Forty years of Citroen GS and SM
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Citroen SM (foreground) and Citroen GS (background)
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26th April, 2010
More than 1,000 Citroens converged on the Belgian Zolder
race track at the week-end (24th and 25th April) to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of two of the French car
maker’s models, the Citroen SM and the Citroen GS, at the ‘Citroën Story’ Festival 2010.
The super car Citroen SM and the family car Citroen GS have influenced and shaped the history of
Citroën.
The sleek SM combined high performance handling with luxury, quality and comfort. This technologically
advanced model distinguished itself from contemporaries by its ability to travel at high speeds over long
distances - without the driver or passengers showing signs of fatigue.
The GS, named ‘European Car of the Year’ in 1971, was one of the most advanced cars in its class at the
time and a leader for comfort and safety. The car’s hydraulic suspension was particularly praised for
delivering a smooth ride experience. A success, the model sold over 1.8 million examples worldwide.
Called the ‘Event of the Year’ by the Amicale Citroën Internationale Club, a parade around the
Zolder circuit also featured famous sporting Citroën models including a 1972 rally version of the DS, the
1973 Bandama Rally SM, a 1993 ZX Rallye Raid and the 2003 Xsara WRC.
Citroën’s modern day ‘Créative Technologie’ was also showcased, with the recently launched DS3 available
for test drives.
The Citroen GS
With a total production period from 1970 to 1986 as first the GS (70-79) and the GSA (80-86) the Citroen
GS is a central product in the company’s history, plugging a significant gap in Citroen’s range between the
2CV and Ami small cars and the luxurious Citroen DS and providing it with a significant sales success. A
total of production run of 1,896,742 was achieved for the Citroen GS and the GSA added 576,757 to the
Citroen account, laying the foundations for a model lineage that runs through to today’s Citroen C4.
Launched in 1970, the Citroen GS boasted a Robert Opron styled fastback style and Kamm tail that gave it
the best drag coefficient of any car at the time and enabled it to make the most of its available power
from its flat four air cooled engines of 1.0, 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3 litres. The saloon version was joined by a
wagon, or ‘Break’ variant, in 1972. Originally offered with a separate boot and fixed rear window, the GS
was developed into a hatchback and a van version was available in selected markets, which was a three door
version of the ‘break’ wagon. Other technical advances included its central hydraulic system that powered
the ‘magic carpet’ hydropneumatic suspension, the all-wheel disc brakes and power steering.
The GS also provided the basis for the GS Birotor, the car maker’s brief foray in Wankel engine
development. Launched into the teeth of the first oil crisis, the less than economical Birotor was pulled
from the market with sales of less than 1,000 in France.
The Citroen SM
The SM was unveiled in 1970 at the Geneva Motor Show, a year in which Citroën enjoyed immense success,
selling some 700,000 vehicles and launching its rotary engine project. It also unveiled the top-end SM,
presented as the crowning touch to the Citroën range.
The SM project started in 1966 by Jacques Né, who wanted to develop a faster version of the DS, thus
making Citroën’s first GT model.
But the SM was not designed like a standard GT, where comfort is generally of secondary importance. On
the contrary, the DS-inherited hydraulic suspension system and the height adjustment function for optimum
ground clearance made the new vehicle exceptionally comfortable.
One of the SM’s numerous special features was its lighting system. With six iodine headlamps connected
to an automatic levelling system, the SM combined the performance of swivelling headlamps with a brand new
aesthetic.
Styling work on the SM focused primarily on aerodynamics. The vehicle was put through a high number and
wide range of wind-tunnel tests during the development phase – and the result was remarkable. The Cd
(coefficient of aerodynamic drag) of the SM was 0.46, a full 25% lower than that of the DS, already a
benchmark in its own right.
The SM has angle-free styling. Although the body is tautly designed, no angular features interrupt the
vehicle’s streamlined flow. Encompassing the headlamp units and the number plate, the front-end glass
casing lends the SM a resolutely innovative look. This pioneering beauty is furthered by the oversized
bumpers, giving the vehicle its utterly distinctive 'character'.
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Self-Catering Holiday
Accommodation in
Denmark, WA
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But for purists, the essence of the SM is in its profile, which clearly reveals all the work that went
into the vehicle’s aerodynamics. The flowing lines seem impossibly elegant. Dynamic features such as the
rake of the windscreen, the sharply-drawn quarter-lights and the rear subframe bring the Citroen SM its
unique, streamlined appearance.
The SM’s engine was designed by Maserati, a Citroën partner at the time, the V6 unit was warmly greeted
by the public. GT fans loved its “highly strung” Italian feel. Maserati used the engine in the Maserati
Merak, a version of its super car Bora model. The SM gearbox was entirely Citroën-made. The five speed unit,
with the top two gears in overdrive, gave SM drivers a full-throttle sports experience.
Sales were promising in the launch year. With 5,000 units in 1971, SM registrations matched its critical
reception. Sadly, the ensuing years were somewhat less rosy. Sales dropped so much that Citroën halted
production in 1975.
The SM’s career was cut short by the oil crisis and the introduction of new speed limits on motorways.
The first oil crisis utterly changed the public’s view of the automobile, as did the road safety laws
limiting motorway speeds introduced at the same time. Buying and owning a GT vehicle at this time was
reserved for passionate enthusiasts only.
Citroën announced it was stopping production of the SM in the northern summer 1975, with these words:
“The SM was born from speed and died with speed”.
Like any self-respecting GT, the Citroen SM proved its sporting nature in racing competition. The SM
scored a resounding success on its first outing, at the Morocco rally, where a production model finished
first in Group 4.
But beyond its impressive rally career, the SM is most often associated with a competition that it
almost took part in. The SM was scheduled to race in the 1972 Le Mans 24 Hours event, but unfortunately,
its participation was cancelled at the very last minute.
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Technical data |
2-door, 4-seater coupé |
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Engine |
Maserati V6 at 90°. Bore: 87 mm; stroke: 75 mm. Capacity: 2,670 cm3.
Fiscal rating: 15 HP. Effective horsepower: 170 bhp DIN at 5,500 rpm. 4-bearing
crankshaft. 4 chain-driven OH camshafts. Water-circulation cooling. 2
electronically controlled fans. Twin contact-breaker, twin coil ignition. Fuel
feed by 3 Weber 42 DCNF 2 twin-body carburettors, followed by electronic
injection from 1972. 90-litre petrol tank in non-rigid plastic |
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Transmission |
Hydraulically operated single-plate dry clutch. 5 speeds plus reverse.
Gear lever on central floor-level bracket. Front-wheel drive |
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Steering |
Servo-assisted and indexed to vehicle speed. Wheels return
automatically to straight line position when the driver releases the steering
wheel. Cornering headlamps |
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Braking |
4 power-assisted disc brakes controlled by DS-type pedal. Independent
front and rear circuits |
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Suspension |
Constant-height hydropneumatic |
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Body |
Integral, all-steel welded body on rigid platform with side
members |
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Tyres |
Michelin 195/70 VR 15 tubeless |
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Weight |
Unladen: 1,450 kg; maximum gross vehicle weight: 1,830 kg |
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Performance |
Top speed: 220 km/h. Fuel consumption DIN: 12.5 l/100 km |
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