Top 5​: Citroen SM innovations that saw the future

Brian Cooley tells you about five innovative technologies that the French Citroen SM championed​ as far back as the '70s.

[@yves3560]

Hydraulic suspension and turning headlights were on the Citroën DS first : As soon as 1955 for the suspension and brake mushroom. Later on came the turning headlights, first as 2 extra light units, then together with the main headlights behind a perspex screen. The DS was also the first production car with a glassfiber roof, lowering the center of gravity and providing more headroom. Of course the suspension could be pumped up to lift the car for more ground clearance on bad roads, or to put a spare wheel on. Again, we're talking 1955. Pretty amazing.

[@brentbonfiglio4182]

My mom drove a 1975 citroen SM.... its was silver with Red velour interior.... It was such a bad ass car... and it was very reliable... she owned it until the late 90's... then she bought an Audi.... but this was crazy stuff where she lived in Ohio! I loved that car....

[@jwhyte4203]

One of the most amazing cars the world has ever seen!

[@jeanphilipperondeau1070]

The.

[@BB-my2xk]

I drive a 2007 Citroën c5. And still has hydro pneumatic suspension. Great car!!

[@jamesdond1]

When the Ford Pinto "boom-about" was in the spotlight for exploding when hit from the rear. The DOT showed the engineers at Ford a video of a Citroen being hit in the rear by a 60 mph speed test sled and not a drop of gas leaked out because of its massive crumple zones. One of the engineers who owned a Citroen said, "Yea and you have outlawed that car because it has these crumple zones front and rear." America is such a nanny state!

[@arunseigell7361]

jamesdond1 Not nanny but braindead Ninny.America has yet to produce a car that sells worldwide.HAS THERE BEEN ANY AMERICAN AUTOMOTIVE INNOVATION IN 60 YRS-QUITE CONTENT TO PRODUCE GAS GUZZLERS WITH THE RIDE QUALITY OF A PREGNANT COW!

[@algrayson8965]

The Citroën D sedans and standard breaks (station wagons) had the fuel tank under the rear seat ahead of the suspension swivels and antiroll bar. The IDF break (station wagon) Familiale had its fuel tank below the rear deck. The SM had its fuel tank in the front of the trunk.

[@bobrobinson5331]

The directional and leveling headlights first appeared on the 1968 DS21. The headlight don't level as such. What they do, is maintain where they shine on the road no matter which suspension height setting is being used, and to compensate for up and down motion of the car as you go down the road. It is the most awesome system to drive with there is. I proved this point about 30 years ago, when the driver of a Nissan 260Zx found he could not go as fast along a twisting mountain road as I could in my 1975 DS23. The high beams rotate up to 80 - 85 degrees in the direction of the turn. No modern headlights can come anywhere near that.

[@algrayson8965]

The DS headlights operated by Bowden (bicycle brake and shift-type) cables. The SM headlights operated hydraulically with a glycerin fluid. Both by the same concept of the leveling coming from the anti-roll bars and the steering long range lights from a steering linkage relay. Illegal in USA, of course. Even the manually adjusted headlights of the 2CV were illegal in the USA. The aerodynamic cover glasses of the VW, Jaguar XKE, Citroen DS-ID, SM would still be illegal in the USA as they are not part of sealed units.

[@hlim431]

UNbelievable!!! Citroen was SO far ahead of its time...

[@wakko183]

This car must of been like witchcraft back in the 70's! But just imagine what the DS was like in the 50's. People probably thought they'd come from outer space. I hope Citroen returns to form soon. I miss seeing large, mad French saloon cars. And let's be honest, Citroen where great at making a charismatic car.

[@deemm1265]

I love both DS and SM. Awesome cars way ahead of their time.

[@TheIMacG3Fan]

It has also something called DIRAVI. The power steering brings the steering wheel back to the initial position when you turn it and then let it go. Later most CXs and some XMs also got this system.

[@RChB]

Citroen was always ahead of its time, in comparison to the rest of the world. The SM is my favorite car to this day.

[@therickman1990]

He's forgetting something with the powersteering adjustment according to vehicle speed. The system described here is called DIRAVI, and it also auto-centers the steering wheel when you let go or park the car.

[@leneanderthalien]

First, the cabriolet version from the SM was not made from the factory, but from the designer Chapron...The optional "RR" wheels from the SM was not in carbon reinforced resin but in glass fiber reinforced resin...The "hydraupneumatic" suspension is based on nitrogen filled spheres (the springs), and a hydraulic high regulation system/hydraulic dampers.Hydraulic system drive the suspension, brakes and steering. Rotating headlights was first on the Citroën DS, and the "DIRAVI" variable power steering was a great innovation, far before the other manufacturer (next was the 1989 BMW 850), the Diravi was installed later on Citroën CX and XM

[@laranaarana]

My Uncle had this one in the mid seventies and I loved riding on it.

