That's right, the child smoker has often been overlooked by car designers.. as has the alcoholic driver who yearns for sufficient wine bottle storage ! ... Viva la Citroen.
So the kids can smoke their cigarettes, as Jay Smart would say. I can't remember when they stopped fitting rear ashtrays to cars. My Volvo has one in the console between the front seats, and another in the dash, but that"s from 1982, when most people still smoked like chimneys!
The phase 2 AX always reminded me of a miniature ZX inside. Incidentally I had a phase one AX GT with twin choke carb and to this day it is the most fun car I have owned!
Many moons ago I had a little red AX GT, it was like a supercharged rolling skate and great fun. Once I'm sure I got a dent in the bonnet through hitting a bumble bee going at about 70 mph, they were very lightly built and if mine hadn't succumbed to rust I would have kept it for a few more years as it was great fun and cost pennies to run.
I used to work with a girl who borrowed me her GT once, it was great fun to thrash around but the overwhelming memory I've got about the car was the whole door skin flexing every time I put the key in it to open or lock it.
When you said 'never let her down" is the same expression of saying " never left her stranded" ? I ask this because i'm spaniard speakin' and sometimes i need to readjust the slangs. Thank You
I bought one of these with an ex girlfriend back in about 2010, £300 on eBay. We used if for years and it was dear to us, and never let us down! Only got rid of it because she got a hand-me-down car and the AX needed welding for the next MOT. Wish I'd found a way to keep it. I still keep an eye out for them today, they've become very rare. I'm 6'4 but could drive this, and indeed took it up and down the country on the regular. I found it charming. Very basic of course, nothing to it and no luxuries but that's the way I liked it. Ours had the Citroen logo on the front upside down (so the chevrons looked like v's). Back in the day when loads were around every now and again you'd see them with the upside down chevron badge. I always wondered how this happened - was there someone in the factory doing this deliberately? Was is some kind of in-joke on the production line? Was it someone's first day? Surely I can't be the only one who noticed this! Edit: ours was a 1 litre N reg Elation (4 speed), and a sibling had an AX Dimension as her first (and favourite) car. Edit 2: Ian, there was a diesel too wasn't there. I swear you could get like 80mpg in those or something. We'd easily get over 60 in ours on long runs driven sensibly! For years around when scrappage scheme was in effect and everything was about 'mpg' I always wondered why people don't just buy an old Citroen and tell the Labour government where to stick their car crushers.
How the hell did you fit in it at 6'4? I'm only 6 feet and I could not get a decent driving position where my legs weren't hitting the bottom of the wheel in my dad's one....even with the seat set right back. That annoyed me because they are a cracking little car.
@@graemew7001 I remember it wasn't the most comfortable drive (I pretty much echo Ian's sentiments with the little pedals... There were one set of running trainers I couldn't wear cuz my big feet would press the brake and accelerator at the same time (same thing happened to me in Pug 106's). My head was very near the roof (sunroof model so gave me a few extra cm's) but I could indeed drive it - legs bent and I'd need a couple of stops on long journeys to stretch. Someone I know bought a classic mini earlier this year and damn I could barely move once in it (and getting in and out was horrid too). I gave it one drive and said never again. I met a guy in a carpark when we were out in it who was 6ft who was a mini enthusiast and I asked him how the hell he drove them. He said you can get rails put in that make the seat roll right back (presumably needed rear seats removing) as he couldn't drive them normally. My AX Elation had nice seats and the sporty 3 spoke wheel (adjustable iirc, rake on left hand side, so I had it as high as poss). The seats didn't tilt however which was a shame, they could only slide.
@@the.internet You can get seat rail extenders for classic mini's but I found that you can also get a steering drop bracket and a longer steering wheel boss to alter that geometry which I found to be more comfortable. Mind at your height I'd just forget it and buy some other classic. Saying all this maybe the steering boss idea would work in an AX although I'd have lost the airbag of my dad's car to do that.
A 1.5 Diesel was an option, certainly on later ones. My aunt and uncle had an N-reg 1.5 Diesel 5-speed. It wasn't particularly quick off the line, but the torque was immense, especially as the AX is so light. They reckoned it did 65 mpg+ all the time.
This one is in the exactly the condition I remember these as being in; dented, faded, worthless, but fully functional and fun. Brilliant, economical, throwaway transport. I had a similar Pug 106 in the late ‘90s. Great fun, and makes so much economic sense. The French sure knew how to make entertaining econoboxes. No pretensions at all, unlike Audi A1s and the like - just frugal, entertaining, basic transport. Does exactly what it says on the (very thin) tin .... .... and all the better for it. Viva PSA!
I was a passenger in one of these when it accidentally went on two wheels. Still remember the feeling of going in slow motion as the tarmac was passing by my window.
I have very fond memories of a black AX whose owner drove me around Aberystwyth in 1989-92. It was a little tight for my 6’3” size but they still make me smile.
i remember a bloke i worked with called phil,he had the sporty one of these,he filled it to the top with oil,brimming out of the rocker box,what a bellend,lucky he did not start it,we drained it out and it was good too go,
My grandma had one of these as her last car, it was a 1.0 4 speed, very late one in metallic green. My uncle bought it for her brand new for basically nothing when Citroen were having one of their massive blow out sales. She resisted at first because it meant getting rid of her b reg maestro that caused nothing but grief and most visits were spent getting it started, airing up the tyres etc. She had it collected by her local garage in Shrewsbury every year for a service despite averaging about 600 miles a year. It was passed to my cousin who used it all through uni. Great little motor.
Drove both gasoline and diesel models between Spain and Portugal on 10 hr trips, back in the day. Great cars. Never a frown or a problem, and the pedals never gave me any pains either.
Ah, the all glass tailgate. A tradition carried on with the 107/C1/Aygo. As you say, just be careful when closing them and always check for any obstructions first.
Excellent vid - as always - great commentary. Great driving. Great car! I like the lightweight. "They sold 2.4 million of them in 12 years." That is for an 'economy car segment', but scale-wise, it is frightening to think that VW sold 2.7 million Mk1 Tiguans between 2008 and 2016 - approx 9 years - for what is a dreaded SUV, whilst at the same time churning out millions of Golfs as well! Many thanks Ian. Good luck down-under.
