Citroën SM
Encyclopedia
The Citroën SM is a high-performance coupé produced by the French manufacturer Citroën from 1970 to 1975. The SM placed third in the 1971 European Car of the Year
contest, trailing its stablemate Citroën GS
, and won the 1972 Motor Trend Car of the Year
award in the U.S. in 1972.
in 1968 with the intention of harnessing Maserati's high-performance engine technology to produce a true Gran Turismo
car, combining the sophisticated Citroën suspension
with a Maserati V6
.
The result was the Citroën SM first shown at the Geneva Motor Show
in March 1970. It finally went on sale in France in September of that year. All produced were left-hand-drive, although three official RHD conversions were done in the UK, and recently also Australia.
The origin of the model name 'SM' is not clear. The 'S' may derive from the Project 'S' designation, the aim of which was to produce what is essentially a sports variant of the Citroën DS
, and the 'M' perhaps refers to Maserati, hence SM is often assumed to stand for 'Sports Maserati'. Another common alternative is Série Maserati, but others have suggested it is short for 'Sa Majesté' (Her Majesty in French), which aligns with the common DS model's nickname 'La déesse' (The Goddess).
The SM was Citroën's flagship vehicle, competing with other high-performance GTs of the time from manufacturers such as Jaguar, Lotus, Ferrari
, Aston Martin
, Alfa Romeo
and Porsche
. It was also Citroën's way of demonstrating just how much power and performance could be accommodated in a front-wheel drive
design.
The SM introduced a new type of variable assist power steering that has since spread throughout the vehicle population. DIRAVI
as it was called, allowed great assistance to the motorist while parking, but little assistance at motorway speeds. The steering actually had the same "assist" at all speeds — the steering was hydraulically locked against steering movement of the wheels from the road ("feedback") up to the capacity of the unit. Hitting a pothole at high speed would not turn the steering wheel in the driver's hands. The reduction in 'assist' was achieved by a piston/roller pushing on a heart shaped cam geared to the steering shaft (hence the one turn to full lock), which was fed with system pressure so that as its pressure rose with increasing road speed, the steering assistance seemingly reduced and the steering centering effort rose. However, full steering wheel turning was available at all speeds, though considerable force was necessary to turn the steering wheel at high road speed. Enough pressure was admitted to the centering unit to return the wheels to the straight ahead position when the car was not moving. The centering pressure was regulated by a flyweight centrifugal governor driven by the pinion (secondary) shaft of the manual gearbox
and by a proportioning valve connected to the fluid pressure in the automatic gearbox
, which pressure was proportional to the speed of the output shaft. The pressure increased all the way to 120 mph (193.1 km/h), and a subsidiary function of this feed was to turn off the air conditioning fans above 50 km/h (31.1 mph).
Contemporary automotive journalists were most effusive about the SM's dynamic qualities, which were unlike anything they had experienced before. The SM provided a combination of comfort, sharp handling, and high performance not available in any other car at the time. The magazine Popular Science
noted that the SM had the shortest stopping distance of any car they had tested.
Unfortunately, the SM did not find a sufficient customer base in the European GT market, but much of the SM's technology was carried forward to the successful Citroën CX
, launched in 1974 the DIRAVI
steering being the most obvious example. The same basic engine in enlarged 3.0 L form (some in Italy had 2.0 L) was used in Maserati's own Merak
which, together with Maserati's Khamsin and Bora, used Citroën's high-pressure hydraulics for some functions, and the Citroën gearbox in the Merak, during the Citroën-Maserati alliance.
The look of the car, although easily identifiable as Citroën, is quite distinct, with a shape that even today looks futuristic. The car was even used in a 1999 television advertisement for British Petroleum
of Spain, where 'a futuristic car was required'. Designed in-house by Citroën's chief designer Robert Opron
, the SM bears a vague family resemblance to the DS, especially in retaining the latter's rear-wheel spats. Seen from above though, the SM resembles a teardrop, with a wide front track tapering to a narrower rear track.
Many of the details reflect Opron's American background, notably the vestiges of 'fins' at the rear. Opron worked on aircraft body design and aerodynamics while in the USA, and the SM benefited from this experience. It was unusually aerodynamic for its era, with a very low drag coefficient
of 0.26. The ventilation intake is located in a "neutral" area on the hood, which makes the ventilator fan regulate the interior ventilation at all road speeds.
European critics
marveled at the resulting ability to travel for hours at 200 km/h (120 mph) in comfort and with impressive fuel economy on the large 90 l (20 US gal, 17 Imp. gal.) fuel tank.
With its distinctly modernist influence, the interior styling of the SM is as dramatic as the exterior. The small oval steering wheel is matched by oval gauges. The manual shift lever 'boot' is a highly stylized chrome gate. The seats are highly adjustable buckets with centre padding composed of many individual 'rolls'. High-quality materials are used throughout. The bonnet is aircraft grade aluminum, while the external bright work is stainless steel, rather than ‘cheaper’ chrome (except for "plastichrome" "SM" trim at the rear base of the rain gutter).
The SM's design placed eleventh on Automobile Magazine
s 2005 "100 Coolest Cars" listing.
In 1970, it was a car of the future and the fastest front-wheel-drive car, with a factory-quoted top speed of 220 km/h (136.7 mph), and independent tests achieving as much as 235 km/h (145 mph). It was an example of the car as a symbol of optimism and progressive technology, similar to the SM's contemporary, the Concorde
aircraft.
. Citroen continued rallying the SM, eventually developing a "breadvan" short-wheelbase racing variant.
SM World, a marque specialist in Los Angeles, California, produced a turbocharged SM, which set the land speed record for production vehicles its class in 1987 at the Bonneville Salt Flats
, Utah — traveling 202 mph (327 km/h).
