1972 Citroen SM 2.7

• A marriage of Citroen and Maserati led to the birth of a highly individual coupe - the SM was a two-door, four-seat Coupe powered by a 2670cc, Maserati, four-cam, 90-degree V6 producing 180bhp at 6,250rpm, all fed through the front wheels. Complex and innovative; the suspension was Hydropneumatic and the steering was variable-assist hydraulic
• This 2.7 SM was purchased by Mike in a sorry state a few years ago
• The car was completely stripped prior to a full restoration and well-respected Nathan Bovington and his family at Paragon in Northampton were key players in the project
• Parts were sourced from all over the world and even manufactured if they weren’t available
• When finished, it was superbly painted in Vert Argent by Gary at Cosmetic Autocare
• The SM's first public appearance was on stage at the Classic Motor Show at the NEC in Birmingham to much applause
• It subsequently won a Concours d'Elegance trophy at the National Citroen event and was used by Jeremy Clarkson for a future 'Grand Tour' episode

Begun in 1961, 'Project S' emerged from Citroen's requirement to develop a sports variant of the revolutionary DS. As was customary for the quirky French firm, many running concept vehicles were developed with increasingly complex and upmarket features to differentiate the 'sports' project from the popular DS. The acquisition of Maserati by Citroen in 1968 was motivated by the possibility of harnessing Maserati's high-performance engine technology to produce a true Grand Tourer, combining the sophisticated Citroen suspension with the power of a Maserati V6.The result was the Citroen SM, which was first shown to rapturous appreciation at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1970. It went on sale in France in September of that year in left-hand drive only, although right-hand drive conversions were later offered in the UK and Australia. The SM was Citroen'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 Citroen's way of demonstrating just how much power and performance could be accommodated in a front-wheel drive design. As an example of Citroen's optimism and progressive technology, the SM was untouchable, and similarities drawn by pundits of the day to the design and futurism of aircraft such as Concorde cemented the love affair still borne by car aficionados today. The SM EFI was a two door, four seat coupé powered by a 2670cc, Maserati, four-cam, fuel-injected, 90-degree V6 producing 180bhp at 6,250rpm. all fed through the front wheels. It was capable of 0-60 in around 8 seconds and had a top speed in fifth gear of 140mph. Suspension was 'Hydropneumatic' and the steering was 'variable-assist' hydraulic. Everything about the car was complex.

Many of us have admired the Citroen SM over the years and occasionally wondered what it would be like to own one without ever being brave enough to 'dip our toe in the water'. Wheeler Dealer Mike Brewer also shared this curiosity but the difference is, he jumped in 'feet first'. In Mike's own words;

"Years ago, I was offered a very beaten Citroen SM, damaged on almost every panel, the engine in bits, it was a mess, but I have a deep fascination for the SM and its one of my must have cars so I bought it. The job of restoring such a complicated car can’t be done alone, and I’ve always said you have to choose your partners carefully, so I put a call out on the Citroen SM Owners Club and asked for experts to dig in and help me push this build.

Thankfully I found the best in Nathan Bovington and his family at Paragon in Northampton. They helped me with the strip down, engine removal and parts sourcing. Parts were found all over the world, we even had parts manufactured as they weren’t available. Fortunately, around the corner from Nathan’s garage is one of the finest painters in the UK – Gary at Cosmetic Autocare. I asked Gary to deliver the best Concours paint job he could muster on, frankly, a car that never looked like it would be straight again.

Once done, we presented the car on stage at the Classic Motor Show at the NEC in Birmingham. I remember when it drove on to the stage, there were audible gasps coming from the audience. It was an amazing feeling and the car then went on to win the Concours d'Elegance at the National Citroen meeting, so its fair to say it’s very nice car."

Mike has now decided to reshuffle his collection and the SM was not being used on a regular basis so, reluctantly, he has decided to let it go. It's a well known car amongst SM enthusiasts and show goers and will be even better known when it airs on the small screen being driven by Mr Clarkson in a future 'Grand Tour' episode. This is a remarkable example of the rare SM, sympathetically restored and visually stunning. In Mike's own words "Whoever buys this car will have a car that’s been lovingly nurtured back to full health by an enthusiastic team of skilled craftsmen who made its temporary owner incredibly happy".

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