January 1980 my Mom picked us up from school in UAB 989 V, a metallic blue Club (which was the 652cc air-cooled base model - the Super had a slightly higher spec and the 1124cc water cooled engine ). 1986 I learned to drive in it and it became my car. I totally adored it and still miss it!!
Here in Australia we know next to nothing about Citroëns but even then one look and this screams of being French. Love it. I miss the bonkersness of French designs.
Ribbed, for pleasure! I had always just thought these were really ugly, but the details are fascinating. I guess that's the risk of being at the cutting edge of design - sometimes it's avant-garde and cool, and sometimes it's just seen as weird and awkward! Bless this wee car.
This is awesome !!! Also love a visa and obsessed with the square binnacle and control pod thing! What a lovely thing. The air cooled engine did also sound very fun!
Thank you for the review; what a fabulous car. Our neighbours had a very late D plate one but I remember it still had the distinctive dashboard and huge side stalk. These seemed to be everywhere, even into the mid 90s, and not particularly rusty compared with British contemporaneous equivalents. Then they were suddenly gone. What fun a two cylinder air cooled engine is compared with a four cylinder water cooled. Certainly a left field choice, though I’m sure many owners were very satisfied with them.
Great review! That first gen really was an odd beast! I had a neighbour who had a hearing-aid beige one, we always thought she was two sandwiches short of a picnic. That being said, absoloutly love this car!
I actually like the design of it. The first generation fiat Ritmo was likewise special. Especially the front of both are looking great to me 😍💪 Afterthought…. The Renault 14 was from the same generation and had similar ‘plastic’ vibe’s up front. A little less soulless unfortunately 🙏🏽 So it didn’t spark the interest like the others and was less successful.
Great video! Looking forward to the next one about the Visa II. By the way, the first Citroen born after the PSA merger wasn't the Visa but the LN, which came out in '76.
Lovely car. Always been a favourite of mine. I remember sitting in them in the showroom as a kid and desperately wanting one, or wanting my parents to buy one. Slightly odd kid obviously. The colour looks the same as my parents' 1979 Dyane 6, which I believe was 'jaune mimosa', but don't hold me to that. I like all Visas but it would have to be this pig snout type if I was to have the perfect one. And definitely the 652cc version.
Seeing it in such a pristine condition, it doesn't look bad at all. But all that plastic ages horribly and that's probably where the reputation comes from.
My landlord at University had one of these. I was driving a 2CV as an impoverished student. I dreamt of 652cc power and electronic ignition, along with the added refinement (comparatively) to my 2CV. However, I still own a 2CV and have done since those days 40 years ago.
Back in ‘78 I was tempted by the Visa and went to have a good look at it. At the time I was running a Mk1 Polo and I eventually stuck with VW for several more years, ending with a new ‘82 Golf Mk1 Formel E. However the Visa comes across as a very good car indeed.
I have never driven a pre facelift Visa let alone one with a 2CV engine, but they were so comfortable. Though my dad is from a very Citroën family he opted for a Renault 14 back in the day which is his biggest regret to date.
Absolutely glorious! It’s so ugly, so the Fiesta or a VW Polo probably look more “modern”, but just look at how much room there is for the same price as much smaller cars?! 😮 That musical engine noise is so typical of French villages in the pre-Y2K decades. It’s so unique and I absolutely adore it! 😁 Not just FOUR front vents, but a REAR vent too, AND two more vents on top of the dash for defrosting the side windows (wonder how well they work from that lofty position though?). Enough can never be said about those easy to reach controls all around the steering wheel though. 😱 It really is just glorious, if you can get over the rather ugly outside looks.
@@MorselsAndMotors I totally get that… I used to hate seeing them when in France, thinking how ugly they were and who would buy one anyway. But now? I want one for myself! 😂
I really enjoyed this, excellent review! Such an interesting car, the exterior has a stark, functional almost industrial type of design. It seems class-leading in terms of space utilisation. Not sure though if the compact car buyer was looking for such a design statement, I could be wrong but I think Visa sales only really took off after the much toned-down facelift model had appeared.