The steering is self-centering and fully powered (as opposed to hydraulically assisted). This feature allows the front wheels to run near-zero caster, and means that there is no camber change as lock is applied, and also ensures that the maximum amount of tyre area is in contact with the road at all times. The system also adjusts the hydraulic pressure on the steering centering cam according to vehicle speed so that the amount of steering feel remained almost constant at any speed, counteracting the tendency of manual and ordinary power assisted steering to feel light at high speed. Thus the car turns easily at low speed, emphasized by high gearing given two turns lock-lock, and relatively more effort is required at higher speed. Many contemporary reviewers remarked that this system would take at least 50 mi (80.5 km) of driving to become familiar, but once the driver is accustomed to the system traditional steering feels old-fashioned.
The wiper mechanism is 'sensitive' to rain, by measuring the current needed to drive the wiper motor, while the steering column is adjustable in both height and reach.
The braking system, adapted from the DS, employs disk brakes at all four corners (the DS has drums at the rear), with the front brakes being inboard, and cooled via large ducts on the front underside of the car. The hydraulic braking pressure front to rear balance is self-adjusting according to the weight in the rear of the car.
Standard wheels are steel with stainless trims, but a factory option was available for lightweight wheels made of composites. These wheels weigh less than half the standard weight and are possibly a unique application of composites on a production vehicle.
The main export market for the SM was the U.S. In the U.S., the market for personal luxury car
s was much larger than in Europe, with competitors like the Cadillac Eldorado
, Lincoln Mark IV
and Ford Thunderbird
alongside a large selection of Italian, British, and German imports. Nevertheless, the unique design of the SM made quite a splash and won the Motor Trend
magazine Car of the Year
award in 1972: unheard of for a non-US vehicle at the time.
The SM's six headlight set up was illegal in the U.S. at the time and consequently, U.S. specification cars were fitted with four fixed round exposed lamps. Also, the separate glass windshields of the headlights were illegal in the USA after 1967, which is why the DS did not get them on USA cars when it was restyled for 1968, and the VW Beetle and Vanagon/Kombi and Jaguar XKE lost their headlight glass windshields at the same time.
Despite initial success, U.S. sales ceased suddenly — Citroën expected, but did not receive, an exemption for the 1974 model year 5 mph (8 km/h) bumper regulation imposed by the NHTSA
. The integral variable height suspension
of the SM made compliance impossible. The final batch of 134 now illegal 1974 U.S. model SMs were shipped to Japan.
but capable of being assembled on existing V8
tooling. Because of this, the engine sported an unusual 90° angle between cylinder banks — a trait shared with the later PRV V6
. It was a very compact and innovative design that allowed the use of just one pattern for the cylinder heads and an intermediate shaft extended out to drive the auxiliaries.
The engines (always mounted behind the front axle
) were:
The size of the 2.7 L engine was limited by French puissance fiscale
taxation, which effectively banned large displacement vehicles. The engine was also used in the Maserati Merak
from 1973 to 1982 (later versions for the Merak SS had much larger valves and a reputed 220BHP) and the Ligier
JS2 sports car
. The final SMs were produced in the Ligier
factory in Vichy
. Fuel consumption was 15-17mpg.
5-speed manual
and 3-speed Borg Warner fully automatic transmission
s were fitted early on, but with the rest of the world outside North America only getting the fully automatic in 1974-1975.
took ownership of the company and in May 1975, divested Maserati. Peugeot decided to stop building the SM, as sales were minimal in that year.
Observers often attribute the demise of the SM to the 1973 oil crisis
and economic recession. While the oil shock certainly affected sales, it is useful to note that many far more profligate cars were introduced at the same time the SM ceased production, like the Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9
. Peugeot even introduced a V6 powered car of similar displacement and fuel consumption in 1975, the 604
. In the U.S. (the main export market for the SM), the SM was actually an economical vehicle relative to its competitors. However, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) imposed new automotive design regulations in 1974, effectively banning the Citroën from the U.S. market.
As illustrated under production numbers, SM sales declined starting in 1972. This appears to be attributable to maintenance issues. The early ignition breaker cassettes are very unreliable, and the timing chains cause catastrophic engine failure if not adjusted at 60,000 km, faults that were corrected long after production ceased. The 90° engine timing was unfamiliar to mechanics in 1970s.
Most vehicles require only generalist maintenance, where any competent mechanic can properly maintain the vehicle. Certain vehicles — like Citroëns and Ferrari
s — require specialist care due to their unique design. While a sturdy car if maintained rigorously, the SM did require two sets of specialist care — Citroën specialists, which are widespread in Europe, and a rarer Maserati
specialist, to keep the engine in tune. Once potential buyers began to realize this, sales dropped precipitously.
Components of the SM lived on — in the Maserati Merak
(engine, transmission) and the Lotus Esprit (transmission (both mirror image)). Nissan made a small three-door hatchback
in the late 1970s which used many SM styling cues, including the tailgate. The successful Citroën CX
carried forward most of the SM's dynamic qualities, including the trendsetting speed sensitive power steering.
The North American market took 2,400 cars, in 1972 and 1973. Eliminating this impact, sales declined a dramatic 43% from 1971 to 1972 and a further 50% in 1973.
fixed head coupe, but the design did inspire a variety of variants, none produced in any quantity.
Coachbuilder Henri Chapron
from Levallois-Perret
produced seven convertibles (SM Mylord) and eight sedans (SM Opéra). Original copies of these rare models are very valuable — some SM owners have made their own copies of the SM convertible in particular.
French Presidents from Georges Pompidou
to Jacques Chirac
have enjoyed touring Paris in the two 4-door convertible Citroën SM présidentielle models, also prepared by Chapron
. These manual transmission cars have special low gearing suitable for parade use.
In 1971, Heuliez
also produced two examples of a targa top
convertible, the SM Espace.
Just before the SM's demise, Citroën produced several short-wheelbase racing versions with squared-off rear sections and highly tuned engines — known as the "breadvan" model.
'SM World' in Los Angeles, California has created an extended SM pickup truck
, similar to the Chevrolet El Camino
. Within the capacity of the rear suspension, this truck rides level no matter what load is carried in the bed! Yet it has the ride of the normal car. As the rear suspension swing-arm pivots of the SM are boxed in like those of the D break/station wagon, a very strong frame is already present.
