Citroën SM Mylord: Paris when it sizzles

By Mick Walsh

| 25 Mar 2026

Classic & Sports Car – Citroën SM Mylord: Paris when it sizzles

Just one glance at the spectacular gold Citroën SM Mylord is enough to confirm that this is a cherished car.

Arriving by taxi, we spot the rarity casually parked, top-down, on a Paris street, where it glows among the bland moderns like a setting sun in the late afternoon.

Beneath the creeping shadows of the ’60s flats on Boulevard des Frères Voisin in the 15th arrondissement, the original interior and faultless, crisp bodywork reveal the loving care that this rare coachbuilt SM has received from the same family over the past 42 years.

The elegant Citroën SM Mylord’s simple pressed hubcaps

“It was bought straight off the Chapron stand at the Geneva Salon by a Citroën dealer based in Mulhouse, and his mechanics kept it in immaculate shape,” says Pierre Novikoff, the enthusiastic specialist from auction house Artcurial.

“The French are not traditionally good at looking after old cars, but the owner of this SM made full use of his dealership facilities.

“The colour was changed very early because his wife didn’t like it; he switched it to a warmer metallic, which I think really suits the car.”

Noting the low mileage of just 79,239km, I can just imagine it motoring around the Alsace region or cruising down to Provence on heavenly summer trips.

As we admire the supremely stylish open cockpit, I spot a collection of old tapes stored between the seats.

The Citroën SM Mylord rides well, even over the Parisian pavé

Intrigued to see what soundtrack accompanied the Maserati V6’s sweet exhaust rasp, we unearth a batch of homemade compilations featuring Fats Waller, Manitas de Plata, Lionel Hampton and Jack Teagarden, conjuring a vivid impression of the jazz-loving original owner.

For me, however, those classic grooves don’t suit this exclusive cruiser.

Jean-Michel Jarre or Cerrone would better match the Citroën SM Mylord’s bold looks and magic-carpet ride; it’s easy to picture French electronic hit Supernature blasting out as it cruises through the atmospheric Parisian underpasses.

We have convinced Pierre to take the SM Mylord out for a night drive around Paris to make the most of its individual style, but before we venture into the city centre he’s keen to show us another Chapron-bodied car.

We pull back the security doors to the underground storage, switch on the lights, and inside is an Aladdin’s cave of automotive treasures.

The Citroën SM Mylord’s stylish interior features a single-spoke steering wheel by designer Henri Dargent

In one corner sits a sleek 1937 Delahaye 135 roadster with two-seater drophead bodywork in unrestored condition.

The famous Paris coachbuilder produced some of the prettiest bodywork for the 135 chassis, and this tatty survivor is one of the most rakish, with low ’screen, long tail and countersunk spare wheel.

Owned by the same family since 1961, the car’s timewarp state indicates its colourful history, right down to the check-painted radiator grille.

“I love searching out original cars and couldn’t believe this one,” says Pierre. “We even found shots of the 135 being used during the liberation parade in Nancy.”

The Chapron works in Levallois Perret, a suburb of north-western Paris, was highly successful in the 1930s with more than 300 craftsmen employed in the workshop.

The gold Citroën SM Mylord and Eiffel Tower both dazzle at night

At its peak, Chapron was producing upwards of 500 bodies a year, and Artcurial’s stash also featured a handsome 1931 Delage D8S cabriolet, thus presenting an impressive trio with the Mylord showing the evolution of the coachbuilder’s distinctive style.

As a young apprentice harness-maker, Henri Chapron cycled all over France and Algeria to find work before his military service in WW1, and he was rightfully proud of his self-made success.

The glamorous beauties he created were far removed from the firm’s first work, converting war-surplus Ford Model Ts into saloons and torpedo roadsters in his newly opened business in Neuilly-sur-Seine in 1920.

It’s a wrench to leave the attractions in the store, which also include a Kellner-bodied Duesenberg Model J with ‘Scaphandre’-style coachwork and a sexy black Alfa Romeo 6C-1750, but we’re on a mission to tick off as many Paris landmarks as we can in one night.

The Citroën SM Mylord is the perfect partner for a night-time cruise in the French capital

Like us, Pierre is a big fan of the SM, and in the past he has had plenty of fun in the capital with other coachbuilt models.

“A few years ago we had a superb replica of the Présidentielle converted by Citroën DS restorer Vincent Crescia in Switzerland,” he recalls.

“I enjoyed using it around Paris for a few days, and several of my friends who were Jacques Chirac supporters rang up and demanded a ride in the limousine. It was fantastic to drive but difficult to park with its lengthened 11½ft wheelbase.”

Just leaving the boulevard named after legendary French aviator and car manufacturer Voisin is a challenge because locals are equally smitten by the gold Citroën.

Even production SMs are rare on these inner-city roads, but the Mylord is one of just seven soft-top conversions executed by Chapron, so it’s not surprising that everywhere we stop admirers want to be photographed with the 1971 sensation.

The offset bonnet vent is a Citroën SM signature

This was the first car built and, following the historical pattern of Chapron’s DS décapotable, it filled a niche, because Citroën MD Pierre Bercot wasn’t interested in building any production SM dropheads.

Despite the chilly winter air, we agree that the Mylord should tour with the top down.

The name has several associations, ranging from an early horse-drawn carriage with convertible phaeton-style body to a sophisticated dandy – both of which suit the car.

“We’re going to look like a bunch of French drug-dealers going to a Barry White concert,” laughs Pierre as the SM purrs off into the evening rush hour.

There’s a hole in the exhaust and the 2.7-litre, 178bhp Maserati-sourced quad-cam V6 sounds very fruity.