[@toyotaprius79]

Bloody awesome, Cooley, talking about Citroens! Above all, the SM and briefly the DS!

[@off-roadrcaddict4572]

Had loads of Citroen's but my C5 deffo my favourite, rides lovely and so comfortable, with good performance and amazing fuel economy.

[@Rolf-dq2mu]

Great vid. Thanks!

[@brettkoeshall2325]

The Citroen SM was so future.

[@leonaldobrum]

Amazing report. Thanks!...

[@ScottaHemi440]

that convertible looks sweet! the SM is such a quirky cool car!

[@MrPandoratomorrow]

hope ull be back to do reviews .u re the best in this .

[@benrussell7855]

Right so in America you're allowed to walk around with a gun in your pocket but height changing suspension is illegal. Erm. Wtf America😂

[@wimschweer6738]

Ah, but you can today (2018) self import those Citroens they threw out in the 1970's. Topsy Turfy world.

[@earlmcmanus194]

You're just a dipshit tossing around a red herring.

[@destry232]

I'd bet you'd give your right and left nuts to live here, if you're not here already.

[@MysterDaftGame]

@@destry232 err no

[@omnivorace]

And no problem with hot rods with less than 1 meter high...

[@davidkastin4240]

Amazing technology. Love the adjustable ride height

[@ubg43]

The steering also had the ability to self centre. Very handy when parking. Let the steering wheel go and it will return to the centre position.

[@trespire]

+Alan Steadman D.I.R.A.V.I. The SM is still more technologically advanced than most "modern" cars.

[@amopastorcanadense]

+Alan Steadman It has so many innovations that the program could not put all together lol Citroën is far ahead!!

[@TuneStunnaMusic]

Most front wheel drive cars do that from the gyro effect of the drive wheels

[@Emppu_T.]

isnt that like in.. almost every car.. whel maybe then it wasnt but cars with powet steering

[@simes205]

No - at a standstill you can turn it full lock, release it and it will self centre. The CX does it too. Look up Diravi.

[@joshbacon8241]

The reason why the swivelling high-beams were banned in the US was because regulations at the time required all vehicles to have two or four round sealed-beam headlamps on fixed mounts, with no lens or other covering in front of them. But why was this regulation in place at the time?

[@bebeguygoz6840]

Merci, pour cette présentation de la SM.

[@PierrotHG]

The US has a long history of preaching free markets, competition, innovation and deregulations for other countries while at the same time using all its political power to protect the american industry from foreign innovations and competition, with so called extraterritorial laws, regulations and even nationalizations. When they can't compete, they always come up with a law and the good excuse to "protect american jobs", "protect the american consumer", "protect the environnement" (which they don't give a shit about, see how american senators defend the coal mining industry and other heavy polluters). But when others do that, they are evil socialists, statists, nationalists, they refuse globalization, free market economy, etc.

[@Sabinathor]

:)))))))))) Well, all the planet knows that now! US is starting to look nowadays like USSR after WWII... Such a pitty!

[@jam63112]

They did the same with Concorde

[@gchelem]

Let's Trump has highlighted what already existed!

[@Jesuscger]

For europeans it has been a pleasure to drive Citroen's cars. Too bad for the americans.

[@jean-yvesmartin6934]

They are extremely insecure People who need to feel they are number one at everything, as they were told over and over and over...America is like this very insecure girlfriend you have to tell she's the greatest 10 times a day or else she'll freak out on you.

[@modelllichtsysteme]

Ich dachte, ich wüsste vieles über dieses Auto...aber die Technologie in diesem Auto ist einfach brilliant! :)

[@ROLABOLA22]

The Tucker 48 had one headlight in the middle that turned according to the steering wheel so that one wasn't unheard of at the time. Awesome car, though!

[@mjamesthomasb]

Odd to think America made Rover on.their 1949 75 model block out their central headlamp!

[@kidam2448]

Super vidéo!! Citroën...🤗

[@mikesaxclar]

These were incredible. Very much wish Citroen was still available here! Way too ahead of its time for the US though!

[@algrayson8965]

Poor French marketing. "Here is our car. It is excellent. You must buy it." Phooey. Most car owners are uninterested in the technical talk.