UK sales were always disproportionately low, amounting to just 325 cars, because the SM was never produced at the factory in right-hand drive
. Three official prototypes were constructed by Middleton Motors, a Citroën dealer in Hertfordshire
, England. At least one of these prototypes still survives. Twelve Cars were converted to RHD by Chappel Engineering in Melbourne, Australia for Dutton's (the Australian importer of Citroen at the time). Cars are still being modified with RHD controls and dashboards for the Australian market, where RHD is mandatory.
Frua
also proposed a concept car based on the SM, a front-wheel-drive car that closely resembled the mid-engine Maserati Merak
.
In the spring of 1974, Maserati created a special 4.0 L V8 engine based on the latest C114-11 engine variant. This engine, installed in a standard SM, tested over 12,000 kilometers. The engine then removed and saved, the car destroyed by Citroën. The SM Club of France created an exact replica of this car using the actual engine from the original and displayed it at Retromobile 2010.
Unfortunately, the intended recipient never received this V8. The Maserati Quattroporte II was a Maserati
-badged, 4-door variant of the SM, with an angular body and lengthened floorpan. The six headlights were retained and the later 'SS' version of the engine fitted. This model was introduced at the time of Citroën's bankruptcy in 1974 and only thirteen were produced between then and 1978.
.jpg)
Like the Citroën DS
, the SM has made prominent appearances in several films and TV series, and has had many celebrity owners. Emperor and Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia
had an SM, while Ugandan dictator Idi Amin
had seven of them. The Shah of Iran
drove an SM. Actors Lorne Greene
and Lee Majors
, General Secretary of the Communist Party of the USSR Leonid Brezhnev
, composer John Williams
, author Graham Greene
, and former Mauritian QC and Politician Sir Gaetan Duval (1930–1996), football player Johan Cruijff, drummer Charlie Watts
, Cheech Marin
, and Thomas Chong, Mike Hailwood
all owned SMs.
European Car of the Year
The European Car of the Year award was established in 1964 by a collective of automobile magazines from different countries in Europe. The current organisers of the award are Auto , Autocar , Autopista , Autovisie , L'Automobile Magazine , Stern and Vi Bilägare .The voting jury consists of motoring...
contest, trailing its stablemate Citroën GS
Citroën GS
The Citroën GS and Citroën GSA are small family cars produced by the French automaker Citroën. The GS was voted European Car of the Year for 1971, and was probably the most technologically advanced car in its class when launched, with class leading comfort, safety and aerodynamics.-Market...
, and won the 1972 Motor Trend Car of the Year
Motor Trend Car of the Year
The Motor Trend Car of the Year is an award given by Motor Trend magazine, an American monthly that is published since 1949.- Background :...
award in the U.S. in 1972.
History
In 1961, Citroën began work on 'Project S' — a sports variant of the revolutionary Citroën DS. As was customary for the firm, many running concept vehicles were developed, increasingly complex and upmarket from the DS. Citroën purchased MaseratiMaserati
Maserati is an Italian luxury car manufacturer established on December 1, 1914, in Bologna. The company's headquarters is now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. It has been owned by the Italian car giant Fiat S.p.A. since 1993...
in 1968 with the intention of harnessing Maserati's high-performance engine technology to produce a true Gran Turismo
Grand tourer
A grand tourer is a high-performance luxury automobile designed for long-distance driving. The most common format is a two-door coupé with either a two-seat or a 2+2 arrangement....
car, combining the sophisticated Citroën suspension
Hydropneumatic suspension
Hydropneumatic suspension is a type of automotive suspension system, invented by Citroën, and fitted to Citroën cars, as well as being used under licence by other car manufacturers, notably Rolls-Royce, and Peugeot. It was also used on Berliet trucks and is since recently used on Mercedes-Benz...
with a Maserati V6
V6 engine
A V6 engine is a V engine with six cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of three cylinders, usually set at either a right angle or an acute angle to each other, with all six pistons driving a common crankshaft...
.
The result was the Citroën SM first shown at the Geneva Motor Show
Salon International de l'Auto
The International Geneva Motor Show is an annual auto show held in March in the Swiss city of Geneva. The show is hosted at the Geneva Palexpo, a convention centre located next to the Geneva Cointrin International Airport...
in March 1970. It finally went on sale in France in September of that year. All produced were left-hand-drive, although three official RHD conversions were done in the UK, and recently also Australia.
The origin of the model name 'SM' is not clear. The 'S' may derive from the Project 'S' designation, the aim of which was to produce what is essentially a sports variant of the Citroën DS
Citroën DS
The Citroën DS is an executive car produced by the French manufacturer Citroën between 1955 and 1975. Styled by Italian sculptor and industrial designer Flaminio Bertoni and the French aeronautical engineer André Lefèbvre, the DS was known for its aerodynamic futuristic body design and innovative...
, and the 'M' perhaps refers to Maserati, hence SM is often assumed to stand for 'Sports Maserati'. Another common alternative is Série Maserati, but others have suggested it is short for 'Sa Majesté' (Her Majesty in French), which aligns with the common DS model's nickname 'La déesse' (The Goddess).
The SM was Citroën's flagship vehicle, competing with other high-performance GTs of the time from manufacturers such as Jaguar, Lotus, Ferrari
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...
, Aston Martin
Aston Martin
Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire...
, Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of cars. Founded as A.L.F.A. on June 24, 1910, in Milan, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars...
and Porsche
Porsche
Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry....
. It was also Citroën's way of demonstrating just how much power and performance could be accommodated in a front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive is a form of engine/transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel drive vehicles feature a transverse engine, rather than the conventional longitudinal engine arrangement generally found in rear-wheel drive and...
design.
