Happiness is a Citroën SM Rally Car
In the early 70s, Citroën took the SM from Parisian boulevard cruiser to a relatively successful, if short-lived, rally car.
There's something wonderfully incongruous about cars that should not be rally cars being turned in to rally cars. The Citroën SM was a large, heavy, relatively underpowered, front-wheel drive grand tourer. It was powered by a 2.7 liter Maserati V6 that produced a meager 175 hp. Citroën's signature air suspension cosseted passengers, but it probably wouldn't be your first choice for a car if you planned on entering the rigorous Rally Morocco.
But that's exactly what Citroën did in 1971 and 1972, and impressively the SM won on its first outing with driver Jean Deschaseaux and navigator Jean Plassard. The 1971 versions were entered under Group 4 rules which meant they were relatively close to their production counterparts. They returned the following year, but the rally proved to be particularly grueling and none of the SMs finished.
After the Rally Morocco disappointment, Citroën renewed their efforts by moving into the more competitive Group 5. The wheelbase of the SM was shortened to improve agility and body panels were replaced with fiberglass items which reduced weight by 480 kg to 1200 kg. The V6 engine's output was increased to 250 bhp through an increase in displacement to 3 liters and the addition of Weber 48 IDA carburetors. They finished a very respectable 3rd in a rain-soaked Rally Portugal and 6th in the Ivory Coast Marathon, which was to be their final rally.