1971 CitroN SM

Pardon my FreNCh

Theres a lexical faux pas associated with Citron owners and their cars. Its a word starting with q that you dont dare utter
Words Ben Dillon Photos Nathan Duff
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Australian Classic Car

Gayndah, Qu eens

Peter Huth

land

ay quirky to a Citron owner and most of the time they will walk away. In the world of this revolutionary marque, the Q-word is right up there with the four-letter varieties in terms of offensiveness. Drop it enough times and expect a punch in the face, hard. This particular Q-word may seem apt, as it encapsulates all the unique peculiarity that oozes from Citron designs, but quirky Citron has now become the ultimate clich. Queensland-based Citron lovers Peter Huth, his wife Pam Ezzy and life-long friend Les Hay are three Citronistes who dont really mind which word you use they are just happy to share their passion for all things Citron. Such is their enduring affection for the brand they have amassed some 30 Citrons over the years with their Gayndah-based collection now recognised for its quality by visitors from around Australia and around the world. One of the centrepieces is this gorgeous 1971 Citron SM the grand tourer favoured by everyone from African despot Idi Amin to ganja-toking comedians Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong. Some relatively normal people have also owned an SM. Peter seems normal enough on the phone but I am still scared that well turn up and be inundated with mime, foie gras and be asked what we think of the modern art movement. I have my answer ready: Progressive. Thankfully Peter, Pam and Les are typically Australian and perfectly normal, albeit desperately in love with Citron. Looking around the sheds that house the collection, there isnt a black beret to be seen. In fact, the only concession to European culture is Les having a glass of wine with lunch.

Peter and Les believe Citron has literally saved their lives. Les recounts an episode 30-odd years ago, when he was squeezed out onto a grass median at 70mph while overtaking a truck. Peter learnt his lesson about safe overtaking that day, but both Les and Peter also took away from that experience an appreciation of the remarkable handling characteristics at the core of Citron design. They agree that had they been in a car with conventional suspension, both men would have been French toast.

dash to stash

leading a French way oF liFe

Peters first car, bought just before his 17th birthday, was a Citron ID19. He credits it with giving him a direction he would take throughout his life. I found the car and a way of life at the age of 17, Peter says. He has continued, with Pam and Les, to live the marque.

As the collection was missing an SM, Peter wanted to find his own car and he wanted a story behind it, so he and Les embarked upon a voyage of Citron discovery that led them all over France and Switzerland too. Peter vividly remembers trying to find a decent SM. The chase was good. We looked all round France, 10-12 cars in France, but walked away from them all, he says. Youve just driven 600700km to a showroom, but then see the car and think, Dont even want to talk about this car, and that happened several times. Such disappointments finally led the pair to Switzerland, where they found three cars in excellent original condition part of a Citron dealers personal stash. Peter and Les remember the day the SM was pulled out from a shed in a little Swiss village. All the disappointment of driving so far and only seeing unsuitable vehicles melted away they knew their search was over. The Swiss banker who originally purchased the Gayndah SM specified almost every option available, including the (at the time) very expensive cassette player. Peter was keen to find the original owner, but when he went to the bank where the previous owner had been manager, he drew a blank. Some staff remembered the manager and the SM, but didnt know what had happened to the manager. Peter enjoys finding out as much as he can about the cars, as steel and glass make the physical entity, but history makes the cars soul.

the consummate gt
The SM is a legend in the history of Citron. In its day it was a
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1971 CitroN SM

The SPeCS
1971 CitroN Sm EnginE: 2670cc Maserati all-alloy V6 DOHC, two valves per cylinder BorE & strokE: 87mm x 75mm ComprEssion: 9.0:1 transmission: Five-speed Citron powEr: 170hp (127kW) @ 5500 rpm torquE: 172lb/ft (233Nm) @ 4000rpm suspEnsion: Front: Twin-transverse arms, push-rod operated hydropneumatic dampers. Rear: trailing arms, push-rod operated hydro-pneumatic dampers. stEEring: Rack and pinion wEight: 1460-1520kg produCtion: 12,920 (1970-75)

Form and Function Unconventional styling continues inside with L-shaped seats (right) and ovoid steering wheel (below).