I bought a 1.0 Debut back in the day and we went all over the UK on our jolly holls in it . Never let us down and was such a nice car to drive . Got passed down the family as each bunch got old enough to drive . Had it for years . one of the best cars we owned - such fun. .
My uncle and aunt had a late-model N-reg AX 1.5 Diesel "Spree" special edition in metallic blue, blue interior. It had little raised-letter signs everywhere, in French. One of the best, attached to the wine bottle pocket, translated as "I do like the little pocket for the bottle of wine". Another one by the cigarette lighter said "The French smoke too much". Very characterful little car, good memories. Amazing that Citroen produced these for 12 years.
Wonderfull little car. I was offered one last year, a 1992 5 door 11 TRE. A family member passed away and he had one of these in his garage that hadn't been driven since 1999 when he got sick and couldn't drive anymore. The car sat for 20 years with just 35.000 Km in the odometer. Changed the oil, bled the old petrol from the tank, filled it with new petrol, didn't even changed the plugs and the thing started straight away after a couple of cranks. After that I did a full service: brakes and disks all round, new brake fluid, gearbox oil, 4 new tires and it's been my daily ever since. It's now on 42.000 Km and drives like a charm. Great city car, easy to park and economical. Fun facts: the 5 door doesn't have the quarter windows and the wine bottle holders in the front doors. And the models with air conditioning (like mine) looses the glovebox, because the ac motor sits inside the area where the glovebox is. Great first car for everyone who just got their driving license as it is very cheap to own, run, insure and fix up. Good review.
Had two of these over the years a petrol and a diesel loved both cars, even put a top box on the diesel and went to France camping as a family of 4, although a little cosy had no problems loved it.
Ah memories. We were a Citroen family growing up, Dad had BXs and Xantias. Mum had an AX 'Jasper'. Tip for anyone planning to buy this as a family car. Those speakers right near the child passenger's head are the only speakers, so your spawn will be complaining that you've got Enya on too loud again.
I had a 1993 Citroen AX Debut, 1 litre engine, 5 door and silver. It was the best car I've ever owned and I've owned lots of different cars. The handling was superb, almost as good as our classic mini, the engine, although tiny, was enough, and I travelled all over Scotland in it. A fabulous car! Now I know there will be lots of people out there who have had bad ones and had terrible incidents in them, but my ownership experience was amazing. I miss that car.👍
Light weight=more fun. Absolutely. My sister moved from Canada to Italy a very long time ago and for quite a while her car was a bare-bones, basicest of the basic (I'm talking Amish spec) Fiat Uno with the 900cc engine. It made all of 45bhp which probably didn't strain the 4-speed gearbox a whole lot. I got to drive it on visits there. Was it a good car ? not really, it had a few important traits in common with this AX, being both tinny and tiny, but boy was it fun ! you basically had to drive it flat out all the time. It proved, as does this AX, the old adage that it's more fun to drive a slow car fast than to drive a fast car slow. I can't think of any current car built to that ethos.
A friend of mine had an AX and it was a wonderful little runner. She lived on the North East coast at the time, but this little motor took her all over the UK every week (she was a motor scooter enthusiast and went to a lot of meet ups). She would travel regularly to Wales to see her (then) boyfriend (they since married and she lives in Wales now) and her little AX never let her down. However, it "died" in such a trvial way; in almost stationary traffic, she was rear ended by someone who braked just a smidge too late. She said she had come to a halt and the other car had almost fully stopped, going so slow that she barely felt any impact, but it was enough to damage that fragile back end and her car was a complete write-off.
I`ll never forget the night my friend and his sister came round in their mum`s 3 month old metallic purple AX - traded in a base model silver AX 1.0e for it. We went everywhere visiting every friend. Talk about street cred going through the roof but then again non of us was older than 14 lol.
I worked as a parking valet for the last seven years and my two favourite small cars to drive were the Citroen AX and the Toyota starlet, both great fun. I sold my 23yr old ZX estate to a workmate 2 yrs ago for £100 and he's still happily whizzing about in it!
I do remember a journey for a new years eve party from Paris to Angers with my french friends about 23 years ago. Four adult persons, over 300 km (186 miles) and an "average" heating, especially in the claustrophobic back of the car. A trip I never forget...
My better half has one and it's been her only car since it was bought new in 1994. It's been an everyday car ever since, and it just boggles the mind how reliable it's been. 25 years and it's never left its owner on the side of the road waiting for rescue. It's brilliant.
my auntie used to have a lighter green one when i was younger i used to love it because i thought it sounded sporty but it was just the blowing exhaust! 🤣
in 2003 i bought my first car, the 1993 1.0L AX, only had 4 gears and loved it, £795. I did once drive it 200 miles up the motorway, with those 4 gears, successfully. The engine noise at 70-75mph was sensational :D not sure what the revs got to but the engine didnt blow up, and i made it the 200 miles back the day after in one piece. Superb car.
Driven mine into work today. The 1.1i - and it gives me a grin everytime I get behind the wheel. The wiper motor is currently packing up so that only adds to the fun too.
Being part of the psa group basically same to a couple of peugeot 106's I once owned apart from the badges. The 1.1 graduate was nothing special but the 1.4 or was it 1.5 diesel xrd was very good and reliable and a brilliant diesel engine plus they both had zero rust compared to their Ford and Jdm counterparts at the time. Great video Ian.
This car is super cute! Tiny is better. For practicality being implemented it still has that Citroen quirkiness like the power window switches low on the doorcards and the wine bottle holders. Lol . Viva Citroen! 😘
My ex's mum had a black F-reg (so phase 1) 1.4 AX. I forget the exact spec. It was the flimsiest thing ever (I remember the whole dash creaking and rattling on cornering) and used to overheat constantly. Probably didn't help that we were both 6' tall and in the 20st range, coupled with the fact that my ex had a lead right foot, lol. It used to go like absolute stink even fully loaded up. After she wrote off her MK1 Fiesta, she bought a dark blue Phase 2 (I think it was on a K-plate) for about £200. It was immaculate apart from the fact that the stereo had disappeared, but had a significant oil leak from somewhere and would always mark its territory with a big puddle (and even 20-odd years on, there's still a big oil stain on the road outside our old house in Leeds). Coupled with the fact it was a diesel, it was the furthest thing from 'green', though it did get good mileage on a run. After we broke up she replaced it with a Saxo. We almost broke the tailgate in the first one loading it up with suitcases (plus the lock never latched properly, and always needed a good firm slam). I remember chuckling at how stereotypically French the wine bottle holders were, the downside being that anything smaller than a 2-litre bottle of pop would rattle around hopelessly and end up exploding when opened... I wish women did go in for useless, nerdy facts about things. I'd be fighting them off, haha.