[@stewartxtod]

"So they abandoned the market instead!" Such savages! :D

[@Sabinathor]

it's a crap market anyway... no damage done. :)))

[@McRocket]

Amazing car.

[@marcamant7258]

Trés bon. bravo

[@darticulate8751]

A real beauty !

[@joshuak5177]

Awesome

[@saadqureshi7127]

US Law for cars suck! So much innovation yet wasn't with us crappy regulations.

[@user-rb9uc8rz6y]

maybe it was to save US car companies.

[@war3scecfang]

or to save the dumb us drivers, compare the us driver test to German ones, and you will see why.

[@ScottaHemi440]

you can thank Ralph Nader for most of that.

[@oneeasterneuropean9299]

Jayson Davis Don't try to show off the good stuff, we gotta circlejerk about how regulations are responsible for everything bad that's ever happened.

[@krollpeter]

At that time many of the US cars sold still were based on 50's and early 60's models. They had huge engines that consumed tons of fuel, horrible suspension, bad build quality, one can put the finger in between the body panels, in short Fred Flintstone technology. The also had a law to protect the horribly bad made Harleys.

[@TheChill001]

funny...only the No 1 feature was unique to the SM (though later DS models had it as well), all the rest came directly from the DS. Sidenote: the SM is NOT the successor of the DS (that would be the CX), it was a stand alone GT which was build to sell more maserati engines (the engine was from maserati, which at the time was in citroen ownership) and as a flagship gran turismo for the brand itself.

[@barenstil5525]

traction-ds-cx-xm-c6 and you could call the ds5 the latest sucessor but it has no hydrolics

[@TheChill001]

no the DS5 isn't in that same line, Citroen has plans to make a DS6, though when it'll actually be made is up for debate

[@barenstil5525]

well, there' s actually going to be a new c6, and according to some rumors it has hydrolics, but it will only be sold in china...

[@leneanderthalien]

Not SM is for: projet Citroën "S" , and M for Maserati...Only the engine is from Maserati , and it's not the best piece from this car...this engine was very unreliable...

[@kadajawi6567]

It wasn't, it's just that the engine was way above the head of Citroen mechanics. Those serviced by Maserati/Ferrari specialists are running very well, forever. Citroen mechanics at the time however were only used to the engines Citroen had back then, and those were far from high tech. That's the one region where Citroen wasn't far ahead of the curve. As for not selling well... AFAIK it did at the beginning, relatively speaking. AFAIK even back then big expensive cars = German cars. The French weren't that well known for those. And what really killed the car was the engine. They blew up all the time, because the mechanics weren't trained enough, weren't experienced enough with these Maserati engines. Like, Nissan only lets a few Nissan dealerships work on the GT-R. A regular Nissan mechanic might cause more damage than good. So reputation got hurt badly. Had Citroen made sure owners could service their cars properly, even if that meant having to travel further because only a few workshops were able to do so, then things may have been different. It's the same thing in South East Asia right now, where mechanics are used to outdated Japanese cars. Give them something modern from Europe (or Japan), and... well, just don't. Only go for specialists.

[@andrewwhite8983]

Very impressive car !!!!!!

[@Wokculture69]

Us goverments didn't allow citroen to grow a market in the us because of innovations and style could potentiatly damage us manufacturers same as they do with tesla so...

[@MrKatajisto]

´Capitalism, one after another, proves to be closest to the brink ...

[@arunseigell7361]

@@MrKatajisto Mr K ,nothing 2 do with capitalism-the 'liberated ' people from E Europe have also been found to be workshy zombies with not even an intelligent constructive brain cell -many of my German friends who employed such people struggled 2 train them &eventually sacked them.The usa is a very thinly rducated country -perhaps only 5%,so where do U expect innovation 2 come from.The us govt is protectionist to the extreme to sell its shoddy goods eg the 787 which still has bits falling off.When the audi TT first reached america the locals refused 2 believe that this under 2 litre car cud outperform their 6.5 litre guzzlers

[@devilslayerthesaintofkille1317]

@@arunseigell7361 I am sure Eastern Europeans are more educated and skilled then your stupid ass.

[@elroyfudbucker6806]

Americans didn't like aerodynamic cars; they didn't look macho enough. And Citroens were just too complex & basically too weird for them to understand. And they were underpowered. And they were too economical.

[@ThePatrickberger]

Wish they sold citroens in the us.

[@Z-Twinturbo]

trust me you dont want the modern ones

[@jcv9799]

Modern Citroens and French cars in general are completely utter shite

[@leneanderthalien]

The modern French cars have the same reliability rate as the germans cars: i read this in a german report...so as frenchman, i cannot speak from chauvinism...But the "golden aira" from Citroën is close: they are now not more advanced as other common cars...

