(EXPANDED FROM 12/4/2020)
In a post on the Saab 99, we mentioned how in the late-60s and early-70s a handful of iconoclastic automakers tried to mainstream their basic designs. A case in point was Citroën.
This French automaker had been a leading disciple of aerodynamics with its groundbreaking DS. The executive sedan was so far ahead of its time that it was sold in the United States from 1956 to 1972. That said, it also didn’t sell all that well here, perhaps partly because of a high price, lack of power and spotty parts availability (Wikipedia, 2025).
The SM was introduced in 1970 as a luxury coupe positioned above the DS in pricing. The car offered a variety interesting aerodynamic features, such as glass-covered headlamps in its non-U.S. versions. In addition, the drag coefficient was quite low at .26 (Wikipedia, 2020).
Nevertheless, the SM was given surprisingly conventional styling for a Citroën. The car was designed in-house by Robert Opron and bears a family resemblance to the CX executive sedan and the mid-level GS (Wikipedia, 2020).
The SM’s engineering was interesting enough that the car generated lots of enthusiastic reviews by the U.S. car buff press.
As a case in point, this Citroen was the first import bestowed with Motor Trend magazine’s Car of the Year award (Evans, 2019). That was a surprisingly esoteric choice for what was arguably the most mainstream of the buff magazines.
The Citroën’s angular lines evoked U.S. cars
In a review of the SM, the British magazine MotorSport (Jenkinson, 1972) credulously quoted marketing copy: “Conceived by the styling department of Citroën’s research division from functional data, the shape of SM makes no concession to fashion. Its aesthetics have been rationalised and are the direct result of study of logic and reason.”
Also see ‘Mercedes-Benz W123: Back when form really did follow function’
Of course, Citroën designers paid far more attention to aerodynamics than U.S. automakers of that era. Nevertheless, the SM’s overall appearance is rather angular — and even Americanesque. The side sweepspear had a decidedly Cadillac vibe, while the windshield’s shape could have been inspired by any number of U.S. cars.
One might argue that the SM redeemed itself with the rear end’s styling. The low drag coefficient is reportedly achieved by use of a fastback that ended with one of the most dramatic kammback treatments of that era. Citroën added a few unusual styling flourishes, such as a second-story bumper that arched up in a U-shape at each corner.
Yet even here, Citroën’s gimmick is similar to that of the 1969-71 Chrysler Imperial, albeit with a dose of French weird. By the same token, Citroën’s designers apparently insisted on giving the SM full-width taillights that evoked American prestige cars.
But then where to put the license plate? Citroën designers threw it upstairs — and gave the hatchback lid an odd jog upward.
(Pop quiz, 100 points: Visualize what the SM’s rear end would have looked like if Citroën had added a 5-mph bumper without changing any sheetmetal.)
SM ends U.S. sales after only four years
As with the Saab 99, the ultimate test of the SM’s innovativeness is how long the design stayed ahead of everyone else. Here the Citroën arguably didn’t do a whole lot better than the 99, although the latter stayed in production longer.
In 1974 Citroën stopped importing the SM into the U.S., when the automaker was not given an exemption from 5-mph bumpers. The SM’s variable-height suspension made compliance “impossible,” according to Wikipedia (2020).
But even if Citroën had not been stopped by the feds — and the automaker had not gone bankrupt — I doubt the SM could have maintained much of a foothold in the American marketplace. Whereas the DS looked quite advanced for its day, the SM mainly came off as weird.
NOTES:
This story was originally posted June 10, 2017 and expanded on Dec. 4, 2020 and June 12, 2025.
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RE:SOURCES
- Evans, Scott; 2019. “Why the Strange Citroen SM Was Our First Foreign Car of the Year.” MotorTrend. Posted July 9; accessed December 3, 2020.
- Jenkinson, Denis; 1972. “The Citroen SM.” MotorSport. Published September.
- Wikipedia; 2020. “Citroen SM.” Page last modified November 9.
- ——; 2025. “Citroen DS.” Page last modified May 13.
Some time ago I saw one at a classic car show in my area, it was a European-spec car and, despite being somewhat ambivalent on that kamm-back (I would have preferred something more akin to the DS/ID or the Porsche 911) I still was left gobsmacked.
Compared to the cars around it (typical boxy-ish small-ish European sedans), the SM looked like an absolute rocketship. It seemed out of this world and even today it still turns heads.
Heuliez did try to tempt Citroen with a lower-cost 4-cylinder CX coupe replacement for the SM (in French link below), however Citroen given their own problems were not interested. They also looked at fitting the Maserati V6 in the CX pre-bankruptcy to build a case to continue the Maserati V6 as SM production was being run down.
Citroen also later prototyped the PRV V6 in the CX, which remained stillborn because Peugeot actively prevented Citroen from using the V6 due to it offering a powerful in-house rival to the their own flagship Peugeot 604.
Fwiw there were plans by Citroen for the SM to feature an entry-level 4-cylinder before they decided to discard the idea and push further upmarket. Both the SM and CX coupe would have probably been more successful in sales terms had they received both 4-cylinder and V6 engines.
https://www.largus.fr/actualite-automobile/un-moteur-de-citroen-cx-dans-la-sm-heuliez-y-a-songe-30034793.html
There was a Citroen SM who appeared in an episode of Columbo titled “Identity Crisis”
https://imcdb.org/vehicle_61447-Citro%C3%ABn-SM-1972.html and another SM who sadly, have a sad fate at the end of a car chase in the movie “The Longest Yard” starring Burt Reynolds.
I knew one of the Motor Trend Car of the Year judges that selected the SM. That selection completely pissed off Bob Petersen to the point where the criteria for which cars qualified for consideration was changed.
I see nothing in the SM that is American design. I seriously doubt that the Citroen designer considered that although worldwide general design trends would be something they would be cognizant of.
I can’t understand any love for the tail of the SM. To me that is where they had no cohesive vision of what they wanted. The nose is fabulous, in Euro trim.
The SM although wonderfully advanced also created monumental problems keeping it all working. Shops that can do that are to be admired.
Take note that although it is front wheeled drive, the engine is aft of the front wheels.
Style Auto did a great multi-page article on the SM back in the day.
The windshield was fairly squared off, much like what Detroit cars looked like during that time period. In addition, the SM’s front end was much less tapered than the DS’s; again, that aligned more with the angular U.S. styling of the times. And you don’t see a hint of Cadillac in the side sweepsphere?