The SM introduced a new type of variable assist power steering that has since spread throughout the vehicle population. DIRAVI
DIRAVI
DIRAVI is the name given by Citroën to its proprietary power steering system, first seen in 1970.DIRAVI is an acronym for "Direction à rappel asservi" literally meaning "steering with controlled return" more accurately described in English as "power steering with power assisted return". In the UK,...
as it was called, allowed great assistance to the motorist while parking, but little assistance at motorway speeds. The steering actually had the same "assist" at all speeds — the steering was hydraulically locked against steering movement of the wheels from the road ("feedback") up to the capacity of the unit. Hitting a pothole at high speed would not turn the steering wheel in the driver's hands. The reduction in 'assist' was achieved by a piston/roller pushing on a heart shaped cam geared to the steering shaft (hence the one turn to full lock), which was fed with system pressure so that as its pressure rose with increasing road speed, the steering assistance seemingly reduced and the steering centering effort rose. However, full steering wheel turning was available at all speeds, though considerable force was necessary to turn the steering wheel at high road speed. Enough pressure was admitted to the centering unit to return the wheels to the straight ahead position when the car was not moving. The centering pressure was regulated by a flyweight centrifugal governor driven by the pinion (secondary) shaft of the manual gearbox
Manual transmission
A manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
and by a proportioning valve connected to the fluid pressure in the automatic gearbox
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
, which pressure was proportional to the speed of the output shaft. The pressure increased all the way to 120 mph (193.1 km/h), and a subsidiary function of this feed was to turn off the air conditioning fans above 50 km/h (31.1 mph).
Contemporary automotive journalists were most effusive about the SM's dynamic qualities, which were unlike anything they had experienced before. The SM provided a combination of comfort, sharp handling, and high performance not available in any other car at the time. The magazine Popular Science
Popular Science
Popular Science is an American monthly magazine founded in 1872 carrying articles for the general reader on science and technology subjects. Popular Science has won over 58 awards, including the ASME awards for its journalistic excellence in both 2003 and 2004...
noted that the SM had the shortest stopping distance of any car they had tested.
Unfortunately, the SM did not find a sufficient customer base in the European GT market, but much of the SM's technology was carried forward to the successful Citroën CX
Citroën CX
The Citroën CX is an automobile produced by the French automaker Citroën from 1974 to 1991. Citroën sold nearly 1.2 million CXs during its 16 years of production. The CX was voted European Car of the Year in 1975....
, launched in 1974 the DIRAVI
DIRAVI
DIRAVI is the name given by Citroën to its proprietary power steering system, first seen in 1970.DIRAVI is an acronym for "Direction à rappel asservi" literally meaning "steering with controlled return" more accurately described in English as "power steering with power assisted return". In the UK,...
steering being the most obvious example. The same basic engine in enlarged 3.0 L form (some in Italy had 2.0 L) was used in Maserati's own Merak
Maserati Merak
The Maserati Merak was an Italian sports car introduced in 1972, essentially a junior version of the Maserati Bora. It substituted an all new Maserati designed quad-cam V-6 motor for the Bora's larger V-8, resulting not only in a lower cost, but room for a small backseat and better handling due to...
which, together with Maserati's Khamsin and Bora, used Citroën's high-pressure hydraulics for some functions, and the Citroën gearbox in the Merak, during the Citroën-Maserati alliance.
Styling
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
of Spain, where 'a futuristic car was required'. Designed in-house by Citroën's chief designer Robert Opron
Robert Opron
Robert Opron is a French automotive designer, trained as an architect, and noted for designs from the 1960s through the 1980s for Simca, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Ligier, Renault and Citroën – which he joined in 1962 and where he became Responsable de Style, head of the design department.Opron was a...
, the SM bears a vague family resemblance to the DS, especially in retaining the latter's rear-wheel spats. Seen from above though, the SM resembles a teardrop, with a wide front track tapering to a narrower rear track.
Many of the details reflect Opron's American background, notably the vestiges of 'fins' at the rear. Opron worked on aircraft body design and aerodynamics while in the USA, and the SM benefited from this experience. It was unusually aerodynamic for its era, with a very low drag coefficient
Drag coefficient
In fluid dynamics, the drag coefficient is a dimensionless quantity that is used to quantify the drag or resistance of an object in a fluid environment such as air or water. It is used in the drag equation, where a lower drag coefficient indicates the object will have less aerodynamic or...
of 0.26. The ventilation intake is located in a "neutral" area on the hood, which makes the ventilator fan regulate the interior ventilation at all road speeds.
European critics
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
marveled at the resulting ability to travel for hours at 200 km/h (120 mph) in comfort and with impressive fuel economy on the large 90 l (20 US gal, 17 Imp. gal.) fuel tank.
The SM's design placed eleventh on Automobile Magazine
Automobile Magazine
Automobile magazine is an automobile magazine in the United States and is owned by Source Interlink. It was founded by a group of former employees of Car and Driver magazine, led by that publications’s former editor, David E. Davis, and originally published by News Corporation...
s 2005 "100 Coolest Cars" listing.
In 1970, it was a car of the future and the fastest front-wheel-drive car, with a factory-quoted top speed of 220 km/h (136.7 mph), and independent tests achieving as much as 235 km/h (145 mph). It was an example of the car as a symbol of optimism and progressive technology, similar to the SM's contemporary, the Concorde
Concorde
Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde was a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger airliner, a supersonic transport . It was a product of an Anglo-French government treaty, combining the manufacturing efforts of Aérospatiale and the British Aircraft Corporation...
aircraft.
Motorsport
The SM won its first competitive outing, the grueling 1971 Rallye du MarocRallye du Maroc
The Rallye du Maroc was a marathon rally, similar to the Safari Rally. It was first run in 1934, and held intermittently until 1988. Established by the Royal Automobile Club of Morocco, it is one of the more difficult automotive rallies...
. Citroen continued rallying the SM, eventually developing a "breadvan" short-wheelbase racing variant.
SM World, a marque specialist in Los Angeles, California, produced a turbocharged SM, which set the land speed record for production vehicles its class in 1987 at the Bonneville Salt Flats
Bonneville Speedway
Bonneville Speedway is an area of the Bonneville Salt Flats near Wendover, Utah, that is marked out for motor sports. It is particularly noted as the venue for numerous land speed records....