Best mate at school got bought a new AX by his folks in 92 (it was K183FUM if memory serves). Debut model, in white. Had many a fun evening hooning about in either it, or my Mini Van. The AX definitely got more from its 1 litre, a lot more quietly, but the Mini Van could out handle it. Both suffered damage from a humpback bridge on the same evening too - youthful exuberance, I think it's called.
I’ve had 3 AX’s, one from new in 94, a purple ‘Spree’ edition. Drove that one all over Europe with 2 children, a roof box and a woman, fab fun car! Bought both daughters Second hand AX’s too.
Drove one of these for a few years, very reliable, very basic and very cheap with a terrible stereo. Felt like a bit of tinfoil wrapped around some matchskicks but also bulletproof in its own flimsy way. Thanks for the trip back to the nineties!
cynthiaVTS For me... 2x10 Peavey cab with ‘Black widow’ Kevlar speakers, Peavey MkIII amp (only 200w iirc) Yankee Fender P, with DiMarzio fitted. From Swanage to Feltham... Redhill to Bognor... mine took me everywhere 😊
My mate had the GT back while I had a Mini 1000. It was like a space ship. Even the rear windows were electric. They only opened about an inch but electric. Rear wiper, alloys and so on. Oh and it was a complete rocket. Brilliant little cars as long as you don't crash them.
The offset pedal box is indeed a pain on long journeys, a trait it shares with the 106. I think chiropractors gave Citroen a backhander with these motors.
@@rabbishekelstein9477 I can confirm. However, I still prefer an AX with only the pedal block offset than a Clio mk1 where both pedals and steering wheel are offset. True story.
We had an AX about 25 years ago. I closed the tailgate a little over-enthusiastically one evening and ended up covered in shattered glass. We had a bit of a Citroen time owning a couple of AXs a couple of ZXs and a BX in our time.
Oh the AX, well done on finding one. Such a great small car, full of flaws that can be so easily be over looked. It looks so much easier on the eye than it's relative the ZX that looks like fat AX that needs a diet. The BX that looks like the mature father figure, to the AX teenage antics. Great video.
Oi, don't diss the ZX. I had a 1994 3dr Neon special edition from new - told the garage not to apply the Neon pink stripes tho, that would've spoilt the looks, with its larger and wider 14 inch wheels!Handled great through fast bends with passive rear wheel steering, and was punchy enough. Girl friend at the time bought a new AX1.0 ....both were chucked about.... Ahem.
My ex had 2 of these a green one like this and a red one. 4 speed manual was a good little car and we drove from Northern Ireland to Blackpool over the ferry in Stranraer. Great car and memories!
Honestly, I never realised I needed a wine bottle holder in my life until I bought my AX! I mean, how often do you pop into the shops, buy a bottle and have nowhere in the car to put it... It just ends up rolling around in the foot well! Genius thinking from Citroën!
I love how Steph on idriveaclassic drove an immaculate Chicago model whereas Ian got a typically HubNut example with peeling lacquer and dishevelled look. All the appropriate times right there.
I bought an AX about 20 years ago and then a F reg GT a little while later. I sold them both ages ago, the GT for £800, which was in immaculate condition. After watching this video I've recently decided to get another one. Bought a 954CC Elation from 1995 2 weeks ago, it's lush.
A mate of mine bought a white lowered AX Sport, many years ago. I never drove the car, but man i loved when we hooned around in it. Such a fun little car, and the two carbs certainly delivered in the soundtrack department. Small and light, with adequate power, is a great mix..as long as you don't crash.
More Lidl tales I am afraid. Met a guy who had one the same as this about a year ago in the car park... he bought it because he wanted something simple and was well made up. Seen it a few times since. Today however proper Back to the Future - drove into the carpark as a red FIAT Coupe on an R plate was leaving and I was followed in by a white AX Echo on an L. I had a 94 AX GT - fun times.
LJK Setright (among others) raved about this car. The range was upside down... The better ones were the 1.0 4-speed 3-doors. Less is less, but also more. The massive quarter-lights were VERY French. They allowed room for a huge door pocket for a bottle of wine. Very French. The smaller motors ran on very, very narrow tyres. And it handled and held the road delightfully. Weighing nothing helped. I seem to recall the fuel tank was plastic. It really was one of the last of the low mass cars. A proper AX has manual windows. The interior was spacious enough, but hills were fun if carrying four adults. Nonetheless, a gem.
My father had one of these back in the day, a very early one (UK launch was Aug 1987). I think the later AX's had the pedals less offset (even if not quite central) - the LHDs never had this problem. 👍🏼
The one problem when converting a LHD to RHD, something older British vehicles never had, if one looks closely at one there are blanking plates over the holes for LHD assembly as the need to export was important then.
@@rabbishekelstein9477 Most vehicles have slightly offset pedals, the brake and gas pedal are always right of the steering column, unless a very old vehicle with a central gas pedal. ( pre 1930's )
I owned a late 96 p spree in amazon green. 5 years and 40,000 miles. Only issue was tailgate hinges failure. If it was breezy and was open, to much stress would shatter the glass. I drove to the windscreen replacement centre, i lined up with 2 others. those wheeltrims ended up on the runout model. the late ones also had autochoke, a 5 speed box and a steering wheel that looked like it had an airbag. but didn't. and finally, the complete rear seat unit can be taken out to turn into a van. the best basic car I ever had. in fact, the best car I ever had.
The "crowded" pedals are because it is a left hand drive design with a rhd kit tacked on. Notice under the bonnet that the brake servo is on the left (above where the pedals are in a lhd). similarly, the footwell bulge is a potential footrest in a lhd, but on the rhd variant just causes the pedals to be shifted to the left. French design for the French market ;-) I had a'94 AX for 10 years and 100,000 miles (bought new). I currently drive a Berlingo Mk1, (facelift). It has the same "lhd" quirks - the gearbox stick out a bit into the drivers footwell on a rhd model, causing the pedals to be rather close together. On the "French"/lhd "original" , the gearbox bulge is in the passenger footwell, and causes less issues. (I previously had a Berlingo Mk1, pre-facelift, and that had the earlier gearbox and no such issues).
