The Glorious Profile Of Sa Majesté. Photo Credit: Jalopnik
How much do I love Citroens? I just bought An SM. A mint-condition, 51,000 mile, 1973 SM, a timeless French classic whose 40th birthday was feted last month by Autoblog. What’s an SM? It was Citroen’s flagship from 1970-1973, a 2-door coupe that became Motor Trend’s 1972 Car Of The Year, and both I and my father’s dream car. Despite its rarity then and now, SM’s are strangely affordable…if you can find one sans rust. I did, which is why I now have something in common with Jay Leno, Leonid Brezhnev, Lee Majors & Graham Greene.
How much do I love this car? This is the car I will leave my first-born. Seriously.
Jalopnik has run numerous articles honoring Sa Majesté – “Her Majesty” long having overshadowed “Sport Maserati” among fans seeking the true meaning of the model’s designation. Jalopnik’s posts include a wonderful collection of vintage SM ads…see for yourself.
To be fair, my SM isn’t the one in the brochure picture above…it’s a gorgeous chocolate brown I couldn’t have appreciated unless I’d driven 500+ miles – from NYC to Ohio – to see it in person. Which is exactly what I did last weekend…
This particular example just so happened to belong to esteemed Citroen expert Denis Foley – one of guardians of the flame behind the Citroen Club of North America – whose meticulous love for Sa Majesté was obvious even at a distance. I had to have it. I’d never find an example with a finer pedigree. Ever.
The test drive wasn’t necessary, but recording a video of Denis discussing the car was. And so we cut this video documenting both my seduction and Denis’s overview of the SM’s unique character and technology…
If you live within driving distance of Saratoga Springs, New York, I’ll be parking it in front of the Europe By Car booth at the Citroen Club of North America Rendezvous June 18-20th. Come say hi and see her for yourself.
