Citroen XM Forum

Great Citroen Maserati video.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjysRfuT9Yo

Ah yes. I have seen this a while ago. I would love that book. But £90.... Eeeek. However it is extremely good apparently, a lot of SM myths are explained.

ooh, mee wantee! Santa might be on Amazon this evening.

I did think about you Charles when I watched it...thinking, you lucky boy to have an sm to play in

It's a very good book, really fascinating in places. I forked out and bought it a couple of months back wondering what I'd done by spending so much on a single boo.. Its huge, I've still not read it all, but it's full of interviews with those working at both Citroen and Maserati when Citroen bought them - full of insights, not journalistic waffle.

Citroen brought Italian craftsmen into the industrial age to make V6 engines in quantity by launching the SM and Merak. Alfieri the Chief Engineer at Maserati was so impressed with Citroen he specified LHM hydraulics for various things on the Bora, Merak, Khamsin etc. He also developed a V8 for the SM, which was uncovered due to the author of this book interviewing so many of the key people of the era.

Then a few years went by and the oil crisis hit, Maserati was sold, Citroen nosedived and ended up being rescued by the only option the French government would accept, takeover by Peugeot. SM production ceased and the gradual demise of Citroen engineering values began. It was a bit of luck the CX got launched just in time, else Peugeot would have no doubt stopped that too. Had the oil crisis not come along, we would have had SM and CX with V6, V8 or Wankel engine options with Diravi and perhaps even hydractive a bit sooner!

Cheers

Marc

Your brief description of the content there Marc, is enough to want a copy. Sounds like a fascinating book.

God damn the oil crisis....