50 years ago, the Italian coachbuilder Frua presented a prototype of a Citroën sports coupe using the Maserati V6 from the SM. No mass production followed, but the influence of this model can be found in some Maseratis of the 1970s.
Citroën took control of Maserati in 1968, with the firm intention of taking advantage of the Italian brand’s sporting know-how. The SM, a traction coupe with a 170 hp V6 designed by the firm with the trident, was marketed barely two years later to appeal to lovers of grand tourism. The following year, Italian coachbuilder Pietro Frua set out to design a sportier car from this mechanics. Thus was born the prototype Citroën SM Coupé Frua, which is now 50 years old.
If Citroën dared a pure sports car…
Frua presented its coupe at the 1972 Geneva Motor Show. The car took over the powertrain of the SM, on the other hand it was based on a shortened DS chassis. It was therefore smaller than the SM, especially in terms of its wheelbase, a guarantee of increased liveliness. Its instrumentation was imported from the SM and integrated into a slightly redesigned dashboard.
TO HAVE. Citroën prototypes in pictures (first part)
A coupe too Italian for Citroën?
The exterior style of the coupé, on the other hand, no longer had much of Citroën and was perfectly in line with the Italian sports cars signed Ferrari/Dino, Bizzarrini, De Tomaso or…Maserati. And precisely, if the project did not continue with Citroën, it was reworked by Pietro Frua to result in the 1972 Maserati Merak which notably took over the perforated rear uprights. The influence of the Citroën prototype can also be seen in the 1974 Maserati Khamsin.
Citroën separated from Maserati in 1975 but, by chance of fate, the two manufacturers are now reunited within the Stellantis group, at the two ends of its tariff offer.