky car, does it not have front seatbelts?

[@1KJRoberts]

I stand corrected about the DIRAVI comment.

[@silkdestroyer]

Unless I've missed something, what you said was correct.

[@robertgoidel]

Did the SM come with factory installed Air Conditioning?

[@silkdestroyer]

Yes, and it was a source of one of the car's engine problems.

[@timgosling6189]

Burt Reynolds' wife had one; does that make it cool? Idi Amin also had one; that certainly didn't make it cool! The covered number plate doesn't interrupt the design of the nose because the whole nose was originally covered in the same perspex. As with the Daytona in the same period, I imagine this is a US spec car where those perspex covered headlights (originally triple and swivelling with the steering) were illegal. The giant side markers are another giveaway. This one clearly needs a bit of tidying up but it still looks like a spaceship 50 years on. Nice, interesting car.

[@CitEnthusiast]

The cover is tempered glass, and the headlight covers were also tempered glass. This is a US spec car. Many of them have been sold and shipped back to Europe and the UK due to the rarity of the cars, and finding them without rust.

[@silkdestroyer]

I believe that good'ol Idi had half a dozen or so. Johan Cruyff also had one, and Rolling Stone Bill Wyman. Plus, of course, I've got one, so that alone makes it cool!

[@stephenberry1205]

In the video the car seems to ride a bit strangely. Bobbing a times. It should float supremely. Maybe it need new or regased spheres.

[@lesflynn4455]

Is it a US spec car? It has the fixed headlights.

[@CitEnthusiast]

Stop driving the car on its lowest suspension setting, not good and too little ground clearance. This car needs attention, and certainly new front suspension spheres. It looks very nice and with a modicum of work would be an excellent example. Too bad the presenter doesn't know much about the car, reading from a webpage to tell us about it? Really? Not understanding the advanced steering? (The DIRAVI system needs attention, notice the hydraulic warning coming on when he turns the wheel, that's not good.) Nice video, great angles, just wish these cars were presented more often by someone who knows all about them, tiresome to keep correcting people.

[@okawami]

Fully agree, it seems at the very least that the front spheres need refilling/replacing. Speaking about someone who actually knows more about them - Iain Tyrrell has just released a video on his channel. I think you'll like that, highly recommended!

[@CitEnthusiast]

@@okawami I've seen his video. Not bad, but full of misinformation and bad terminology. You'll see my comment there for more details. I've owned hydraulic Citroëns for more than 40 years and been in them for more than 50. So I know my way around the cars quite well, can't find even one video on the SM that's accurate in all points. Very odd, I'll have to make my own I suspect.

[@okawami]

@@CitEnthusiast I'll look forward to your video 😉

[@famousutopias]

Warning light while turning the steering wheel indicates a flat main accumulator sphere at least. They should al be regassed / rebuilt. Don’t forget the brake accumulator behind the front left wheel under the fender !

[@danopticon]

I don’t quite understand the gear shift … what’s the pattern?

[@silkdestroyer]

It is really just a straight forward 'H' pattern, with 5th fully right & forward, reverse lift/left/back.

[@CenkYuksel-ActivaHDi]

Please, just please don't drive the car in the lowest and highest suspension settings. These two are for service, repair, changing the tire etc, not for driving. You just ruin the whole system and the suspension spheres. And as Paul Robinson commented, the DIRAVI needs attention too. I can't believe that you saying "...supremely comfort..." while you jumping in it on the seat. There's another review about Citroën SM, made by the great Jay Leno. This is what I call a review: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bIKrZ6RpeMSKac0

[@billybill6604]

Wait till you see the Euro front mate, as intended by Citroën... Not not that murican spec front end... Give it to the muricans to mess it all up.

[@carstenweiland7896]

Man that thing has swagger Cars today lack that. Paris to Cannes in 7h was possible but not if you drive in legal limits, could not recommend that today - they will bust you at the pay points!

[@colingarner6175]

Wonderful car spoilt by the American spec front .

[@ajdahun]

only thing worse than the headliner are the D.O.T. headlights, cool color though.

[@secretsquirrel3793]

How many times does the presenter say “cool”?! Not cool! Fabulous car mind... even in US spec.

[@alansharp1528]

As per earlier comment, the ride is very choppy. That's not right! My mate Ray @ C&C will sort it.

[@nome2057]

Awesome car and it looks great in purple. The US lights even look ok with that colour but it sad they didnt get the moving lights.

[@CitEnthusiast]

The DOT here in the US would not allow the advanced headlight, they even called them advanced but "protected" the US market from such superior engineering! The owner should get, at least, the plastic headlight covers to go over the headlights, it helps a great deal. I know, as I have glass over my US headlight model (the glass is harder to install on US models, so the plastic covers work better and look almost as good).

[@richardfiennes3616]

These and other olematic Citroëns should not be driven in lowest or highest settings as you will damage the suspension. Looked like it was driven in the lowest setting resulting in the bouncing.

[@ahemgee9542]

Amazing car but terrible colour and it needs the clear lenses on the headlights

[@stephanemathieu5721]

Une sm avec un système hydraulique defectueux devient une porsche !! 😂😂😂

[@chesspiece81]

That's a gorgeous color on a very very uniquely styled car. One question though, does your wife know you're wearing her jeans? Seriously I never understood why men wear such tight tappered leg jeans.

[@petervan1353]

Shame they didn't retro fit the Euro spec headlights. These US spec headlights makes it look ugly as F**K!

[@rolandfaragher-horwell1547]

Flat spheres (both suspension and accumulator)🙄.

[@ethelred2648]

Why would you do a review where you waxed lyrical over the design and not mention that it had the horrific US front lamps and the US tail treatment regarding the licence plate lamps. Do some research.

[@silkdestroyer]

All of the trim is stainless steel, not chrome.

[@miamimo70]

Something about it, looks like it's going to fall apart at any second. Prefer a Jensen

[@mortenlower]

He can´t be a car person. It hurts watching this.

[@petervan1353]

The original SM never had exhaust pipes left and right, it's a crap example off Her Majesty/Sa Majesté. Next time do your homework properly

[@lonewarrior1543]

Can’t believe this guy is so clueless about Citroen’s...should be riding like a cloud....might as well be in a land cruiser....a real shoddy example....sm’s don’t bounce

[@7sq]

Stop the "music" !

[@3wheeler1000]

The SM was/is an amazing car. This example is appalling. Awful body dents, terrible respray, terrible colour (I guess the owner likes it) and US spec. The suspension is not working correctly, and its being driven on the lowest setting by the awful presenter.

[@stephenhumberstone7636]

The front is all wrong on this example looks awful

[@gil7555]

Horrible couleur , sphères de suspension à changer de toute urgence,et enfin européanisation de la face avant.