[@richardholmes7199]

I heard both Peugeot and Citroen are kings of suspension.

[@richardholmes7199]

p.s. Anybody seen that You Tube video where they put a Citroen (SM I think) up against newer high priced cars going down that wavy test track? The Citroen went down that wavy test track road like it was nothing, stayed pretty even, the other cars resembled the wavy motion of a sailing vessel hitting the waves.

[@plottwist3364]

Citroen wasn't named Constructor of the Century for nothing

[@modelllichtsysteme]

sadly it's true...

[@tyraela115]

A link please. I know of the DS that was in 3rd place (Car of the Century). The legendary DS was also voted by car designers across the globe as the most beautifull car in the world. But I do not know of Constructor of the Century Award. modelllichtsysteme: Sadly??????????????????????????? If true (Constructor of the Century) more than well earned. So do explain.

[@modelllichtsysteme]

tyraela115, I've read the comment of Plot Twist more then one time and my "sadly" is 100% wrong placed! I understood it not correct > English is for me a foreign language and some expressions are sometimes difficult to understand, thanks for reminding! To make my point clear: The DS is one of the innovative cars in history for me.

[@plottwist3364]

tyraela115 it was either some british magazine voting it or my dad sayin bs for years about the international awards of 1999. Gonna whoop his ass if so; can't trust this chauvinist idiot xD

[@carlover1816]

I think these hydropneumatic suspension Citroens are overrated. Air suspension Cadillacs and Lincolns have just as much comfort, but are more reliable and spacious.

[@MrNorbert1964]

Cool vid...

[@arisgod2749]

of all the classic cars out there man what I would't give to own one of these beauties

[@edwardmallon8679]

So advanced amazing

[@marcamant7258]

merci monsieur

[@detlefdiesosse]

Well of course the DS already introduced some of the innovations: hydraulic suspension, the mushroom and turning headlights. But great explanation anyway. And what a great SM convertible. Is that a Mylord made by Chapron?

[@zagyex]

half of this came with the DS that had a lot more innovations.

[@TheChill001]

and here's someone who ACTUALLY knows something about cars, thumbs up for you xD

[@UnrelGoD]

Frank D. hydraulic suspention, tourning lights, composits, assisted tourning and braking...

[@davidniquot6423]

He said "more".... i would reply .. DS got reliable engines, which the SM do not .. ;D (italian engine if i remember correctly)

[@HesseJamez]

Indeed - all DS got a 4cyl inline , the SM had a V6 Maserati engine and some trouble with timing chains.

[@walidkhier5640]

Exactly.

[@friendlypiranha774]

What a beautiful car

[@marckaufman232]

I had one in 1979. An amazing car to drive back then and still would be amazing now. Was able to adjust the height while driving. Going around sharp turn, lower it. Loved the car, got hit by a drunk priest, car was demolished. So sad

[@sasatocakovic2473]

In Yugoslavia the nick name for Citroen DS was "Shark".

[@mikeg4351]

ohhh i love the back of that car

[@FADE623]

Hey Cooley, you remind me of my 9th grade P.E. teacher Mr. Austin.

[@nathandrake431]

So your teacher was smart and cool like this man LOL

[@FADE623]

you misunderstood me

[@Mr5Stars]

The SM sounds Amazing, anyone know of a Motor Club in the Northeast anyone can go to see these gems?

[@geoffk777]

Awesome car. Unfortunately, Citroen got the V6 engine from Masarati and that had all kinds of problems. Most notably, Masarati forgot to put tensioners on the timing chain, so it had a tendency to loosen and skip, which would destroy the engine. And the chain was all the way at the back of the engine, so adjusting it or even checking it took hours of labor to remove the whole engine. A real shame, because the Citroen parts were very reliable. The sodium-filled valves also have a tendency to catastrophically fail, and the fuel injection in the later cars was very unreliable. Some people prefer the later CX turbo for this reason. Others have swapped out the Masarati V6 for a small-block Chevy V8 or other engine. A real shame, as the car is such a futuristic classic in every other way.