I agree with your comment about a short test drive. A car dealer had me drive the car on brand new roads, top speed 45 mph. When we got back to the dealer he asked me how I liked the car, I said "can I take this car for a test drive now?" I then went on bad roads, 75 mph, and full throttle acceleration. I told him it was slow and he seemed surprised. I didn't buy the car. It was a VW gulf. I also love non power steering in a lightweight car.
My dad had a 2000 Citroen Saxo 1.4i SX and it also was a fun car that handles corners as a treat. I only weight 850 kg, light and comfortable like the AX. *I remembered that the offset pedal box indeed was a pain for me at least.* Learn to drive in one at the age off 14 and I often pressed two pedals in at the same time by mistake... The AX, 106 and Saxo all have this pedal problem. Also, the 1.1-litre TU engines are notorious for head gasket failure. Around 10 years ago scrapyards where full of AX's, Saxo's, 106's that had rotten sills or a blown heads. I recommend the 1.4, it has less issues and is even more fun!
Remember the „sound of quality“ in my 87 Phase 1 TRE. Build quality left room for improvements, this being the only downside. mpg was incredible for a 1.1 petrol engine. Had a 4 speed gearbox, very well to drive on motorways and narrow country roads. Still miss it...
Again thanks for the link here. I somehow used to get my left foot comfortable on long drives. I seem to remember my rear window was designed differently. I'll try and find my photos from 1988
I have owned my metallic purple AX for 14 years. It's always been brilliant on reliability and when It has gone wrong it's been easy to fix. The only major work has been rebuilding the rear torsion bar set up rear beam. It's on about 249k now and still going strong. I will try keep this going as long as I can. It does get a lot of attention on the road now, people seem to really appreciate it.
I have a 5 door phase 1. The dash is made of the same stuff that the insert in chocolate boxes is made of, but worse. It's also a diesel. I utterly love it. Fully agree re the pedal box, it's bloody uncomfortable after a while.
My father had a ph1 AX 1.1 RE, i learned to drive in that car, it's the car i miss the most, loved driving, the geabox was a joy to use. I think the high driving position is a ph2 thing, i remember being quite low in the ph1.
I had a 1991 AX 1.1 Axion for 3 years. It was the Mark 1 model with the old dashboard, 4 speed gearbox, but with injection. I loved it to bits. Comfortable, very economical (18 kilometres a liter was no problem) and quite quick. No problem to cruise with 150-160 kilometres an hour on the German Autobahn.
My first car, Citroen AX ‘Jive’ in arctic white... L96YTT. Took me across the A303 SOOOOO many times. Boot space was brilliant for lugging guitars and amps all about the south coast and SW London. 996cc
There’s a full-size ashtray at the front for the adults. The tiny one at the rear must be for the children, then. Well thought out, Citroen! 👌😁
That's right, the child smoker has often been overlooked by car designers.. as has the alcoholic driver who yearns for sufficient wine bottle storage ! ... Viva la Citroen.
Gauloises et pastis 😆
You can fit champagne bottles in the doors and cigars in the ashtrays. Under a microscope, the AX was a limousine.
So the kids can smoke their cigarettes, as Jay Smart would say. I can't remember when they stopped fitting rear ashtrays to cars. My Volvo has one in the console between the front seats, and another in the dash, but that"s from 1982, when most people still smoked like chimneys!
Richard Edwards both my 2005 Jaguar XJ and 2002 Audi A6 have rear ashtrays, one in each doorcard respectively.
Everyone should see the amazing video of the guy doing the Nurburgring with a Diesel AX that's done almost 700k kilometers. It's here on RUclips.
ruclips.net/video/mBFjHjm0O5M/видео.html made me seasick though
Dull fact: The Citroen AX wiper mechanism was also used on the series 1 Lotus Elise.
I love facts like this 👍
Didn’t Lotus use Citroen Cx door mirrors on the esprit?
Lotus Esprit S4 has Mk3 Vauxhall Cavalier door handles.
The mk1 Elise had Vauxhall Astra indicator and wiper stalks as well
Range Rover had Morris Marina door handles (Or was it the other way around?)
Well that clinches it I need an ax. I'm constantly spilling my wine all over me while driving!
Epic lacquer peel, awsome.
Best thing Ive read on the internet in ages!
The phase 2 AX always reminded me of a miniature ZX inside. Incidentally I had a phase one AX GT with twin choke carb and to this day it is the most fun car I have owned!
Many moons ago I had a little red AX GT, it was like a supercharged rolling skate and great fun. Once I'm sure I got a dent in the bonnet through hitting a bumble bee going at about 70 mph, they were very lightly built and if mine hadn't succumbed to rust I would have kept it for a few more years as it was great fun and cost pennies to run.
Ha, ha, ha @ Bumblebee.
I used to work with a girl who borrowed me her GT once, it was great fun to thrash around but the overwhelming memory I've got about the car was the whole door skin flexing every time I put the key in it to open or lock it.
I had a grey AX GT great fun little car definitely wouldn't be classed as "safe" today .. did actually write mine off lol
Ax g.t was an underrated fun little car to chuck about...ncap safety rating??0
I had a ax gt mk2 K 92 and the engine over heated so I had a 106 gti engine fitted and it went very well had 125 mph out of it once very scary haha
She certainly has 'patina' . I quite like the AX, they were everywhere in the early '90's.
I use the 1.0l as a daily driver, great car fast enough and fun to drive despite only having 44 hp.
OldEngine weighs less than a full wine bottle, doesnt it?
@@martijnkosters9024 Needs to be tied down in high winds.
I remember my late sister had a purple one never let her down good memories cheers hubs 👍
Are you Fred West ?
When you said 'never let her down" is the same expression of saying " never left her stranded" ? I ask this because i'm spaniard speakin' and sometimes i need to readjust the slangs. Thank You
@@scottwalker8152 much thanks!
Happy memories are made on Hub Nut.