This is what used to be considered a “green” car minimalist, frugal, weighs the same as paper clip, about a tenth of the energy to build as a two tons of Tesla !
The headlight height adjustment wasn't so much posh as it was kind of a a necessity, inherited from the 2CV to avoid blinding oncoming traffic if you carried anything over a sixpack of beer in the back. Lovely cars!
I love its rustic yet futuristic porcine charm and bombproof engineering. But 34 horses *is* a bit on the low side even for the time. A Mini 1000 (or the Metro you have) has about 41 or so. 34 puts you down in Mini 850 territory. More than enough for 1965 but by 1980 the pace of life had moved on. You really need to try a Renault 5 one of these days!
Don't forget that this was just the base engine... Then you had the 950 something cm2 with 45hp and then the 1124 with 55hp and then the 1.3... then, in the 80's, during phase 2, they went up to 1.7 on the diesel and 1.6 and 115hp on the GTi.
@TheAllMightyGodofCod Those power levels do sound more appropriate for the time. British Leyland sacked off the 850 in 1979 and never put it in a Metro. But I have no idea of sales figures or anything to really be objective about this :)
@benc8386 I had a 1988 AX 11RE with the 1124cc engine and 55hp and 4 gears... Bought it in 2004 and it went like a little rocket... I imagine that a Visa 11 would also be very good to drive.
@TheAllMightyGodofCod I have also driven an AX with probably a similar engine. Lovely car with very good ride and handling. Although it was considered a bit too conventional by some at the time for a Citroën.
The French were at the forefront of the move to plastic bumpers with cars like the Renault 5 in 72 and the Simca we know as the Chrysler Alpine being launched in 74.. The Visa represents to me the pinnacle of the 70s small car, first it is like the 104, it is the right size and has 5 doors, something the 205 and Uno were to establish as the norm in the early 80s, then it takes the best small car platform of the time the 104s and adds the funkiness of Citroën rather than the far too sensible 104.
Don't think many, any?, got to New Zealand but always liked them. Never thought of it until you mentioned the plastic face but similar to the mk 1 Fiat Ritmo
I really used to dislike these when i was a car obsessed kid, i thought they were so ungainly looking... Which they are, but they now look so unusual even as a 70s-80s period car that i have a sudden fondness for them, especially in that colour. I seem to recall there was a bright green as well?!
I like it). Its headlights are similar with VAZ-2108 headlights. And i think if this car was imported in Soviet Union, the headlights will be replased in case of crash...
I've never seen one of these here in Australia. Did I miss you mention the suspension? You did say it was soft over a speed bump but is it the same as a 2CVs?
No the suspension is more traditional in construction and has no linkage front to back like in the 2CV. We owned a red C15, the commercial variant until we had our first kid.
That pig nose wouldn't have looked as bad if it was body coloured but it's very charming nonetheless and in a lovely colour, great review Oh, what happened to your MK1 Fiesta did you sell?
The nose was designed like that as the 2cv engine had a large cooling fan on the front so they had to extend the nose a bit to cover it. There was no need for it on the 4 cylinder versions so the front end is all in line. I did have a 2cv but never got to drive the Visa Club. The 2cv engine was great and simple to maintain . If Australia had got them I would imagin the air cooling would have been a bonus.
Think I might be bucking the trend here but I think it's horrible. Exterior is ugly and with ungainly proportions. Interior seems very bitsy and clunky. Probably did its job very well in 1979 though.
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January 1980 my Mom picked us up from school in UAB 989 V, a metallic blue Club (which was the 652cc air-cooled base model - the Super had a slightly higher spec and the 1124cc water cooled engine ). 1986 I learned to drive in it and it became my car. I totally adored it and still miss it!!