, Utah — traveling 202 mph (327 km/h).
Technical innovations
The SM combines many unusual and innovative features, some of which are only just becoming commonplace on cars of today. It borrows heavily from the innovations introduced on the DS, by including hydro-pneumatic (oleopneumatic) self-leveling suspension, and self-leveling lights that swiveled with the steering (except in the USA where these were illegal at the time).The steering is self-centering and fully powered (as opposed to hydraulically assisted). This feature allows the front wheels to run near-zero caster, and means that there is no camber change as lock is applied, and also ensures that the maximum amount of tyre area is in contact with the road at all times. The system also adjusts the hydraulic pressure on the steering centering cam according to vehicle speed so that the amount of steering feel remained almost constant at any speed, counteracting the tendency of manual and ordinary power assisted steering to feel light at high speed. Thus the car turns easily at low speed, emphasized by high gearing given two turns lock-lock, and relatively more effort is required at higher speed. Many contemporary reviewers remarked that this system would take at least 50 mi (80.5 km) of driving to become familiar, but once the driver is accustomed to the system traditional steering feels old-fashioned.
The wiper mechanism is 'sensitive' to rain, by measuring the current needed to drive the wiper motor, while the steering column is adjustable in both height and reach.
The braking system, adapted from the DS, employs disk brakes at all four corners (the DS has drums at the rear), with the front brakes being inboard, and cooled via large ducts on the front underside of the car. The hydraulic braking pressure front to rear balance is self-adjusting according to the weight in the rear of the car.
Standard wheels are steel with stainless trims, but a factory option was available for lightweight wheels made of composites. These wheels weigh less than half the standard weight and are possibly a unique application of composites on a production vehicle.
US exports
Personal luxury car
A personal luxury car is a highly styled, luxury vehicle with an emphasis on image over practicality. Accenting the comfort and satisfaction of its owner and driver above all else, the personal luxury car sometimes sacrifices passenger capacity, cargo room, and fuel economy in favor of style and...
s was much larger than in Europe, with competitors like the Cadillac Eldorado
Cadillac Eldorado
The 1953 Eldorado was a special-bodied, low-production convertible . It was the production version of the 1952 El Dorado "Golden Anniversary" concept car, and borrowed bumper bullets from the 1951 GM Le Sabre show car...
, Lincoln Mark IV
Lincoln Mark series
The Continental Mark II was a personal luxury car produced by a newly formed Continental Division of the Ford Motor Company for only two model years: 1956 and 1957....
and Ford Thunderbird
Ford Thunderbird
The Thunderbird , is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States over eleven model generations from 1955 through 2005...
alongside a large selection of Italian, British, and German imports. Nevertheless, the unique design of the SM made quite a splash and won the Motor Trend
Motor Trend
Motor Trend is an American automobile magazine. It first appeared in September 1949, issued by Petersen Publishing Company in Los Angeles, and bearing the tag line "The Magazine for a Motoring World". Petersen Publishing was sold to British publisher EMAP in 1998, who sold the former Petersen...
magazine Car of the Year
Motor Trend Car of the Year
The Motor Trend Car of the Year is an award given by Motor Trend magazine, an American monthly that is published since 1949.- Background :...
award in 1972: unheard of for a non-US vehicle at the time.
The SM's six headlight set up was illegal in the U.S. at the time and consequently, U.S. specification cars were fitted with four fixed round exposed lamps. Also, the separate glass windshields of the headlights were illegal in the USA after 1967, which is why the DS did not get them on USA cars when it was restyled for 1968, and the VW Beetle and Vanagon/Kombi and Jaguar XKE lost their headlight glass windshields at the same time.
Despite initial success, U.S. sales ceased suddenly — Citroën expected, but did not receive, an exemption for the 1974 model year 5 mph (8 km/h) bumper regulation imposed by the NHTSA
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is an agency of the Executive Branch of the U.S. government, part of the Department of Transportation...
. The integral variable height suspension
Height adjustable suspension
Height adjustable suspension is a feature of certain automobile suspension systems that allow the motorist to vary the ride height or ground clearance. This can be done for various reasons including giving better ground clearance over rough terrain, a lower ground clearance to improve fuel economy...
of the SM made compliance impossible. The final batch of 134 now illegal 1974 U.S. model SMs were shipped to Japan.
Engines
The SM was sold with a small, lightweight engine in various forms, designed from scratch by Giulio AlfieriGiulio Alfieri
Giulio Alfieri was an Italian automobile engineer, affiliated with Maserati in Modena, Italy since 1953, where he was central to the development of racing and production cars in the 1950s and 1960s.Alfieri was born in Parma...
but capable of being assembled on existing V8
V8 engine
A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
tooling. Because of this, the engine sported an unusual 90° angle between cylinder banks — a trait shared with the later PRV V6
PRV engine
The PRV engine is an automobile petrol V6 engine that was developed jointly by Peugeot, Renault and Volvo Cars – and sold from 1974 to 1998. It was gradually replaced after 1994 by another joint PSA-Renault design, known as the ES engine at PSA and the L engine at Renault.-Corporate history:The...
. It was a very compact and innovative design that allowed the use of just one pattern for the cylinder heads and an intermediate shaft extended out to drive the auxiliaries.
The engines (always mounted behind the front axle
Mid-engine design
A mid-engine layout describes the placement of an automobile engine between the rear and front axles. Another term for this is mid-ship.-Benefits:The mid-engine layout is typically chosen for its relatively favorable weight distribution...