I bought one of these with an ex girlfriend back in about 2010, £300 on eBay. We used if for years and it was dear to us, and never let us down! Only got rid of it because she got a hand-me-down car and the AX needed welding for the next MOT. Wish I'd found a way to keep it. I still keep an eye out for them today, they've become very rare.
I'm 6'4 but could drive this, and indeed took it up and down the country on the regular. I found it charming. Very basic of course, nothing to it and no luxuries but that's the way I liked it.
Ours had the Citroen logo on the front upside down (so the chevrons looked like v's). Back in the day when loads were around every now and again you'd see them with the upside down chevron badge. I always wondered how this happened - was there someone in the factory doing this deliberately? Was is some kind of in-joke on the production line? Was it someone's first day? Surely I can't be the only one who noticed this!
Edit: ours was a 1 litre N reg Elation (4 speed), and a sibling had an AX Dimension as her first (and favourite) car.
Edit 2: Ian, there was a diesel too wasn't there. I swear you could get like 80mpg in those or something. We'd easily get over 60 in ours on long runs driven sensibly! For years around when scrappage scheme was in effect and everything was about 'mpg' I always wondered why people don't just buy an old Citroen and tell the Labour government where to stick their car crushers.
I saw a picasso thing on a new plate with upside down chevrons on the tailgate this week! Its still happening.
How the hell did you fit in it at 6'4? I'm only 6 feet and I could not get a decent driving position where my legs weren't hitting the bottom of the wheel in my dad's one....even with the seat set right back. That annoyed me because they are a cracking little car.
@@graemew7001 I remember it wasn't the most comfortable drive (I pretty much echo Ian's sentiments with the little pedals... There were one set of running trainers I couldn't wear cuz my big feet would press the brake and accelerator at the same time (same thing happened to me in Pug 106's). My head was very near the roof (sunroof model so gave me a few extra cm's) but I could indeed drive it - legs bent and I'd need a couple of stops on long journeys to stretch.
Someone I know bought a classic mini earlier this year and damn I could barely move once in it (and getting in and out was horrid too). I gave it one drive and said never again. I met a guy in a carpark when we were out in it who was 6ft who was a mini enthusiast and I asked him how the hell he drove them. He said you can get rails put in that make the seat roll right back (presumably needed rear seats removing) as he couldn't drive them normally.
My AX Elation had nice seats and the sporty 3 spoke wheel (adjustable iirc, rake on left hand side, so I had it as high as poss). The seats didn't tilt however which was a shame, they could only slide.
@@the.internet You can get seat rail extenders for classic mini's but I found that you can also get a steering drop bracket and a longer steering wheel boss to alter that geometry which I found to be more comfortable. Mind at your height I'd just forget it and buy some other classic. Saying all this maybe the steering boss idea would work in an AX although I'd have lost the airbag of my dad's car to do that.
A 1.5 Diesel was an option, certainly on later ones. My aunt and uncle had an N-reg 1.5 Diesel 5-speed. It wasn't particularly quick off the line, but the torque was immense, especially as the AX is so light. They reckoned it did 65 mpg+ all the time.
I passed my test in my dad's 1.4 diesel! Great car!!! Go to the moon and back on one tank!!!!
This one is in the exactly the condition I remember these as being in; dented, faded, worthless, but fully functional and fun. Brilliant, economical, throwaway transport.
I had a similar Pug 106 in the late ‘90s. Great fun, and makes so much economic sense. The French sure knew how to make entertaining econoboxes. No pretensions at all, unlike Audi A1s and the like - just frugal, entertaining, basic transport. Does exactly what it says on the (very thin) tin ....
.... and all the better for it.
Viva PSA!
Funny how the "throwaway" cars last the longest!
I was a passenger in one of these when it accidentally went on two wheels. Still remember the feeling of going in slow motion as the tarmac was passing by my window.
Nice map of the Crimea on the bonnet.
love them i had a citroen ax gti back in the 90s cost me £10 with a blown head gasket put eggs and rad seal in it lasted me 3 years good old days
McGyver you!
With all that wine you'll be carrying the little car will sound like a milkfloat pulling into the street.
I have very fond memories of a black AX whose owner drove me around Aberystwyth in 1989-92. It was a little tight for my 6’3” size but they still make me smile.
i remember a bloke i worked with called phil,he had the sporty one of these,he filled it to the top with oil,brimming out of the rocker box,what a bellend,lucky he did not start it,we drained it out and it was good too go,
I loved my AX.... I've had 3 of them over the years!
My grandma had one of these as her last car, it was a 1.0 4 speed, very late one in metallic green. My uncle bought it for her brand new for basically nothing when Citroen were having one of their massive blow out sales. She resisted at first because it meant getting rid of her b reg maestro that caused nothing but grief and most visits were spent getting it started, airing up the tyres etc. She had it collected by her local garage in Shrewsbury every year for a service despite averaging about 600 miles a year. It was passed to my cousin who used it all through uni. Great little motor.
Drove both gasoline and diesel models between Spain and Portugal on 10 hr trips, back in the day.
Great cars. Never a frown or a problem, and the pedals never gave me any pains either.
I once owned a white 1 litre AX, loved it, economical and short journey and easy parking par excellence
My mate had the the GT version. Roughly 90hp and 700 kg! It was really quick & fun for it's time and wiped the floor with my 106 xsi.
Ah, the all glass tailgate. A tradition carried on with the 107/C1/Aygo. As you say, just be careful when closing them and always check for any obstructions first.
I always liked old citroens , we had a 84 BX 1.4 a gold one , as a kid I thought the suspension was incredibly cool
It's so hard to find a new car that short which look like a real car and not like a toy shopping cart! I love it! Big trunk too!
Best one I had was a 1.4 diesel , drove it none stop to Switzerland , brilliant fun never missed a beat .
My first car was an AX 1.1 "Memphis" 91 pre-facelift
Had a sticker that read "Shitroën"
Excellent vid - as always - great commentary. Great driving. Great car! I like the lightweight. "They sold 2.4 million of them in 12 years." That is for an 'economy car segment', but scale-wise, it is frightening to think that VW sold 2.7 million Mk1 Tiguans between 2008 and 2016 - approx 9 years - for what is a dreaded SUV, whilst at the same time churning out millions of Golfs as well! Many thanks Ian. Good luck down-under.