[@user-zk2cj1yl1d]

+geoffk777 don't know where you got your information from, but sorry to say it's not accurate. 1) the main timing chain DOES have a tensioner, which is automatically adjusting. The secondary chains which drive the camshafts also have a tensioner, but it needs to be manually checked and adjusted, not a big deal if you know how to do it. 2) Also, there was nothing wrong with the sodium filled valves. If you understood the rationale for using them, you would find out that there is a good reason they are there. They are lighter than solid valves, and therefore can withstand a higher RPM limit, which is exactly what you want in a high revving performance motor. The only reason they got a bad rap is because people would leave the cars sitting for years at a time in humid or wet environments and then they were susceptable to corrosino or pitting, which would prove fatal when some inexperienced or uncaring clod would get in a car, start it up and with a cold engine violently rev it up before the valve stems were properly lubricated... A totally avoidable circumstance if the person was simply a little bit aware of what there were doing. 3) The later EFI cars were NOT unreliable. They were the victims of owners and mechanics who were not familiar with the new fuel injection technology and proper maintenance and who tried to "improve" them, or simply didn't give them the proper maintenance. I know of what I speak, because I have owned and serviced these cars for more than 30 years.

[@user-zk2cj1yl1d]

+geoffk777 - One more wild assertion which has no basis in fact is that in my whole life I have NEVER seen anyone swap a Chevy V8 into one of these cars!!! You must be confusing it with a Jaguar XJ-S or some other import..

[@patsematary]

+geoffk777 MasErati....real shame is the fact Citroen run away from Maserati in just one night during oil crisis

[@htimsid]

+Eric CRXpert Excellent response, thanks Eric!

[@htimsid]

+geoffk777 Do your homework!

[@samsonagbebi5470]

Citroen is still the king of the hill. I wonder why this wonderful automobile wasn't adopted by the world.

[@Ginogizio]

I think that there was also one more feature in the car that allowed the car to be auto-leveling either in acceleration as well in deceleration being always perfectly parallel in respect to the road.

[@wholeNwon]

Actually, headlights that moved with the steering wheel existed back in the '30s and carried over into at least one car in the 40s.

[@edwardmuthee]

The speedometer and tachometer were pretty cool in tgese cars

[@HesseJamez]

Speedometer and Tachometer is just the same in two different languages.

[@mister.dynamite]

Go on Citroën! Well done indeed.

[@desaignjatovic4456]

citroen c6 citroen c5

[@AleksanderWilkowski]

Luckily, Citroen is still producing modern and very comfy cars with their newest generation of the hydraulic suspension. But sad thing is - there's no chance for buying them in the USA, they don't plan to enter the American market again. Greetings from Poland ;)

[@AleksanderWilkowski]

layseebalsam C5 is still in the production and even if the hydraulic suspension is an option it actually is still avaliable. As well as fantastic diesel engines. Sad thing is they don't offer the V6 petrol and V6 HDI, surely because of the EURO5 emission limit.

[@DArceVaderBJJAimanZinbi]

Aleksander Wilkowski Yeah but after the C5 it'll be over. Citroen seems to be more concerned about concept cars that'll never make it to the market. Luckily we own a C6, best car ever and pretty cheap to get!

[@AleksanderWilkowski]

Aimi98 Yeah, nowadays Citroen is out of the market with their outdated models like C4 or kinky like DS5. C6 is really cheap to get but not to maintain. Best car ever was DS ;)

[@DArceVaderBJJAimanZinbi]

Yup maintenance sucks... we got ours for about 8000 euros back then (10000 swiss francs). But considering that it has a new price tag of 80000+ the maintenance costs have to be high. And yeah, the DS5 is just weird. Why can't they just go back and build some decent limousines. The DS6 looks more japanese than anything else. I like the C5 though

[@AleksanderWilkowski]

Aimi98 Simply because people prefer german luxury cars and there's no potential market for them. I like French cars but i doesn't make me blind to their failures. E.g. XM is fantastic when everything works. Sadly, it's really hard to find one in such good condition. French cars are not equally reliable, not as solid. My Renault Laguna works well for me but it's not a rule unfortunately. People who spend so much money for their car (like for a brand new C6) expect more than powerful engine or nice interiour. They want prestige - that's what french cars lost many years ago.

[@jamesdond1]

Another positive things about he break system was this break ball was positioned well below the throttle peddle. Unlike all other cars when you needed to go from gas peddle to brake you did not need to pull you leg back, raise up your foot move it over and then hit the brake... just rotate your ankle and press... time savings for this quicker foot work was about a half a second. In an emergency at 70 mph this extra time to put on the brakes would put you 50 feet closer to the potential accident. The brake system also had a heavy lever attached to a cam that pressed back against the brake control as stopping G force increased making it hard to skid the tires. It large inboard breaks along with its use of the hydraulic system to push down hard on the front wheels in proportion to your breaking force all combined to make the SM the quickest braking car of that period. It could generate 1.09 Gs of stopping force on dry pavement with standard tires. With sticky racing tires an emergency stop was like hitting a brick wall..

