The Citroën SM is a high-performance coupé produced by Citroën from 1970 to 1975, featuring a 2.7 L V6 engine and front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout. It was developed as a Gran Tourer using Maserati's engine technology and Citroën's suspension, debuted at the 1970 Geneva Motor Show, and sold initially in France in September 1970. All factory-produced units were left-hand-drive, and its design was constrained by French puissance fiscale taxation.
It started life as a Le Mans racer before becoming France’s first post-war grand tourer.
2:24
Geneva to Garage
Maserati’s engine and Citroën’s suspension merged in Geneva — then hit French showrooms months later.
3:44
Taxed Into Shape
French tax law forced a 2.7 L engine and locked the car into left-hand drive.
5:06
Opron’s Workshop Finale
Robert Opron’s first clean-sheet design — and the last model built at Citroën’s Rue du Théâtre workshop.
6:51
American Approval
It won Motor Trend Car of the Year in 1972 — proof its contradictions worked abroad.
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Worth your time?
Yes. Drive the whole thing.
4.5/ 5
What works
It integrates Maserati’s high-revving V6 with Citroën’s self-levelling suspension to deliver long-distance composure and high-speed stability.
Its low drag coefficient and compact frontal area suit sustained motorway travel.
What does not
It does not offer rear-wheel drive dynamics.
It does not accommodate right-hand-drive markets natively.
It does not exceed the 2.7 L displacement limit imposed by French puissance fiscale tax.
Drive it if
It is for drivers who value technical coherence over convention — those who accept trade-offs in service of a singular vision.
It is not for buyers needing practicality, right-hand-drive compatibility, or mainstream service infrastructure.
Skip it if
It is not for buyers needing practicality, right-hand-drive compatibility, or mainstream service infrastructure.
Who should drive it, and who should skipHide who it is for
The written brief1 min read
What the car is and where it came from
A high-performance coupé developed by Citroën from 1970 to 1975. It began as Projet S — a Le Mans–suitable racing car — then evolved under Robert Opron and Pierre Bercot into a premium Grand Routier. It debuted at the 1970 Geneva Motor Show and went on sale in France in September 1970.
How it works, in terms someone would actually use
Front-wheel drive delivers direct steering response and traction in wet conditions. The hydropneumatic suspension isolates the cabin from road shocks but adds complexity to maintenance. The 2.7 L V6 sits ahead of the front axle, feeding power to the front wheels — a layout that demands precise weight distribution and sharp steering calibration.
What it gets right
It integrates Maserati’s high-revving V6 with Citroën’s self-levelling suspension to deliver long-distance composure and high-speed stability. Its low drag coefficient and compact frontal area suit sustained motorway travel.
What it does not
It does not offer rear-wheel drive dynamics. It does not accommodate right-hand-drive markets natively. It does not exceed the 2.7 L displacement limit imposed by French puissance fiscale tax.
What it changed
It proved a front-wheel-drive grand tourer could be both technically audacious and commercially viable in regulated markets — though only for five years, and only in left-hand-drive form.
Who it is for, and who it is not
It is for drivers who value technical coherence over convention — those who accept trade-offs in service of a singular vision. It is not for buyers needing practicality, right-hand-drive compatibility, or mainstream service infrastructure.
Is it worth your time
Yes — if you want to understand how French engineering ambition collided with fiscal reality, and how a racing prototype became a legally constrained grand tourer.
The first car to prove front-wheel drive, unitary construction, and four-wheel independent suspension could coexist in a mass-produced saloon — not as a prototype, but as a factory reality.