There are nearly half again as many people on the world as there was in 1987.
I bought a 1.0 Debut back in the day and we went all over the UK on our jolly holls in it . Never let us down and was such a nice car to drive . Got passed down the family as each bunch got old enough to drive . Had it for years . one of the best cars we owned - such fun. .
My uncle and aunt had a late-model N-reg AX 1.5 Diesel "Spree" special edition in metallic blue, blue interior. It had little raised-letter signs everywhere, in French. One of the best, attached to the wine bottle pocket, translated as "I do like the little pocket for the bottle of wine". Another one by the cigarette lighter said "The French smoke too much". Very characterful little car, good memories. Amazing that Citroen produced these for 12 years.
Wonderfull little car. I was offered one last year, a 1992 5 door 11 TRE. A family member passed away and he had one of these in his garage that hadn't been driven since 1999 when he got sick and couldn't drive anymore. The car sat for 20 years with just 35.000 Km in the odometer. Changed the oil, bled the old petrol from the tank, filled it with new petrol, didn't even changed the plugs and the thing started straight away after a couple of cranks. After that I did a full service: brakes and disks all round, new brake fluid, gearbox oil, 4 new tires and it's been my daily ever since. It's now on 42.000 Km and drives like a charm. Great city car, easy to park and economical.
Fun facts: the 5 door doesn't have the quarter windows and the wine bottle holders in the front doors. And the models with air conditioning (like mine) looses the glovebox, because the ac motor sits inside the area where the glovebox is.
Great first car for everyone who just got their driving license as it is very cheap to own, run, insure and fix up.
Good review.
Had two of these over the years a petrol and a diesel loved both cars, even put a top box on the diesel and went to France camping as a family of 4, although a little cosy had no problems loved it.
Ah memories.
We were a Citroen family growing up, Dad had BXs and Xantias. Mum had an AX 'Jasper'.
Tip for anyone planning to buy this as a family car. Those speakers right near the child passenger's head are the only speakers, so your spawn will be complaining that you've got Enya on too loud again.
I had a 1993 Citroen AX Debut, 1 litre engine, 5 door and silver. It was the best car I've ever owned and I've owned lots of different cars. The handling was superb, almost as good as our classic mini, the engine, although tiny, was enough, and I travelled all over Scotland in it. A fabulous car! Now I know there will be lots of people out there who have had bad ones and had terrible incidents in them, but my ownership experience was amazing. I miss that car.👍
Light weight=more fun. Absolutely. My sister moved from Canada to Italy a very long time ago and for quite a while her car was a bare-bones, basicest of the basic (I'm talking Amish spec) Fiat Uno with the 900cc engine. It made all of 45bhp which probably didn't strain the 4-speed gearbox a whole lot. I got to drive it on visits there. Was it a good car ? not really, it had a few important traits in common with this AX, being both tinny and tiny, but boy was it fun ! you basically had to drive it flat out all the time. It proved, as does this AX, the old adage that it's more fun to drive a slow car fast than to drive a fast car slow. I can't think of any current car built to that ethos.
I mentioned yesterday about the Tercel being thirsty . Not so with the A,X. fuel economy was great .
I drove its sister the Peugeot 106 with the same 1.1 engine, indeed it was very frugal. :)
A friend of mine had an AX and it was a wonderful little runner. She lived on the North East coast at the time, but this little motor took her all over the UK every week (she was a motor scooter enthusiast and went to a lot of meet ups). She would travel regularly to Wales to see her (then) boyfriend (they since married and she lives in Wales now) and her little AX never let her down. However, it "died" in such a trvial way; in almost stationary traffic, she was rear ended by someone who braked just a smidge too late. She said she had come to a halt and the other car had almost fully stopped, going so slow that she barely felt any impact, but it was enough to damage that fragile back end and her car was a complete write-off.
I`ll never forget the night my friend and his sister came round in their mum`s 3 month old metallic purple AX - traded in a base model silver AX 1.0e for it. We went everywhere visiting every friend. Talk about street cred going through the roof but then again non of us was older than 14 lol.
I worked as a parking valet for the last seven years and my two favourite small cars to drive were the Citroen AX and the Toyota starlet, both great fun. I sold my 23yr old ZX estate to a workmate 2 yrs ago for £100 and he's still happily whizzing about in it!
I had a 1.4D - Drove it to south east Poland near the Ukrainian border. Fantastic little car - simple, very economical and a joy to drive
Yes, driving this car on these countryside roads is just brilliant. Very alive and fun for a 1.1 liter car.
One of the best cars ive ever had, simple, reliable, fast, economical, roomy, tough and practical....all the car you need
I do remember a journey for a new years eve party from Paris to Angers with my french friends about 23 years ago. Four adult persons, over 300 km (186 miles) and an "average" heating, especially in the claustrophobic back of the car. A trip I never forget...
My better half has one and it's been her only car since it was bought new in 1994. It's been an everyday car ever since, and it just boggles the mind how reliable it's been. 25 years and it's never left its owner on the side of the road waiting for rescue. It's brilliant.
my auntie used to have a lighter green one when i was younger i used to love it because i thought it sounded sporty but it was just the blowing exhaust! 🤣
AX's always been very fun to drive, I once drove a 14 TGS and surprised me for the performances.
I had a five-door 1.4 AX TZX. It had a great power to weight ratio. Really good up the Addingham bypass.
in 2003 i bought my first car, the 1993 1.0L AX, only had 4 gears and loved it, £795. I did once drive it 200 miles up the motorway, with those 4 gears, successfully. The engine noise at 70-75mph was sensational :D not sure what the revs got to but the engine didnt blow up, and i made it the 200 miles back the day after in one piece. Superb car.
2 Year's on and after a year of ownership she's still going strong. A lot tidier now too 👍
Driven mine into work today. The 1.1i - and it gives me a grin everytime I get behind the wheel. The wiper motor is currently packing up so that only adds to the fun too.
Being part of the psa group basically same to a couple of peugeot 106's I once owned apart from the badges.
The 1.1 graduate was nothing special but the 1.4 or was it 1.5 diesel xrd was very good and reliable and a brilliant diesel engine plus they both had zero rust compared to their Ford and Jdm counterparts at the time.
Great video Ian.
