Driving my gold SM on a Citroen Club drive by the Hood Canal an English gentleman came up to me during our lunch stop and told me he loves SM's and came close to buying one about 10 years prior. He told me it was an original owner car, with very low mileage and in perfect condition. He passed on it as he was concerned about getting it maintained in Seattle. I asked him where it was and he said lower Mercer Island. I asked him if he knew the person's name, or any other information about the owner or the car so I might track it down. He said he might have an email on his computer in England. I got his contract information and followed up every few months but he was unable to find any trace of the emails.
I parked my gold SM on a major street on Mercer Island for a few days with a note saying I was looking for a similar car. No bites.
Then one day, out of the blue, the Englishman sent me an email saying he'd come across the email by happenstance... I had a lead!
I found his old address and, sure enough, it was on Mercer Island. The original owner had passed away but I was able to find a person with the same name in the area so called and left a voice mail. Days went by before I got a call back. It was the original owner son. I asked him, "I understand your father had a Citroen SM for sale maybe 10 years ago, can you tell me where it went?" He replied, "It didn't go anywhere, I have it here in Seattle."
I quickly went to see the car, it was parked in a garage in Fall City, Washington. After spending 2 minutes looking at it I knew if was very special. The odometer showed only 15,002 miles and the car's condition supported it. I asked if there was any paperwork with it and he handed me a file folder which had work orders, etc that also supported the low mileage. The son said that his dad spent far more time polishing and looking at the car in his garage than driving it!
The car didn't currently run; and the son said he drove it for a short while after his dad passed but that, as he recalled the fuel pump stopped working. This was supported by there being a coffee can under the hood with the gas line hovering over it. However, I really didn't know if the engine was bad or not.
I told him I'd love to get it back on the road and would he consider selling it? He said, "Sure." And the deal was done!
I've spent the last few years slowly changing its original sodium exhaust valves out, new European headers, and a serious thorough cleaning. I changed its original USA Lighting (still have it) for the 6 light Euro set up. It's a 5 speed and sounds wonderful as its Maserati engine revs up.