) were:
- 2.7 L V6V6 engineA V6 engine is a V engine with six cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of three cylinders, usually set at either a right angle or an acute angle to each other, with all six pistons driving a common crankshaft...
with Weber 42 DCNF carburettors, "C114-1" (170 bhp) (1970–1972) - 2.7 L V6V6 engineA V6 engine is a V engine with six cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of three cylinders, usually set at either a right angle or an acute angle to each other, with all six pistons driving a common crankshaft...
with Bosch D-JetronicJetronicJetronic is a trade name of an fuel injection technology for automotive petrol engines, developed and marketed by Robert Bosch GmbH from the 1960s onwards. Bosch licensed the concept to many automobile manufacturers. There are several variations of the technology offering technological development...
injection, "C114-03" (178 bhp) (1973-1976 - Not available in the U.S.) - 3.0 L V6V6 engineA V6 engine is a V engine with six cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of three cylinders, usually set at either a right angle or an acute angle to each other, with all six pistons driving a common crankshaft...
with Weber 42 DCNF carburetors, "C114-11" (180 bhp) (1971-1975 - U.S. only in 1971, rest of the world, automatic only in 1974 & 1975)
The size of the 2.7 L engine was limited by French puissance fiscale
Tax horsepower
The tax horsepower or taxable horsepower was an early system by which taxation rates for automobiles were reckoned in some European countries, such as Britain, Belgium, Germany, France, and Italy; some US states like Illinois charged license plate purchase and renewal fees for passenger...
taxation, which effectively banned large displacement vehicles. The engine was also used in the Maserati Merak
Maserati Merak
The Maserati Merak was an Italian sports car introduced in 1972, essentially a junior version of the Maserati Bora. It substituted an all new Maserati designed quad-cam V-6 motor for the Bora's larger V-8, resulting not only in a lower cost, but room for a small backseat and better handling due to...
from 1973 to 1982 (later versions for the Merak SS had much larger valves and a reputed 220BHP) and the Ligier
Ligier
For the related Formula One team, see Equipe LigierLigier is a French automobile maker created by former racing driver and rugby player Guy Ligier.-History:...
JS2 sports car
Sports car
A sports car is a small, usually two seat, two door automobile designed for high speed driving and maneuverability....
. The final SMs were produced in the Ligier
Ligier
For the related Formula One team, see Equipe LigierLigier is a French automobile maker created by former racing driver and rugby player Guy Ligier.-History:...
factory in Vichy
Vichy
Vichy is a commune in the department of Allier in Auvergne in central France. It belongs to the historic province of Bourbonnais.It is known as a spa and resort town and was the de facto capital of Vichy France during the World War II Nazi German occupation from 1940 to 1944.The town's inhabitants...
. Fuel consumption was 15-17mpg.
5-speed manual
Manual transmission
A manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
and 3-speed Borg Warner fully automatic transmission
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
s were fitted early on, but with the rest of the world outside North America only getting the fully automatic in 1974-1975.
Demise
After the 1974 bankruptcy of Citroën, PeugeotPeugeot
Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...
took ownership of the company and in May 1975, divested Maserati. Peugeot decided to stop building the SM, as sales were minimal in that year.
Observers often attribute the demise of the SM to the 1973 oil crisis
1973 oil crisis
The 1973 oil crisis started in October 1973, when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries or the OAPEC proclaimed an oil embargo. This was "in response to the U.S. decision to re-supply the Israeli military" during the Yom Kippur war. It lasted until March 1974. With the...
and economic recession. While the oil shock certainly affected sales, it is useful to note that many far more profligate cars were introduced at the same time the SM ceased production, like the Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9
Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9
The Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9 is a high-performance version of the S-Class luxury saloon. It was built on its own assembly line by Daimler-Benz in Stuttgart, Germany and based on the long-wheelbase version of the W116 chassis introduced in 1972...
. Peugeot even introduced a V6 powered car of similar displacement and fuel consumption in 1975, the 604
Peugeot 604
The Peugeot 604 is an executive car produced by the French manufacturer Peugeot from 1975 to 1985. 153,252 examples of the 604 were sold during its 10-year production life. It was made in France and also by Kia in Korea....
. In the U.S. (the main export market for the SM), the SM was actually an economical vehicle relative to its competitors. However, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is an agency of the Executive Branch of the U.S. government, part of the Department of Transportation...
(NHTSA) imposed new automotive design regulations in 1974, effectively banning the Citroën from the U.S. market.
As illustrated under production numbers, SM sales declined starting in 1972. This appears to be attributable to maintenance issues. The early ignition breaker cassettes are very unreliable, and the timing chains cause catastrophic engine failure if not adjusted at 60,000 km, faults that were corrected long after production ceased. The 90° engine timing was unfamiliar to mechanics in 1970s.
Most vehicles require only generalist maintenance, where any competent mechanic can properly maintain the vehicle. Certain vehicles — like Citroëns and Ferrari
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...
s — require specialist care due to their unique design. While a sturdy car if maintained rigorously, the SM did require two sets of specialist care — Citroën specialists, which are widespread in Europe, and a rarer Maserati
Maserati
Maserati is an Italian luxury car manufacturer established on December 1, 1914, in Bologna. The company's headquarters is now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. It has been owned by the Italian car giant Fiat S.p.A. since 1993...
specialist, to keep the engine in tune. Once potential buyers began to realize this, sales dropped precipitously.
Components of the SM lived on — in the Maserati Merak
Maserati Merak
The Maserati Merak was an Italian sports car introduced in 1972, essentially a junior version of the Maserati Bora. It substituted an all new Maserati designed quad-cam V-6 motor for the Bora's larger V-8, resulting not only in a lower cost, but room for a small backseat and better handling due to...
(engine, transmission) and the Lotus Esprit (transmission (both mirror image)). Nissan made a small three-door hatchback
Hatchback
A Hatchback is a car body style incorporating a shared passenger and cargo volume, with rearmost accessibility via a rear third or fifth door, typically a top-hinged liftgate—and features such as fold-down rear seats to enable flexibility within the shared passenger/cargo volume. As a two-box...
in the late 1970s which used many SM styling cues, including the tailgate. The successful Citroën CX
Citroën CX
The Citroën CX is an automobile produced by the French automaker Citroën from 1974 to 1991. Citroën sold nearly 1.2 million CXs during its 16 years of production. The CX was voted European Car of the Year in 1975....
carried forward most of the SM's dynamic qualities, including the trendsetting speed sensitive power steering.