This car is super cute! Tiny is better. For practicality being implemented it still has that Citroen quirkiness like the power window switches low on the doorcards and the wine bottle holders. Lol . Viva Citroen! 😘
Impressive lacquer peel on the bonnet! Nice AX! From a time when cars had distinct characters.
Seeing that nice summer weather, watching this in mid winter.
Great video.👍My father had a red AX 1.1TRE 3 doors phase 1,1990, in good conditions, 250 000km, zero problems.
My ex's mum had a black F-reg (so phase 1) 1.4 AX. I forget the exact spec. It was the flimsiest thing ever (I remember the whole dash creaking and rattling on cornering) and used to overheat constantly. Probably didn't help that we were both 6' tall and in the 20st range, coupled with the fact that my ex had a lead right foot, lol. It used to go like absolute stink even fully loaded up.
After she wrote off her MK1 Fiesta, she bought a dark blue Phase 2 (I think it was on a K-plate) for about £200. It was immaculate apart from the fact that the stereo had disappeared, but had a significant oil leak from somewhere and would always mark its territory with a big puddle (and even 20-odd years on, there's still a big oil stain on the road outside our old house in Leeds). Coupled with the fact it was a diesel, it was the furthest thing from 'green', though it did get good mileage on a run. After we broke up she replaced it with a Saxo.
We almost broke the tailgate in the first one loading it up with suitcases (plus the lock never latched properly, and always needed a good firm slam). I remember chuckling at how stereotypically French the wine bottle holders were, the downside being that anything smaller than a 2-litre bottle of pop would rattle around hopelessly and end up exploding when opened...
I wish women did go in for useless, nerdy facts about things. I'd be fighting them off, haha.
Best mate at school got bought a new AX by his folks in 92 (it was K183FUM if memory serves). Debut model, in white. Had many a fun evening hooning about in either it, or my Mini Van. The AX definitely got more from its 1 litre, a lot more quietly, but the Mini Van could out handle it.
Both suffered damage from a humpback bridge on the same evening too - youthful exuberance, I think it's called.
I’ve had 3 AX’s, one from new in 94, a purple ‘Spree’ edition. Drove that one all over Europe with 2 children, a roof box and a woman, fab fun car! Bought both daughters Second hand AX’s too.
Drove one of these for a few years, very reliable, very basic and very cheap with a terrible stereo. Felt like a bit of tinfoil wrapped around some matchskicks but also bulletproof in its own flimsy way. Thanks for the trip back to the nineties!
The first car i ever owned!!! At 17 years old the excitement was unparalelled! Happy memories! 😊
Yet another I wanted at 18, my friend had the gt version, loved it.
I loved my AX so much, used to lug my 4x10 bass rig all over the country and nearly never let me down..
cynthiaVTS
For me...
2x10 Peavey cab with ‘Black widow’ Kevlar speakers, Peavey MkIII amp (only 200w iirc) Yankee Fender P, with DiMarzio fitted.
From Swanage to Feltham... Redhill to Bognor... mine took me everywhere 😊
My mate had the GT back while I had a Mini 1000. It was like a space ship. Even the rear windows were electric. They only opened about an inch but electric. Rear wiper, alloys and so on. Oh and it was a complete rocket.
Brilliant little cars as long as you don't crash them.
The offset pedal box is indeed a pain on long journeys, a trait it shares with the 106.
I think chiropractors gave Citroen a backhander with these motors.
Probably perfectly aligned in the LHD models.
A girl friend of mine always drove with no shoes on I have done the same has more feel with the pedals P.S I dont wear high heels te he
Emyr Derfel I can assure you it's not...
@@rabbishekelstein9477 I can confirm. However, I still prefer an AX with only the pedal block offset than a Clio mk1 where both pedals and steering wheel are offset. True story.
We had an AX about 25 years ago. I closed the tailgate a little over-enthusiastically one evening and ended up covered in shattered glass. We had a bit of a Citroen time owning a couple of AXs a couple of ZXs and a BX in our time.
Trailing arms and torsion bars at the rear gives brilliant boot space! 👍👍
A bonnet that fits in the HubNut tradition, very nice car. And yes, Colin is right, less weight, more fun.
Oh the AX, well done on finding one. Such a great small car, full of flaws that can be so easily be over looked. It looks so much easier on the eye than it's relative the ZX that looks like fat AX that needs a diet. The BX that looks like the mature father figure, to the AX teenage antics. Great video.
Oi, don't diss the ZX. I had a 1994 3dr Neon special edition from new - told the garage not to apply the Neon pink stripes tho, that would've spoilt the looks, with its larger and wider 14 inch wheels!Handled great through fast bends with passive rear wheel steering, and was punchy enough. Girl friend at the time bought a new AX1.0 ....both were chucked about.... Ahem.
Oh, you gotta love all of 'em. The AX definitely is the cutest of the lot though, yes.
Beauty is relative, but to me the ZX is one really beautiful car, especially in a sporty configuration and metallic blue color.
I had a 91 AX TGE. Honestly the best car i have driven. Miss it to this day
My ex had 2 of these a green one like this and a red one. 4 speed manual was a good little car and we drove from Northern Ireland to Blackpool over the ferry in Stranraer. Great car and memories!
Honestly, I never realised I needed a wine bottle holder in my life until I bought my AX! I mean, how often do you pop into the shops, buy a bottle and have nowhere in the car to put it... It just ends up rolling around in the foot well! Genius thinking from Citroën!
I love how Steph on idriveaclassic drove an immaculate Chicago model whereas Ian got a typically HubNut example with peeling lacquer and dishevelled look. All the appropriate times right there.
I bought an AX about 20 years ago and then a F reg GT a little while later. I sold them both ages ago, the GT for £800, which was in immaculate condition. After watching this video I've recently decided to get another one. Bought a 954CC Elation from 1995 2 weeks ago, it's lush.
A mate of mine bought a white lowered AX Sport, many years ago. I never drove the car, but man i loved when we hooned around in it. Such a fun little car, and the two carbs certainly delivered in the soundtrack department. Small and light, with adequate power, is a great mix..as long as you don't crash.
More Lidl tales I am afraid. Met a guy who had one the same as this about a year ago in the car park... he bought it because he wanted something simple and was well made up. Seen it a few times since.
