France · French launch specification · Geneva Motor Show, March 1970

Citroën SM 2.7

Citroën blended a Maserati V6 with hydraulic suspension, self-centering steering and swiveling lights to build a French grand tourer from the future.

Grand touring innovators

Exact Citroën SM model but a 1973 car, not the 1970 French launch specification; carburetion, 2.7-liter displacement, gearbox and market cannot be confirmed from the image.

Exterior · Photo shows Exact Citroën SM model but a 1973 car, not the 1970 French launch specification; carburetion, 2.7-liter displacement, gearbox and market cannot be confirmed from the image.. Exact Citroën SM model but a 1973 car, not the 1970 French launch specification; carburetion, 2.7-liter displacement, gearbox and market cannot be confirmed from the image.
1973 Citroën SM · Lothar Spurzem · CC BY-SA 2.0 DE

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A matching completed auction sale has not been verified for this exact year, body, trim, engine, transmission and market.

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A place in vehicle history

More than a set of wheels.

Citroën revealed the SM at Geneva in March 1970 after a technical partnership with Maserati. Robert Opron's long, tapering body enclosed a new 2.7-liter Maserati V6 and much of Citroën's cleverest hydraulic technology. It was meant to cross countries quickly while keeping four people comfortable, not to behave like a harsh racing car. Its 220 km/h claimed speed also made it an exceptionally fast front-wheel-drive car for its time.

Look a little closer.

Citroën hid early SM test machinery under a DS body so onlookers would not know what the company was developing.

Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.

Several inventions working as one

The SM did not rely on one headline feature. Its hydropneumatic suspension maintained ride height, all four wheels had power-assisted discs, brake force varied with load, and six European-market lamps corrected their height while the inner pair turned with the steering. Citroën Origins also identifies it as the marque's first five-speed car and an early European car with both reach and height steering-wheel adjustment.

Source: Citroën Origins · SM archive ↗

The launch engine, not every later SM

The first European SM used a carbureted 2,670 cc V6 rated at 170 DIN PS. Electronic injection and a three-liter engine came later, while U.S. cars also differed in lighting and transmissions. Keeping those versions separate matters because an SM's year and market change both what sits under the bonnet and what appears behind the nose glass.

Source: Stellantis Media · Citroën SM anniversary history ↗

Where these facts come from

Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed September 30, 2026.

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