That’s the question posed recently by Citroënvie member Peter Engle who asked:
Did the U.S. get a 3.0 with a 5-speed? I had one but I was told that it had been converted from an automatic.
Chris Dubuque has written extensively about the differences of SMs sold in Canada and the USA. As it is generally thought that all 3.0L SMs had automatic transmissions, we asked Chris to clarify if all the 3.0L SM’s Citroën sold in the USA were so equipped. Here is what he had to say:
North American SM’s were sold with both engine sizes: 2.7 liter (1971, 1972, and maybe some early 1973) and 3.0 liter (1973). As evidence, I have attached photos of USA data plates which show the 2.7 and 3.0 liter engines (163 cubic inches and 181 cubic inches).
Also, many of the 1973’s in North America were manual shift. I am aware that there are some sources that say that all North American 3.0’s were automatic, but this is not true. As examples, Greg Long’s 1973, Doug Freeman’s 1973, and Dennis Welch’s 1973 (all local Seattle cars) are all 5-speed.
There is also a tech bulletin discussing the switch to the 3.0 liter engine and the transmission options for North America: https://8d1d3688-245b-42b8-816b-6e8c57740ac2.filesusr.com/ugd/c98cb4_bac49a38ee3140f19a506a5e63a04c82.pdf.
Peter’s specific car may (or may not) have been converted to a 5-speed, but it is easy to find a 1973 (3.0 liter ) in the USA or Canada with a 5-speed.