consummate grand tourer that could devour continental roads for breakfast. The 2.7-litre V6 engine borrowed from Maserati (owned by Citron at the time) gave the SM some street-cred in the performance stakes with 170hp coming from the engine in carburettor form. While not sounding like a big number, it was enough to punt the SM to 100km/h in around 8.5 seconds and on to 225km/h. In any normal relationship the blend of Italian soul and French composure would result in divorce, but in the SM the effect was magic. The engine sits right back in the long nose, well behind the axleline, with the transmission in front along with the hydraulic system, which provides power to the brakes, steering and suspension. The hydraulic suspension can be set at five different heights, three of which are used when driving. The lowest and highest settings are only used when stationary or when changing a tyre (with no jack necessary). Interestingly, the suspension works in symphony with the brakes and steering. This single hydraulic system means that the heavier the load in the car, the more pressure available under braking and that the car remains level and at the same height no matter the load.

sharper pencils

While most designers were taking cues from hard-edged American styling, Citron designers in the 1950s and 60s were looking to snails, teardrops and Edith Piaf for inspiration. Designed by Robert Opron the man who penned subsequent GS and CX models the SM was a break from this soft design philosophy with far more angular, complex lines over the base teardrop shape. Launched during a period of transition between the flowing lines of the free-love 60s and the angular lines of the angst-driven 70s, the SM found a crowd, mainly in the US, who enjoyed the edgy, modernist take. This was despite the ugly round headlights that American law required in place of the swivelling European system. Despite being a more challenging design and far more interesting to look at, the SM never enjoyed as much success as the Citron DS, which was an exhibit at the New York Gallery of Modern Art.

riding high

We walk toward the sandy-gold coloured car, which sits against a background of a similar hue. The sun is bright, the warm wind strong, and my eyes are watering. Peter offers me the keys and I slide

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Australian Classic Car

The 2.7-litre V6 engine borrowed from Maserati gave the SM street-cred

Peters words about Citrons hydraulic suspension come back to me at this point: It just is the best, honestly, its the best. I have to disagree. Everything about the SM is the best. It is the ultimate expression of form and function in total synchronicity. The thrill/fear of wondering if youll actually get to your destination without breaking down, which characterises much classic car ownership, is not characteristic of the SM. Lack of use is much more often the cause of mechanical failure. As Les says, I love it, but Im scared of it. Peter adds: Every time it starts without drama we are happy. These sentiments sum up SM ownership perfectly its a car too good to be enjoyed sparingly, yet too fragile for everyday use.

into the drivers seat. A slightly worried-looking Les jumps in the passengers side. Swinging the long door open, the first thing you notice is the front seats are interestingly formed, like a body-contoured L shape. These ergonomic pews, covered in black leather, are not only very comfortable but also (like everything in this car) beautiful and functional. Citron only ever built the SM in left-hand drive with a couple converted to right-hand drive in England and so it is with the Gayndah car that I find myself holding the steering wheel in the passengers seat. Looking at the oval Jaeger instruments in the contoured dash, my attention falls to the singlespoke steering wheel which is also ovoid with only two turns lock to lock and the gorgeous opengated shift. Other details include chevrons on the clutch pedal and the idiosyncratic mushroom brake ball, which instantly transmits the braking force from the drivers foot. The shift feels superbly connected and positive with a gentle clack from the metal gate on each shift. On start-up the V6 is growly but not intrusive, with a linear power delivery that gently builds and pushes the car along. The sensation of speed is

slightly anaesthetised by the incredibly supple suspension and you soon find yourself carrying more speed than you thought, which leads your foot to the infamous mushroom brake pedal. This pedal is not the bear-trap that urban legend has spawned, but the driver still needs to have feel and modulation.

i dont know art but

croissant with the lot

cest chic The SMs combination of soft contours and angular lines struck a chord with forward-thinking buyers in the 70s.

After the short trip back to base I switch the engine off and just sit, savouring the sensation of the hydraulics lowering the car and feel the steering wheel slip through my hands as it self-centres.

Almost 40 years on, the SM looks like a refugee from a future that never transpired, angular and beautiful but still relevant. What it comes down to is that all Citrons have personality, even just standing still. The contours of the most conventional Citron (an oxymoron I know) are, dare I say, art. In fact, owning a Citron is exactly like owning a piece of modern art. People either get it or just say, Ah, Citron. Quirky.

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