2500 SM bodies crushed by Peugeot!

[harrisson_citroen]

Has anyone any information on that dreadful bit of news I learnt today.
Apparently when Peugeot took over Citroen, there were still 2500 fully fitted SM Coupes bodies awaiting to be fitted with engines. Peugeot took the decision to ACTUALLY crush the bodies rather than to continue to retail that model.
Has anyone heard that before and how reliable is this?

 

[UFO]

Yes it is partly true. In his book "Citroen SM, 2.7 Litre Maserati Engine" published in 1981, Jeff Daniels explains that in essence, the 70's fuel crisis, the near collapse of Citroen and the Peugeot accountants/managements desire to find every area of expenditure and trim to the bone, lead to the demise of the SM.

The SM was not making money so therefore production was ceased. The remaining several hundred bodies were sent to the crusher as they were never going to be used.

Maserati was left out in the wilderness and eventually rescused by De Tomaso.

It may seem tragic, but...

 

[604 tragic]

Has anyone any information on that dreadful bit of news I learnt today.
Apparently when Peugeot took over Citroen, there were still 2500 fully fitted SM Coupes bodies awaiting to be fitted with engines. Peugeot took the decision to ACTUALLY crush the bodies rather than to continue to retail that model.
Has anyone heard that before and how reliable is this?

Yes - I have heard that too.

From memory, I believe the Maseratti factory (who always hated the V6 engine) threw all their new unused engines from a 2nd floor loft window into skips to make sure they were well & truly rooted. Or perhaps it was the Peugeot spare parts people?? Anyway willful vandalism - I hope they all had painful deaths.

This sort of thing is more common than you think, another example (from the 1950/60s) is when the Renault Fregate model was exterminated; as one of the Renault family was killed in one. All the spare parts in Australia were sytematically collected in Sydney and all put aboard ship - sailed out the Heads & dumped overboard. A group of guys from Melbourne wanted to buy them as a bulk lot all but Renault wouldnt hear of it.

Contast the above with when Leyland went belly up and thousands of cheap P76 motors went onto the market. :wink2:

 

[johnh875]

Contast the above with when Leyland went belly up and thousands of cheap P76 motors went onto the market. :wink2:

Or all the Force 7 coupes that were crushed... This sort of thing is fairly common unfortunately, nothing like 20/20 hindsight is there

 

[68 404]

Or all the Force 7 coupes that were crushed... This sort of thing is fairly common unfortunately, nothing like 20/20 hindsight is there

Actually I might buy a Leyland that's been through the crusher. At least the panel gaps would be tighter and it would be better built

 

[danielsydney]

It may seem tragic, but...

It is indeed very tragic. Alas the spawning of the LN. A very must contrasting vehicle compared to the SM.