Buy a Citroen SM on documented engine and hydraulic work, not fresh paint. The Maserati V6 timing-chain tensioner history, leak-free spheres and lines, and solid floors decide whether a car is a bargain or a very expensive project.
For this November 5, 2026 guide I read Yahoo Autos: Citroen SM buying guide and Hagerty: Citroen SM car profile. The mechanical cautions below come from those pages; the order of checks and the questions for the seller are my practical recommendations. Any price examples in those sources are market snapshots, not a valuation of the car in front of you. So, compare it with recent sales of the same specification and condition.
Pick the specification before the car
The Yahoo Autos guide lays out carbureted 2.7 cars, 2.7 Injection cars with Bosch D-Jetronic, and 3.0 cars that were mostly automatics. U.S. cars from 1972 and 1973 wore fixed round headlamps instead of the swiveling European units. The guide notes conflicting accounts on 3.0 gearbox pairings, so it says to confirm the gearbox against the paperwork. Decide which version you want first. Otherwise you end up comparing prices across cars that were never alike.
Ask about the timing-chain tensioner by name
The V6 drives its camshafts by chains, and one engine history quoted in the guide identifies the primary chain tensioner as the central weakness. The guide treats that as one author's account, but it still gives you the right question: has the tensioner and chain system been inspected or updated, by whom, and is there an invoice? A rebuild is serious money; the guide cites a decade-old figure of about $13,000 plus around 40 hours to pull and refit the engine, likely low today. Treat a vague answer as missing history.
Check the hydraulics as one system
The hydropneumatic circuit powers suspension, steering and brakes. The guide recommends checking spheres, fluid condition and lines for leaks, plus confirming the car rises and levels correctly. Watch it rise from rest and settle after the engine stops. Ask when the spheres were last replaced and by whom. A seller who tops up fluid just before your visit has not shown you a leak-free car.
Look under the carpets and in the boot
Even a dry-climate import profiled in the guide had rot in the boot floor, front footwell and floorpan, plus perished seals and an earth fault that stopped it starting. Lift mats where you can and inspect the floors from below on a lift. Ask directly whether the car has been welded and request photos of any repairs. A claim that it was never welded is worth paying for only when the metal confirms it.
Budget for wheels, tires and fuel systems
The guide cites older figures of about $4,000 each for replacement resin wheels and calls the correct Michelin XWX-size tires very expensive. On carbureted cars check carburetor condition, and on injected cars ask who last serviced the D-Jetronic system. Small missing parts add up quickly on an SM. Price them into the offer rather than discovering them during the first service.
Read the sale spread carefully
The guide reports 1973 cars selling for $18,500 in July 2026 and $95,200 in March 2025, a five-fold spread for the same model year. Hagerty's profile explains the car's Maserati engine and its appeal, but not any single car's condition. The guide ties much of that spread to documented engine and hydraulic work. So, your offer should follow the paperwork and inspection, not the headline result.
Prove the identity before a deposit
Match the chassis number on the SM to the title, any import papers and the plate on the car before you order a history report. Our VIN verification guide walks through that match, and imported-car report coverage sets expectations for cars that spent years overseas. Older chassis numbers may sit outside modern report databases, so confirm coverage before paying. NMVTIS covers U.S. title history only; it cannot replace foreign records or a physical inspection.
Get the repair scope in writing first
If there is no tensioner invoice or the car will not rise and level cleanly, stop until an SM specialist has inspected it. Look, a seller PDF or a folder of photos is a starting document, not independent proof of condition. Ask the inspector for written findings with local estimates, split into safety work and cosmetic wishes. The NYC consumer-agency used-car guidance tells buyers to have an independent mechanic check the car, and our pre-purchase inspection checklist helps you set the scope.
We are a licensed CARFAX and AutoCheck reseller, not affiliated with CARFAX, AutoCheck or Experian. Guest reports have been about $5.50, member reports about $4.50 and a two-report bundle about $6.75; confirm the price at checkout because it can change. A report can miss unreported work, so keep the inspection appointment even when the history looks quiet.
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