Citroen SM Automat
In 1961, Citroën began work on 'Project S', a sports variant of their revolutionary Citroën DS. After several running concepts, Citroën's vision of a Gran Turismo car came to fruition in 1968 when they purchased Maserati to incorporate their engine technology. The result was the Citroën SM (Sport Maserati), revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in 1970 and released to the public in September of that year. Predominantly left-hand-drive, the SM was Citroën’s flagship vehicle competing with other high-performance GTs such as those from Jaguar, Lotus, and Porsche. It drove to third place in the 1971 European Car of the Year Contest and won 1972 Motor Trend Car of the Year in the US.
The SM demonstrated just how much power and performance could be put forth in a front-wheel drive design. It also innovated a new type of variable-assist power steering with increased assistance when parking and limited assistance at motorway speeds. This was accomplished through a hydraulic lock against steering feedback, a flyweight centrifugal governor, and a proportioning valve regulated by the speed of the output shaft.
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