1972 Citroën SM Mylord convertible by Chapron

1972 Citroën SM Mylord convertible by Chapron - Displayed on Chapron's stand at the Paris Motor Show in October 1972 - One of five cars built - The second Mylord convertible built, the first to have chrome wheelarch trims - The best-preserved original Mylord convertible, never restored, only four owners - Very well documented history, certified by Noëlle Chapron 1972 Citroën SM Mylord convertible by Chapron Having begun to work with Citroën in the 1950s to produce some special-bodied DS models, Henri Chapron naturally took an interest in the SM when it came out. The first conversion he envisaged was a convertible: he strengthened the structure to compensate for the lack of a roof and presented the car at the 1971 Paris Motor Show as the ‘Le Mylord’. As this name had already been registered, the second car was simply called ‘Mylord’ and was displayed at the 1972 Paris Motor Show. It is this very car that we are presenting here, and it comes with an extensive file enabling us to follow its history. It should also be emphasised that it is the only SM Mylord to have been preserved in its original condition, as Noëlle Chapron (the coachbuilder’s daughter) makes clear in a letter dated 12 December 2016: “I have to admit that this car is the only one to have remained in original condition and to be fully compliant with the build criteria applied by the Maison Henri Chapron.” Again according to Noëlle Chapron, production of the SM Mylord convertible was limited to five cars in all (or six, according to other sources, of which one was destroyed), an extremely low number explained by the price of this hand-built model: 130,000 francs in 1973, more than twice that of a standard SM and almost as much as a Ferrari Daytona. Notwithstanding this, this SM Mylord was ordered new on 15 June 1972 from the Citroën dealership in Evreux by M. Develay, who owned a butcher’s shop and had, according to Noëlle Chapron, “won the lottery”. An SM was delivered by Citroën on 21 September to the Chapron workshops, who carried out the conversion to a convertible in time for the Paris Motor Show at the start of October 1972. Chapron’s build sheet mentions the colour ‘Blanc Stellaire’, with an interior in green leather (including the dashboard and steering wheel) and the presence of chrome wheelarch trims, air-conditioning and a Blaupunkt radio. A photograph shows the convertible on Chapron’s stand next to an Opéra saloon, in the presence of Henri Chapron and his daughter Noëlle. Once the Motor Show was over, the car was homologated by Citroën on 3 November 1972 and then granted single vehicle approval by the registration authorities on 7 November. It could then be delivered to M. Develay by the dealer in Evreux, which was billed 94,008 francs for the car by the Chapron workshops. To finance the hefty purchase price of this prestigious convertible, M. Develay went through a leasing company, and in 1975, the company contacted Denys Joannon, a Citroën dealer in Normandy and a well-known collector, inviting him to buy it back. At this point, it had 30,000km on the clock, and Joannon would keep it for more than 30 years, covering some 60,000km. Then, on 3 April 2007, he finally gave in to the repeated requests of one of his friends, François Phelouzat, from St-Etienne-Sous-Bailleul, who became its third owner. At the time, Thierry Dehaeck was constantly fine-tuning his collection and an SM Mylord would be the crowning glory, but given its rarity, opportunities to buy one were few and far between. Then in 2016, he learned through M. Boutias, who ran the garage where the car was serviced, that M. Phelouzat might be willing to sell it. Following discussions, Dehaeck bought the car on 5 July 2016. Since then, the car has taken part in several concours d’élégance: in October 2017 at Knokke-le-Zoute in Belgium, where it won the class for ‘Best-Preserved Car’; on 26 August 2018 at Pebble Beach in the United States; on 24/25 August 2019 at Paleis Soestdijk in Holland, where it won its class; and on 30 June 2019 in Monaco. It was also to be seen at the Hampton Court concours in 2021, at Chantilly in 2022 (first prize in its class), on several Chapron rallies and at other classic car meetings. As Noëlle Chapron pointed out at the start of this account, this SM Mylord is remarkable for its original, unrestored condition. It has always had owners who have appreciated its historic importance and who have taken the utmost care of it. Today, its paintwork is 65% original, while its entirely original upholstery shows the patina characteristic of a car that has been used with care. The documents with the car include its Chapron build sheet, several letters and certificates from Noëlle Chapron, a technical certificate from Citroën, Chapron’s invoice to Citroën, the single vehicle approval report, numerous photographs including that from the 1972 Paris Motor Show and its FIVA ID card. Of all the cars produced by Citroën, the SM Mylord convertible stands at the very top, thanks to its rarity and exclusivity. This example is undoubtedly the most interesting of the five cars built, on account of its condition, its special finish (chrome wheelarch trims, leather dashboard and steering wheel, air-conditioning ...) and its presence at the 1972 Paris Motor Show. That it should be offered for sale represents an opportunity which will surely not come up again for a very long time. A word to the wise ...

Estimation:€750,000

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