[@jorgefernandez5215]

citroen tecnologia pura

[@fidelcatsro6948]

beau chat!

[@rondar2]

Except of the wipers all the other functions are carried over from the Citroen DS. So it was actually the DS that saw the future.

[@truthseeker8483]

Yes but the SM did have variable steering power assistance with about 2 turns lock to lock. Also it came with rear disk brakes whilst the DS did not, although they were very large drums

[@renardautomobiles]

Nope. The DS did not have the same adaptive steering or the adjustable steeringwheel

[@algrayson8965]

@@truthseeker8483 - The SM, like the DS before it, did not have power "assisted" rather full power steering. There was no mechanical connection between the steering shaft and the steering linkage unless hydraulic pressure failed. The steering rack and pinion transmitted feedback from the rack piston to the steering control valve. As DS-ID and SM had roughly 2/3 of their weight on the front wheels drums in the rear were more than adequate. In an emergency stop the weight transfer put over 3/4 of the force on the front wheels. Rear discs on the SM were considered in character of an Autoroute cruiser. The DS19 was a 90-100 mph (140-160 kmh) cruiser, the DS21 a 100-120 mph (160-190 kmh) and the SM a 120-140 (190-220 kmh) cruiser. The DS brakes were intended to be good for 150 mph (240 kmh), the SM a little more. When Consumer Reports tested the 1956 DS19 they were amazed that repeated stops from maximum speed of about 90 mph showed no sign of fade. Other cars' brakes faded to practically nothing from single 60 mph emergency stops.

[@truthseeker8483]

@@algrayson8965 Yes except the SM had variable power steering..light when parking... heavier when cruising at speed...I am sad that mechanical technology has not kept going forward as it should have..people today prefer a digital radio...

[@Munkenba]

LOL America sure knows how to ruin a great car. I'm glad I live in England. Shame for the US though, because I can't imagine a better cross country car for their roads. Oh well.

[@doneyhon4227]

+Alfred Munkenbeck They did the same with the Concorde. How beautiful and innovative was this franco-british plane!

[@arunseigell7361]

Asimzmn Destroyed by the flailing tyre tread of a us airliner taking off in front of it-the rubber got sucked into i Concorde Olympus engine &caused a fire Strange insecure country the Usa -massive weapons bit never won a war apart from their war of independence

[@algrayson8965]

@@doneyhon4227 - Commercial failure. No airlines wanted any Concordes. The British and French national airlines were compelled to take some of them. Even the US Air Force doesn't need planes that cruise for hours at supersonic speed.

[@algrayson8965]

@@arunseigell7361 - What drugs are you on? The crash of the Concorde was caused by careless maintenance. An important spacer was left out of the left main gear truck, which let the wheels work out of alignment. The spacer was later found still on the truck that was removed to be repaired.

[@leneanderthalien]

@@algrayson8965 careless maintainance from the american airliner who loss a part on the runway...from what "spacer" did you speak? The part who destroy the tire who cause the accident, was a titanium engine cover part: that was proved in all senses...all other theories are pure invention...And the commercial failure was 99% caused from the US who was jealous from the incredible success from the French-British Concorde...

[@morrismsmith7997]

THE BEST EVER 👍

[@TheOwn3r]

Citroën FTW!

[@eugeneviollet-le-duc5971]

La Citroën SM est la plus belle et la plus extraordinaire GT du monde… Un Chef d’œuvre automobile.

[@algrayson8965]

The RR (Resinee Renforcee) wheels were a rather expensive option of little advantage on the road. The rain sensing function operated in the low speed position of the wiper stalk switch. The high speed position ran continuously. The steering was not "assisted." It was full power steering with no mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the steering linkages. Only if the hydraulic pressure failed did the mechanical backup come into play and that with a lot of slack. The hydraulic pressure was constant, about 2,300 psi. The power centering is what varied according to the rpm of the transaxle pinion shaft. The.centering force increased up to about 80 mph at which speed and higher the steering was rather hard to turn more than a small amount. This centering allowed a very quick steering with safety at speed.

[@leneanderthalien]

The RR wheels, built by Michelin, was not a little advantage: the precision from driving was much better as with steel wheels, not because lightweight, but because they high rigidity (like aluminium alloy wheels).The lightweight from the wheels only improve the roadholding on bad surfaces in same way the inbord brakes to lighten the unsprung masses...Modern RR wheels reproductions are now available in aluminium alloy...

[@elroyfudbucker6806]

Except for the composite wheels, all the other features were standard on the DS models.

