Why is it that some attempts to combine technology and design succeed and others don't? And why does it always seem to involve Maserati? The ill-fated Chrysler-Maserati is an unfortunate example, though the Italian manufacturer was not at fault. But if Detroit was merely attempting to trade on an exotic name, France's Citroen had greater ambitions with the SM.

The latest McLellans Automotive Newsletter features an interesting backgrounder on the Citroen SM plus access to vintage catalogs and press releases, like the one in this black-and-white image.

It was certainly a gorgeous car and even today attracts admiring glances. But the marketing concept was all-wrong. Citroen had wanted to take advantage of the brilliant engineering in its 10-year-old DS sedan in order to compete with the makers of long distance tourers such as Jaguar's E-Type, the DB Astons, and Mercedes' SL series. It would also be the world's first front-wheel-drive GT. Lacking a powerful engine it turned to Maserati for a suitable V-6, which is where things went wrong. To begin, French tax laws forced a limitation on engine size and hence, horsepower, so the engine was merely adequate when adequate was not enough. And then Maserati, probably due to budget constraints, took a shortcut by eliminating two cylinders from its 90-degree V-8 to create a V-6. Hardly a recipe for smoothness.

Add to these woes the DS complexity and numerous servicing problems and the SM quickly became a faded beauty queen. Neverthless it remains a valued collectible for anyone who can afford the maintenance. For those who can't a catalog from McLellans might suffice.