So we’ve been watching Columbo lately (don’t laugh) and the bad guy’s car in the latest episide? A Citroën SM.
The episode is called Identity Crisis, and you can read about it on the Columbophile.
By Colin Wood
Sep 12, 2024
|
Citroen,
Citroën SM,
SM Tribute,
DS Automobiles
Photography Courtesy DS Automobiles
Sometimes, car companies do listen to customer feedback.
Back in 2020, DS Automobiles–once a subsidiary of Citroën, but now a standalone brand under the Stellantis umbrella–teased a few sketches from an internal design competition that simply asked, “What would a modern SM look like?”
The feedback, according to Thierry Metroz, DS Automobiles Design Director, was impactful: “Our community sent us several strong messages during this sketch sharing. The first was that it was very attached to the iconic models from our heritage. The second was that it didn’t want the original design to be spoilt.”
Taking that input in good stride, DS tasked its Paris design studio to design a modern SM, one born from a world in which the iconic Citroën had continued to be produced and improved over the last five decades.
The result? The SM Tribute.
Several of the original characteristics that made the SM so iconic, like the two-tone paint scheme, the rear wheel spats and the unique shape of the top of the dashboard, have been retained.
The SM Tribute even features nearly identical dimensions to the original SM, measuring in at just 3 centimeters longer in length and 2 centimeters taller in height.
The concept, however, is 14 centimeters wider than the original SM and also sits over 3 centimeters lower to the ground–a design choice made, in addition to the 22-inch wheels fitted with aerodynamic inserts, to improve efficiency.
DS Automobiles intends to introduce the SM Tribute to the public this weekend, September 12-15, at the Chantilly Arts & Elegance at the Château de Chantilly in France.
In addition to taking part in the Concours d’Elegance on Sunday, the SM Tribute will be available for viewing in the collectors' village, where it will be joined by several other notable SMs like the four-door SM Opera, the SM Proto designed for high-speed tire testing and even an SM race car entered in the 1974 Spa 24-hour race.
So we’ve been watching Columbo lately (don’t laugh) and the bad guy’s car in the latest episide? A Citroën SM.
The episode is called Identity Crisis, and you can read about it on the Columbophile.
In reply to David S. Wallens :
An SM wouldn't be my first choice as a bad-guy car, but I think it works.
In reply to Colin Wood :
He looked good driving it.
The first scenes were shot from inside the car and I was like, What exactly are we in with the radio mounted down in the center console?
Displaying 1-3 of 3 commentsView all comments on the CMS forums
You'll need to log in to post.