Production numbers
A total of 12,920 SMs were produced during its lifetime. The production figures for individual years were:- 1970: 868
- 1971: 4988
- 1972: 4036
- 1973: 2619
- 1974: 294
- 1975: 115
The North American market took 2,400 cars, in 1972 and 1973. Eliminating this impact, sales declined a dramatic 43% from 1971 to 1972 and a further 50% in 1973.
Variants
The factory always produced just one body style — a LHD two-door fastbackFastback
A fastback is a car body style whose roofline slopes continuously down at the back. The word can also designate the car itself. The style is seen on two-door coupés as well as four-door sedans.-History:...
fixed head coupe, but the design did inspire a variety of variants, none produced in any quantity.
Coachbuilder Henri Chapron
Henri Chapron
Henri Chapron was a prominent French automobile coachbuilder. His atelier, created in 1919, was located in the Paris suburb of Levallois-Perret....
from Levallois-Perret
Levallois-Perret
Levallois-Perret is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris.-Name:The name Levallois-Perret comes from two housing developments, Champerret and Village Levallois , and which resulted in the incorporation of the...
produced seven convertibles (SM Mylord) and eight sedans (SM Opéra). Original copies of these rare models are very valuable — some SM owners have made their own copies of the SM convertible in particular.
French Presidents from Georges Pompidou
Georges Pompidou
Georges Jean Raymond Pompidou was a French politician. He was Prime Minister of France from 1962 to 1968, holding the longest tenure in this position, and later President of the French Republic from 1969 until his death in 1974.-Biography:...
to Jacques Chirac
Jacques Chirac
Jacques René Chirac is a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He previously served as Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988 , and as Mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995.After completing his studies of the DEA's degree at the...
have enjoyed touring Paris in the two 4-door convertible Citroën SM présidentielle models, also prepared by Chapron
Henri Chapron
Henri Chapron was a prominent French automobile coachbuilder. His atelier, created in 1919, was located in the Paris suburb of Levallois-Perret....
. These manual transmission cars have special low gearing suitable for parade use.
In 1971, Heuliez
Heuliez
Heuliez is a French company that works as a production and design unit for various automakers. It specializes in producing short series for niche markets, such as convertibles or station-wagons....
also produced two examples of a targa top
Targa top
Targa top, targa for short, is a semi-convertible car body style with a removable roof section and a full width roll bar behind the seats. The term was first used on the 1966 Porsche 911 Targa, and it remains a registered trademark of Porsche AG....
convertible, the SM Espace.
Just before the SM's demise, Citroën produced several short-wheelbase racing versions with squared-off rear sections and highly tuned engines — known as the "breadvan" model.
'SM World' in Los Angeles, California has created an extended SM pickup truck
Pickup truck
A pickup truck is a light motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area .-Definition:...
, similar to the Chevrolet El Camino
Chevrolet El Camino
The Chevrolet El Camino is a coupe utility vehicle produced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors for the 1959–1960 model years in response to the success of its rival, Ford Ranchero. Production resumed for the 1964–1977 model years based on the Chevelle platform, and continued for the...
. Within the capacity of the rear suspension, this truck rides level no matter what load is carried in the bed! Yet it has the ride of the normal car. As the rear suspension swing-arm pivots of the SM are boxed in like those of the D break/station wagon, a very strong frame is already present.
UK sales were always disproportionately low, amounting to just 325 cars, because the SM was never produced at the factory in right-hand drive
Driving on the left or right
The terms right-hand traffic and left-hand traffic refer to regulations requiring all bidirectional traffic to keep either to the right or the left side of the road, respectively. This is so fundamental to traffic flow that it is sometimes referred to as the rule of the road. This basic rule eases...
. Three official prototypes were constructed by Middleton Motors, a Citroën dealer in Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, England. At least one of these prototypes still survives. Twelve Cars were converted to RHD by Chappel Engineering in Melbourne, Australia for Dutton's (the Australian importer of Citroen at the time). Cars are still being modified with RHD controls and dashboards for the Australian market, where RHD is mandatory.
Frua
Pietro Frua
Pietro Frua was one of the leading Italian coachbuilders and car designers during the 1950s and 1960s.-Early years:...
also proposed a concept car based on the SM, a front-wheel-drive car that closely resembled the mid-engine Maserati Merak
Maserati Merak
The Maserati Merak was an Italian sports car introduced in 1972, essentially a junior version of the Maserati Bora. It substituted an all new Maserati designed quad-cam V-6 motor for the Bora's larger V-8, resulting not only in a lower cost, but room for a small backseat and better handling due to...
.
In the spring of 1974, Maserati created a special 4.0 L V8 engine based on the latest C114-11 engine variant. This engine, installed in a standard SM, tested over 12,000 kilometers. The engine then removed and saved, the car destroyed by Citroën. The SM Club of France created an exact replica of this car using the actual engine from the original and displayed it at Retromobile 2010.
Unfortunately, the intended recipient never received this V8. The Maserati Quattroporte II was a Maserati
Maserati
Maserati is an Italian luxury car manufacturer established on December 1, 1914, in Bologna. The company's headquarters is now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. It has been owned by the Italian car giant Fiat S.p.A. since 1993...
-badged, 4-door variant of the SM, with an angular body and lengthened floorpan. The six headlights were retained and the later 'SS' version of the engine fitted. This model was introduced at the time of Citroën's bankruptcy in 1974 and only thirteen were produced between then and 1978.
Appearances in art and famous owners
Citroën DS
The Citroën DS is an executive car produced by the French manufacturer Citroën between 1955 and 1975. Styled by Italian sculptor and industrial designer Flaminio Bertoni and the French aeronautical engineer André Lefèbvre, the DS was known for its aerodynamic futuristic body design and innovative...
