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Book Review
V360
ISBN: 978-1-904788-60-7
Reviews for SM – Citroën’s Maserati-engined Supercar
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Review from Citroën Quarterly
Autumn 2006
US
The book follows the progress of the Citroën SM from its launch at the 1970 Geneva Show through to July 1975, when the last car was built.
This is the fascinating story of how the Citroën SM came into being, with company politics and Maserati's involvement covered in detail. The text and pictures then follow the car's progress from its world premier at the 1970 Geneva Show until the final production models were built in July 1975.
Brian Long now has almost 40 books to his credit. Coming from an engineering background, he has been an enthusiast for as long as anyone can remember. Today, his passion for sports cars and vintage machinery remains as strong as ever. Born in Coventry, England, he now lives in Chiba City, Japan. He is a member of the RJC in Japan, the Guild of Motoring Writers, and the Society of Automotive Historians.
A very nice coffee table book on the SM, written in the English language, and containing many excellent period photographs of the SM and documentation of the SM's advertising brochures. Of particular note are the Japanese brochures and the reprinting of the Relations Publiques' Technical Description of the SM, unfortunately it is presented in the original French with no translation.
The images are many and varied and although they rely heavily on period advertising, albeit by some of the world's finest photographers, there are also some unpublished photographic gems. All and all this is a very nicely presented work. The English text and many color photographs will make it a nice addition to your collection.
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Review from Classic Car Weekly magazine
October 2006
UK
Books on the SM have been few and far between, especially in the English language which is why the publication of this large-format, glossy effort by prolific motoring writer Brian Long and Philippe Claverol, president of Citroën Japan no less, is very welcome. And what a great book it is. Packed full of great period shots - including the classic, sexy but moody fur coat-clad French bird posing with an SM in a muddy field' press series that launched the car - the information contained in here is comprehensive and well written. The style is maybe a little dry, considering that this is a car surrounded by humorous incidents, but you can make up your own jokes as you go along about some of the bizarre happenings that befell the SM during its short life. There's still so much here to enjoy otherwise - not least the pictures of some of the development mules, which were two-door DS models equipped with th Maserati V6 engine. What we wouldn't give to have had one of them...
Essential reading if you've any interest in the SM, or the weird and wacky world of Citroën in the Sixties and Seventies in general.
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Review from 4 Small Wheels magazine
August 2005
UK
Here we have the full story from the earliest development stages to the final production. Many factory documents are reproduced and there are clear diagrams explaining the complex hydraulic suspension systems etc. Also covered is the varied competition career of the distinctive coupes, from the circuit of Spa to the deserts of Morocco.
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Review from Classic Cars magazine
January 2007
UK
Want to know everything about the history of the Citroën SM? Look no further. This substantial hardback book tells the tale in sometimes laborious detail, but scores highly for the photographs, technical drawings and period ad and brochure shots.
So well illustrated is it that sometimes the inclusion of certain pictures lacks cohesion. For instance, interior and exterior shots of a DS21 appear inexplicably in a section about the press' response to the SM at launch, and there's a picture of a related Maserati saloon but no information about the car
The book is thorough and attractive, but lacks polish. Nonetheless it's still a decent reference source.
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