[@aaaabababa]

It definitly didn't have the Diravi Steering,

[@richardmurphy9006]

I always liked the Seventies Citroen that looked like a Manta Ray its Seats looked like they came of the Millennium Falcon "O wait the Car came First"

[@andrejveho]

Legende car

[@g2damo1]

The purple lighting makes seem like he has purple eye shadow. Couldn't unsee it.

[@jur4x]

Citroen had hydraulic suspension on quite a lot of their cars. C5 and C6 being the most recent examples.

[@Jesuscger]

Now it's another level of technology, it's electronic controled hydropneumatic suspension, they call it Hidractive.

[@robertbelko6434]

Who built the convertible shown?

[@themagicboy6548]

DS had the headlights, the suspension, and the brake

[@hi-fidude6670]

The 1959 Cadillac Eldorado had air suspension, power windows, 6 way power seats, AC, radio with 2 speakers, cruise control, as well as also being one of the most beautiful cars of all time. And by the way, they have used power windows and a heater since 1953, no other car had these features at the time.

[@leneanderthalien]

yes but the Cadillac did fly out the road at first corner at high speed, not compare pure luxury features at hight efficiency road holding features: drive fast a SM on a small and slippery european road is a incredible experience...the SM seems obey directly to your mind...

[@aldoluigi8741]

Spettacolare

[@timcarpenter2441]

Such a beautiful vehicle. Would be fantastic to have a new example made today with Toyota reliability.

[@antoniopalmas3085]

I have a ZX. It was my father who bought it. Then it was my brother's and then my sister's. Big cars the citroens

[@truthseeker8483]

The best feature of DS and SM models is the incredible stability and braking. Even a tyre blowout would hardly effect it. When braking the whole car would squat putting all its weight on the wheels for maximum braking. I got around in Various DS Citroens for 30 years and miss them for their comfortable ride and safe handling. Most cars today are a joke by comparison. I wish they would make cars that are technically interesting like that again. The only similiar models today are Mclaren, Bentley, Rolls Royce etc. Even Citroen have abandoned the Hydropneumatic suspension in order to make more profit and I think people are more interested in Bluetooth, stereo, climate control etc and are incapable of understanding the benefits of a sophisticated suspension.

[@algrayson8965]

ALL cars put all their weight on the wheels. What are you trying to say? Coil spring suspension and dampeners are far better developed than during the Citroen hydraulic era. The added expense of hydropneumatic suspension is not considered worth the cost. Citroen began moving toward being just a badge-engineered Peugeot in 1974 when Peugeot took them over.

[@johnsawyer2516]

Al Grayson If you had ever braked hard on a slippery road in a DS 19 or a 21 you would understand. At the time I worked on Citroen a friend worked on Mercs, they had just developed anti dive suspension he thought they were wonderful until I took him out in a 21.

[@robzrob]

If I win the lottery...

[@TuneStunnaMusic]

The tucker was the earlier car with the directional headlight in the 50s.

[@soldtobediers]

1:49 Is smoke a great feature as well?

[@algrayson8965]

The Roues Resinées were glass, not graphite, fiber reinforced resin. They were a US $1,200 option when the SM was priced at US $14,500.

[@martinjensen8330]

The green balls Have a gas/oil filling So the gas is compressed Working as a spring Nice car though Don't believe there ever been a car with So many future things like the sm

[@canadiancatgreen]

I believe the parts could be bolted on and off making it easier to change things like fenders

[@tbagwell]

3 bolts and the fender is off!

[@canadiancatgreen]

Trevor Bagwell that's what I was thinking about thanks

[@bcubed72]

Pretty sure EVERY fender bolts on and off. I just put the fenders back on my F-150; I think it had four bolts instead of three, but same idea.

[@aLoneCrusader]

Citroën really planned that fender can be taken off just to get more room for repairs. I can strip every door and body panel off in twenty minutes from my DS. If I take roof panel off, then it takes 35 minutes.

[@algrayson8965]

The rain sensor did not control wiper sweep speed, rather the intermittence interval. On high speed the wipers operated continuously.

[@leneanderthalien]

yes true, the intermittence cadence was ajustable with a variator: this feature was still use on the 1974 Renault 17TS

[@PauloRoberto-rf8fw]

Muito além do tempo dele

[@marguskiis7711]

Automatic suspension and variable steering are still very rare.

[@bcubed72]

Ever heard of the "KISS Principle?" KISS = "Keep It Simple Stupid." Complexity tends to break down more often and be more expensive to maintain. Citroens had a lot of technology, but are NOT known as the sort of vehicles you can drive for 30 years unmolested.

