04/07/2008 19:16. T he Citroen SM name is believed to have been derived from Project S, the code name given to an operation that began in 1961, when Citroen was looking for a sports variant of the aging DS model.

In 1968 Citroen purchased the beleaguered Italian manufacturer Maserati -- that is where the M came from -- with the intention of using the Maserati V-6 performance engine.

Using the sophisticated Citroen suspension in a two-door coupe , driving the front wheels would create a truly unique high-performance Grand Turismo car.

Many of us remember it as the Citroen SM.

Some think that the SM designation stands for "Sports Maserati."

The SM was a very complicated car ; to maintain it you had to find a French hydraulic specialist, an Italian mechanic and a British gearbox specialist!

The SM... // The Province