Italy and France each have beautiful and robust cultures with diverse offerings and unique perspectives. And while each is unique in their approach, the French share a great deal of their artistic passion with Italian culture. Great art, beautiful opera, fantastic cuisine, and a way of life that celebrates passionate expressions inclusive of romantic language, poetry, as well as artful if not quirky cinema. Ettore Bugatti and his family left Italy and set up shop in France to be free from the fascist government that ruled Italy at that time. Though not the last Italian-French partnership, Bugatti did a great deal to enhance the value of multinational partnerships and the importance of artistic exchange within each culture. When Citroën and Maserati joined forces, the resultant Citroën SM delivered the powerful one-two punch of Italian artistry backed by the audacity of French engineering.
Photo: Mullin Museum
The Citroën SM is rightfully regarded as one of most breathtaking automobiles ever conceived. The original design, now more than 50 years old, continues to impress generations of viewers who are fortunate to stumble across one at a car show or better still find one hovering across the highway as though it had just arrived from another planet. By 1970 Citroën had already established themselves as progressive Avante Gardiers of design, but they had further distinguished themselves with significant mechanical prowess with the Traction Avant and the economical and painfully endearing 2CV.