[@Jesuscger]

bcubed72 Well, that's not true!

[@paulmarshal2804]

@ bcubed72 You are totally disoriented mate. Hydraulic system is very simple. Mr. Andre Citroen answered once to question about Citroen those days: "It is still made to last!" Citroen are very reliable cars and my XM T.C.T. is 21 years old and will last till I live. No hard feelings. Cheerio

[@paulmarshal2804]

@margus kiis Not in EU mate, not in EU. If Mercedes or BMW had developed central hydraulic, we would be all driving today car with hydro. Actually, both are experimenting with adjustable suspension but only in the high class cars.

[@Jesuscger]

I have a Citroen C5 2.0 HDI with Hidractive suspension from 2004. The suspension has had absolutly non maintenance since I bought it. And I can only say good things about the C5.

[@blackspeed69007]

All those features were already on the Citroën DS 10 years before...

[@Uzeless]

Citroen. Cool company....cool cars......at least back then before they were 'tamed'.

[@runforit420]

Maybe Ford should contact Citroen to learn how rain-sensing wipers are supposed to work. My 2012 Focus' rain-sensing wipers used to dry wipe on almost every startup that I had to switch them off. Dealers try to fix them and replaced the sensor to no avail. What a surprise that rain-sensing wipers were no longer available on the Focus after 2012...

[@tasospappas6627]

I have a CX which has the same technology brake pedal and only the very first time you use it it's wired...

[@aleksandarkostevski7990]

citroen best car brand ever

[@ramonj08]

We miss a lot of good cars, or features on cars, in the U.S. due to the D.O.T. laws.

[@totaltwit]

I had a Citreon with the" green-orb" suspension (spheres). When it was set up right, is was really good, but what I discovered was, they "go flat" about every 4-5 years and cost a wad of cash to have them replaced.

[@bcubed72]

_"but what I discovered was, they "go flat" about every 4-5 years and cost a wad of cash to have them replaced."_ Which is why I adhere to the "KISS Principle" on my vehicles. People rag on live-axle suspension, but I've beat on my f150 for 24 years and 230,000 miles now, and I've never had to fix my rear suspension (maintain with new shocks, yes, but no REPAIRS.) And I friggin' fill it up with topsoil and mulch when I feel like it!

[@Jesuscger]

The C5 isn't like that. I have one since 2004 and the spheres are the same since I bought the car. Now they are very reliable, no problems at all in 13 years!

[@stevehammond4620]

Not any more - the 'Sphere Shop' sells them for about $30 each + shipping from overseas. Additionally, so long as the internal diaphragm is intact (ie not torn) they are easily recharged at a very nominal cost. The upside is that the system gives a ride quality that puts anything else on the road to absolute shame :). Once you have taken a ride in a well sorted out hydraulic Cit - you have to wonder why no one else adopted the system (other than Mercedes and Rolls) - they tried to make a similar system, failed miserably, and wound up purchasing the parts from Cit...... As to the DRAVI steering system it was incorporated in all large Cits from the SM on. A real mistake in the vid is that as the SM's speed increases (and is the same in all of the Cits with DRAVI system) steering input force INCREASES as speed goes up - not as stated. Keep in mind that the SM (along with the D series cars) had a 43 degree swing of the front wheels form straight ahead or 86 degrees lock to lock. The D series with its 120 inch well base could turn in a tighter circle than a VW beetle :). The XM can best be described as driving an SM with a lot or rear leg room in the rear seat. I know, have one of each............along with two D's and a 2CV. Yes, I am addicted........

[@paulmarshal2804]

They could never "go flat", but they become a bit hard after 4-5 years. I used to refill them (35 years ago and it wasn't expensive) with gas and they would regain softness.

[@ptolamaustittan]

USA CORP , IT is but back to what i wanted to say , USA didn't want such futuristic things that had completely embarrassed all makers there thats why . LOVE Citroen .

[@jam63112]

The resin wheels were possible because the brake discs were outside the wheel so they don't make them melt when hot I think the main issue was the engine because it was some kind of v8 shortened to v6 The high pressure circuit is a nightmare for mechanics when it tends to leak

[@truthseeker8483]

You have a point about the resin wheels however I believe the SM did have disk brakes in the normal position on the rear although they probably didnt get as hot as fronts would. The hydraulic system is certainly harder to fix than in Ford mustang with leaf springs like a horse and cart that is for sure. It is pretty reliable if you change the LHM oil regularly and replace or regas the Accumulators when needed.