, the SM has made prominent appearances in several films and TV series, and has had many celebrity owners. Emperor and Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia
Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia
Haile Selassie I , born Tafari Makonnen, was Ethiopia's regent from 1916 to 1930 and Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974...
had an SM, while Ugandan dictator Idi Amin
Idi Amin
Idi Amin Dada was a military leader and President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. Amin joined the British colonial regiment, the King's African Rifles in 1946. Eventually he held the rank of Major General in the post-colonial Ugandan Army and became its Commander before seizing power in the military...
had seven of them. The Shah of Iran
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Mohammad Rezā Shāh Pahlavi, Shah of Iran, Shah of Persia , ruled Iran from 16 September 1941 until his overthrow by the Iranian Revolution on 11 February 1979...
drove an SM. Actors Lorne Greene
Lorne Greene
Lorne Greene , was the stage name of Lyon Himan Green, OC, a Canadian actor.His television roles include Ben Cartwright on the western Bonanza, and Commander Adama in the science fiction movie and subsequent TV Series Battlestar Galactica...
and Lee Majors
Lee Majors
Lee Majors is an American television, film and voice actor, best known for his starring role as Colonel Steve Austin in The Six Million Dollar Man and as Colt Seavers in The Fall Guy ....
, General Secretary of the Communist Party of the USSR Leonid Brezhnev
Leonid Brezhnev
Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev – 10 November 1982) was the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union , presiding over the country from 1964 until his death in 1982. His eighteen-year term as General Secretary was second only to that of Joseph Stalin in...
, composer John Williams
John Williams
John Towner Williams is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. In a career spanning almost six decades, he has composed some of the most recognizable film scores in the history of motion pictures, including the Star Wars saga, Jaws, Superman, the Indiana Jones films, E.T...
, author Graham Greene
Graham Greene
Henry Graham Greene, OM, CH was an English author, playwright and literary critic. His works explore the ambivalent moral and political issues of the modern world...
, and former Mauritian QC and Politician Sir Gaetan Duval (1930–1996), football player Johan Cruijff, drummer Charlie Watts
Charlie Watts
Charles Robert "Charlie" Watts is an English drummer, best known as a member of The Rolling Stones. He is also the leader of a jazz band, a record producer, commercial artist, and horse breeder.-Early life:...
, Cheech Marin
Cheech Marin
Richard Anthony "Cheech" Marin is an American comedian, actor and writer who gained recognition as part of the comedy act Cheech & Chong during the 1970s and early 1980s, and as Don Johnson's partner, Insp. Joe Dominguez on Nash Bridges...
, and Thomas Chong, Mike Hailwood
Mike Hailwood
Stanley Michael Bailey Hailwood, MBE, GM was a British Grand Prix motorcycle road racer regarded by many as one of the greatest racers of all time. He was known as "Mike The Bike" because of his natural riding ability...
all owned SMs.
Media appearances
- Burt ReynoldsBurt ReynoldsBurton Leon "Burt" Reynolds, Jr. is an American actor. Some of his memorable roles include Bo 'Bandit' Darville in Smokey and the Bandit, Lewis Medlock in Deliverance, Bobby "Gator" McCluskey in White Lightning and sequel Gator, Paul Crewe and Coach Nate Scarborough in The Longest Yard and its...
escapes a fleet of police cars behind the wheel of an SM in the 1974 film The Longest Yard. In the film, having driven the car to a quayside, Reynolds gets out of the car and nudges the car into gear, causing it to drive itself into the water. In real life, he liked the car so much that he gave an SM to his friend Dinah ShoreDinah ShoreDinah Shore was an American singer, actress, and television personality...
. - Janet JacksonJanet JacksonJanet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
appears in an SM with a red leather interior in the music video for the 1998 song I Get Lonely from the Velvet Rope album. - Patrick McGoohanPatrick McGoohanPatrick Joseph McGoohan was an American-born actor, raised in Ireland and England, with an extensive stage and film career, most notably in the 1960s television series Danger Man , and The Prisoner, which he co-created...
drives an SM in a 1975 episode of the American television series Columbo ("Identity Crisis", Season 5, Episode 3), while Gerry AndersonGerry AndersonGerry Anderson MBE is a British publisher, producer, director and writer, famous for his futuristic television programmes, particularly those involving specially modified marionettes, a process called "Supermarionation"....
's 1971 television series The ProtectorsThe ProtectorsThe Protectors is a British television series, an action thriller created by Gerry Anderson. It is Anderson's second TV series using live actors as opposed to electronic marionettes, and also his second to be firmly set in the present day...
featured a platinum blue SM. - Ben StillerBen StillerBenjamin Edward "Ben" Stiller is an American comedian, actor, writer, film director, and producer. He is the son of veteran comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara....
is kidnapped in a green SM in the 2001 film ZoolanderZoolanderZoolander is a 2001 American satirical comedy film directed by and starring Ben Stiller. The film contains elements from a pair of short films directed by Russell Bates and written by Drake Sather and Stiller for the VH1 Fashion Awards television specials in 1996 and 1997. The short films and the...
, and an SM is also used in an attempted kidnapping in the 1975 Charles BronsonCharles BronsonCharles Bronson , born Charles Dennis Buchinsky was an American actor, best-known for such films as Once Upon a Time in the West, The Magnificent Seven, The Dirty Dozen, The Great Escape, Rider on the Rain, The Mechanic, and the popular Death Wish series...
film Breakout. - Sven VäthSven VäthSven Väth is a Frankfurt-based DJ who has produced an extensive range of work since his career began in 1982. From 1985, he was part of the band OFF which released the hit "Electrica Salsa" in 1986...
and Miss KittinMiss KittinMiss Kittin is an electronic music DJ, vocalist, and songwriter. Since rising to prominence in 1998 for her singles "1982" and "Frank Sinatra" with The Hacker, she has worked with other musicians such as Chicks on Speed, Felix da Housecat and Golden Boy...
drive a modified Citroën SM in their video from the single "Je t'aime... moi non plusJe t'aime... moi non plus"Je t'aime… moi non plus" is a French duet written by Serge Gainsbourg. It was written for and sung with Brigitte Bardot in 1967, but that version was not released until 1986. In 1969, Gainsbourg recorded a version with his lover, Jane Birkin. It reached number one in the UK, but was banned in...
".