Since the introduction of the Traction Avant in 1934, Citroën had become synonymous with front-wheel-drive cars. After acquiring Maserati in 1968, the company decided to create a high-powered front-wheel-drive GT. A 2.7-liter version of Maserati’s lovely four-cam V-6 was duly mated to a newly designed platform and fitted with a sleek body designed by Robert Opron. The result was the SM, one of the most startling dreamcars of the 1970s.

This SM, fitted with an automatic transmission and a desirable three-liter engine, was purchased new by a Mr. Veir in Southern California. He drove it until 1983, after which it was parked in a garage and not driven again. In 2012, Stewart Reed, a professor in the transportation design program at the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, was visiting an automotive bookstore when the owner handed him the phone and said: “Stewart, you need to talk to this guy.” An individual representing the Veir family was on the line. The family wanted the car to go to an owner who would restore and enjoy it.

After acquiring the car, Mr. Reed immediately sent the car to be reconditioned by marque specialist Jerry Hathaway of SM World in Santa Clarita, California. The current owner purchased this SM from Mr. Reed in 2015 with less than 70,000 miles on the odometer. This is a rare opportunity to acquire a striking example of Citroën’s high-performance 1970s GT car.