The Citroën SM Mylord’s inner lights turn in the unmistakable glass nose

“Just watch the brakes,” advises Pierre, no doubt anticipating lead-footed use of the discs sending him face-first into the windscreen.

But thankfully I’m used to the signature, super-sensitive powered anchors.

Just as impressive is the way the Mylord rides over the rougher sections of the Paris back-streets: even pavé doesn’t cause any scuttle shake.

Clearly Chapron’s extra stiffening of the cut-down body is well engineered.

Our first planned stop is the embankment close to Notre Dame, where the mission is to emulate the wonderful mood of the original brochure photos.

The Citroën SM Mylord on the dramatic Pont de Bir-Hakeim bridge

Pierre is convinced that Helmut Newton shot those images, but, as appropriate as it sounds, I’m not convinced.

The German fashion icon certainly did some fantastic promotional work with the Citroën DS, but the thought of the sophisticated SM inspiring his erotic style is almost too much.

We motor on through high-rise 1970s developments to Quai André-Citroën (formerly Quai de Javel) and across Pierre’s favourite Parisian bridge, the Pont de Bir-Hakeim – an amazing structure that combines pedestrians with both road and rail traffic, with the track supported by Deco-style uprights that could have inspired Fritz Lang.

It later featured in several movies, including Last Tango in Paris, so we can’t resist a stop here for a photo.

As we set off along the Rive Droite, darkness closes in and Pierre can’t believe how quiet the roads are.

The Citroën SM Mylord’s Kamm-style tail helps its low Cd of 0.39

Flashing along the riverside dual carriageway, past the magnificent Trocadero and sweeping through the underpasses, the Mylord is in its element.

Until its demise, the Citroën SM was the world’s fastest front-wheel-drive production car, and today its super-smooth performance – 0-60mph in 8.3 secs and 139mph flat-out – easily keeps pace with Paris’ most impatient drivers.

You just have to watch in the mirror for drivers on their mobile phones, not expecting a classic to stop so sharply.

Eventually, we find an open gate to allow the Mylord down to the riverbank, but, just as photographer James gets his lights set up, the police arrive.

The uniformed pair has no interest in the classic and we are swiftly moved on.

The Citroën SM Mylord’s superbly presented, all-alloy Maserati V6

Having a local as a guide is a great help, though. Although I thought I knew Paris well, Pierre continually introduces new sights.

After the charge through the rush hour, we head for the sanctuary of his favourite square, the Place Dauphine at the western tip of Île de la Cité.

Over a great glass of red with Alexis Nabokov, the owner of a superb art gallery on the idyllic square, we reflect on the SM’s appeal.

“I remember being amazed when Bernard Pivot made reference to the SM in an article about great wines,” recalls Pierre.

“He was a respected intellectual, and it really impressed me that he’d mentioned this cool car. The DS is brilliant, but the SM looks more statuesque and noble. Robert Opron did a fantastic job.”

The Citroën SM Mylord enjoys the peace of Place Dauphine in Paris

The Mylord’s open top brilliantly highlights the fantastic interior by Henri Dargent, in particular the contoured, hammock-type seats that could have come straight out of a Milan furniture exhibition.

Although the Mylord clearly lacks the purity of the production coupé, and the rear deck with its raised boot section to increase luggage space is less resolved than Opron’s 1970 original, this exotic rarity continues to captivate us throughout the night.

No doubt it was presented with the top folded at its launch, because the otherwise neat conversion doesn’t look quite as chic with the snug cloth hood raised.

The Chapron badging is discreet – limited to a chrome script on the dramatic snout, just ahead of the front wheels – yet the convertible was outrageously expensive when it was unveiled at the 1971 Paris Salon.

Visitors to the Chapron stand must have choked on their complimentary Champagne at the Ffr130,000 price-tag, which was double that of a standard SM.

The Citroën SM Mylord’s subtle badge

But when you discover how convoluted its transformation was, that figure is less surprising.

The SM shell was transported to Chapron’s workshop in the suburbs, where it was cut and strengthened before being sprayed in primer.

The Mylord then returned to Quai de Javel for the engine, running gear and electrics to be fitted before the project moved back to the Levallois coachworks for paint and upholstery, plus the final stages of detailing and testing.

Four cars were originally sold in France, two went to Spain and one to England, although Brian Cass of SM club SeMantics and renowned specialist Andrew Brodie have no record of the import.

The Citroën SM Mylord prepares to brave the 12 exits of the Arc de Triomphe roundabout

Inspired by the lyrics of Marianne Faithfull’s The Ballad of Lucy Jordan about riding in a sports car through Paris, I’m determined to drive up the Champs-Élysées in the open ’70s super-cruiser. With the spectacular Christmas decorations on the famous boulevard, it feels yet more surreal.

Even with the top down on a cold night, the Mylord is toasty with the heater on, but the challenge of getting around the busy Arc de Triomphe roundabout is unnerving with the Citroën’s ultra-sharp Varipower steering.

The tinted glass of a sinister-looking local Mercedes-Benz C-Class makes the circuit even more intimidating in this beautifully preserved machine, but when the route is clear you can appreciate the delicate two-finger steering, and the sweet thrum of the V6 as it snarls away from the traffic lights.

Close to midnight, the city roads are all but empty and the Mylord couldn’t feel more at home as it undulates above and below ground through the network of Parisian tunnels.

Here, the high-tech temptress powers through the clear, fast bends with viceless poise, the yellow overhead lighting adding to the experience.

The following morning I pick up a French magazine that lists the ‘13 cars you should drive before you die’ but, amazingly, the Citroën SM isn’t included.

In my book, no motoring life is complete without experiencing this Latin-Gallic wonder, and there’s no better place than Paris in the middle of the night.

Images: James Mann

This was first in our February 2014 magazine; all information was correct at the date of original publication

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