Today however proper Back to the Future - drove into the carpark as a red FIAT Coupe on an R plate was leaving and I was followed in by a white AX Echo on an L.
I had a 94 AX GT - fun times.
LJK Setright (among others) raved about this car. The range was upside down... The better ones were the 1.0 4-speed 3-doors. Less is less, but also more.
The massive quarter-lights were VERY French. They allowed room for a huge door pocket for a bottle of wine. Very French.
The smaller motors ran on very, very narrow tyres. And it handled and held the road delightfully. Weighing nothing helped.
I seem to recall the fuel tank was plastic. It really was one of the last of the low mass cars.
A proper AX has manual windows. The interior was spacious enough, but hills were fun if carrying four adults.
Nonetheless, a gem.
Lovely little motor, the lacquer peel just sets it off haha. Loved the AX GT version too what a great car!
Ian, you are the only person to drive in sandles, thank God.
This is a varient on the original Paulo Martin 104 from 1974.
It ended up a Saxo. And in the VTR series absolutely nailed it.
I learned to drive in a 950cc AX. I fookin love those wee cars
My father had one of these back in the day, a very early one (UK launch was Aug 1987). I think the later AX's had the pedals less offset (even if not quite central) - the LHDs never had this problem. 👍🏼
The one problem when converting a LHD to RHD, something older British vehicles never had, if one looks closely at one there are blanking plates over the holes for LHD assembly as the need to export was important then.
MGBetts1 LHD cars still have offset pedals
@@rabbishekelstein9477 Most vehicles have slightly offset pedals, the brake and gas pedal are always right of the steering column, unless a very old vehicle with a central gas pedal. ( pre 1930's )
Brought back memories, the last car my Mum and Dad had was an AX, nice to see one on the road again been a long time.
I owned a late 96 p spree in amazon green. 5 years and 40,000 miles. Only issue was tailgate hinges failure. If it was breezy and was open, to much stress would shatter the glass. I drove to the windscreen replacement centre, i lined up with 2 others.
those wheeltrims ended up on the runout model. the late ones also had autochoke, a 5 speed box and a steering wheel that looked like it had an airbag. but didn't. and finally, the complete rear seat unit can be taken out to turn into a van. the best basic car I ever had. in fact, the best car I ever had.
The "crowded" pedals are because it is a left hand drive design with a rhd kit tacked on. Notice under the bonnet that the brake servo is on the left (above where the pedals are in a lhd). similarly, the footwell bulge is a potential footrest in a lhd, but on the rhd variant just causes the pedals to be shifted to the left. French design for the French market ;-)
I had a'94 AX for 10 years and 100,000 miles (bought new). I currently drive a Berlingo Mk1, (facelift). It has the same "lhd" quirks - the gearbox stick out a bit into the drivers footwell on a rhd model, causing the pedals to be rather close together. On the "French"/lhd "original" , the gearbox bulge is in the passenger footwell, and causes less issues. (I previously had a Berlingo Mk1, pre-facelift, and that had the earlier gearbox and no such issues).
I agree with your comment about a short test drive. A car dealer had me drive the car on brand new roads, top speed 45 mph. When we got back to the dealer he asked me how I liked the car, I said "can I take this car for a test drive now?" I then went on bad roads, 75 mph, and full throttle acceleration. I told him it was slow and he seemed surprised. I didn't buy the car. It was a VW gulf.
I also love non power steering in a lightweight car.
Lovely little car. And with some really practical touches.
My dad had a 2000 Citroen Saxo 1.4i SX and it also was a fun car that handles corners as a treat. I only weight 850 kg, light and comfortable like the AX. *I remembered that the offset pedal box indeed was a pain for me at least.* Learn to drive in one at the age off 14 and I often pressed two pedals in at the same time by mistake... The AX, 106 and Saxo all have this pedal problem. Also, the 1.1-litre TU engines are notorious for head gasket failure. Around 10 years ago scrapyards where full of AX's, Saxo's, 106's that had rotten sills or a blown heads. I recommend the 1.4, it has less issues and is even more fun!
Remember the „sound of quality“ in my 87 Phase 1 TRE. Build quality left room for improvements, this being the only downside. mpg was incredible for a 1.1 petrol engine. Had a 4 speed gearbox, very well to drive on motorways and narrow country roads. Still miss it...
Again thanks for the link here. I somehow used to get my left foot comfortable on long drives. I seem to remember my rear window was designed differently. I'll try and find my photos from 1988
I have owned my metallic purple AX for 14 years. It's always been brilliant on reliability and when It has gone wrong it's been easy to fix. The only major work has been rebuilding the rear torsion bar set up rear beam. It's on about 249k now and still going strong. I will try keep this going as long as I can. It does get a lot of attention on the road now, people seem to really appreciate it.
My wife had a P reg 954cc AX in Green. I drove it more than she did as I loved it. Although it wasn't fast it gave the illusion of speed.
I have a 5 door phase 1. The dash is made of the same stuff that the insert in chocolate boxes is made of, but worse. It's also a diesel. I utterly love it.
Fully agree re the pedal box, it's bloody uncomfortable after a while.
I'm sure Practical Classics magazine did an economy run in a diesel version and got over 75mpg.
Lovely! First car I ever drove in total illegality before I had my licence on small country roads... Except it was the mighty 1.0 with 45hp.
My father had a ph1 AX 1.1 RE, i learned to drive in that car, it's the car i miss the most, loved driving, the geabox was a joy to use. I think the high driving position is a ph2 thing, i remember being quite low in the ph1.
I used to have a ‘94 AX “Cascade” - was great fun to drive and reliable. Found the wine bottle-capable door bins very useful!
Purchased a white 11RE series 1 new in 1988 from a dealer in Kidderminster and loved it to bits. It would give any XR3 a run for it's money, honest!
I had a 1991 AX 1.1 Axion for 3 years. It was the Mark 1 model with the old dashboard, 4 speed gearbox, but with injection. I loved it to bits. Comfortable, very economical (18 kilometres a liter was no problem) and quite quick. No problem to cruise with 150-160 kilometres an hour on the German Autobahn.
My first car, Citroen AX ‘Jive’ in arctic white... L96YTT. Took me across the A303 SOOOOO many times. Boot space was brilliant for lugging guitars and amps all about the south coast and SW London. 996cc