He literally said in the video that club wasn't the base model... It was the spécial
Same spec and year as this one then!
@@Raigoor09 Special shoulda been above The Club surely?
thank you for bringing to the channel a car forgotten by many, for me a misunderstood car in its first phase. 👌👏👏❤
Great review and really nicely presented with lots of details 😍
What a remarkable survivor and even more surprising it is an original British market RHD.
So so rare
You are soo fortunate to get to drive such lovely old cars like the visa 😊
I am an extremely lucky boy
Im really enjoying your reviews, great choice of interestingly mundane cars, intelligently analysed. Well done sir!
this was great. I remember seeing these everywhere when I was little. Nice memories.
Here in Australia we know next to nothing about Citroëns but even then one look and this screams of being French. Love it. I miss the bonkersness of French designs.
Ribbed, for pleasure! I had always just thought these were really ugly, but the details are fascinating. I guess that's the risk of being at the cutting edge of design - sometimes it's avant-garde and cool, and sometimes it's just seen as weird and awkward! Bless this wee car.
This is awesome !!! Also love a visa and obsessed with the square binnacle and control pod thing! What a lovely thing. The air cooled engine did also sound very fun!
It was unbelievably fun
Thank you for the review; what a fabulous car. Our neighbours had a very late D plate one but I remember it still had the distinctive dashboard and huge side stalk. These seemed to be everywhere, even into the mid 90s, and not particularly rusty compared with British contemporaneous equivalents. Then they were suddenly gone. What fun a two cylinder air cooled engine is compared with a four cylinder water cooled. Certainly a left field choice, though I’m sure many owners were very satisfied with them.
Great review! That first gen really was an odd beast! I had a neighbour who had a hearing-aid beige one, we always thought she was two sandwiches short of a picnic. That being said, absoloutly love this car!
Thank you. It's such a gem. I do love them in beige, but the yellow does pop so much
@@MorselsAndMotors If I was back in 1978 this lemon yellow one be the one to have!
Two very important points to make here -
1/ who is the lucky person who owns this duo?
2/ why is it not me?
That would be @JamieMcAlley. And it should be me not you, or him. FIGHT!!!!!!
@@MorselsAndMotors you are on - no punches to the face though lol
Such a detailed review, thank you . I think it's aged quite well.
Thank you
Totally lovely car, I’d love to drive one. ❤ Daily driver ‘75 GS 😂
Wow you daily a GS! That’s dedication.
What a great video of a lovely car, Siôn! Imagine the leap forward a 2cv driver would make when switching to this back in the day.
Yes! It's a very 'complete' car really, not too many compromises
Beautiful!
I like how you can see a bit of Visa in the current C3
What a beauty, always loved the Visa
Iconic and stylish simplicity, unlike the latest car design
I actually like the design of it.
The first generation fiat Ritmo was likewise special.
Especially the front of both are looking great to me 😍💪
Afterthought….
The Renault 14 was from the same generation and had similar ‘plastic’ vibe’s up front.
A little less soulless unfortunately 🙏🏽
So it didn’t spark the interest like the others and was less successful.
Great video! Looking forward to the next one about the Visa II. By the way, the first Citroen born after the PSA merger wasn't the Visa but the LN, which came out in '76.
Love this channel !
Thank you ☺️
Great video and amazing looking car. Shame these were never sold in Australia. Please get more Citroens on your channel!
Lovely car. Always been a favourite of mine. I remember sitting in them in the showroom as a kid and desperately wanting one, or wanting my parents to buy one. Slightly odd kid obviously. The colour looks the same as my parents' 1979 Dyane 6, which I believe was 'jaune mimosa', but don't hold me to that. I like all Visas but it would have to be this pig snout type if I was to have the perfect one. And definitely the 652cc version.
It is Jaune Mimosa
Thank you - sorry I didn't know it in the video
@MorselsAndMotors not at all, you've done a terrific job, and covered the car really well, I'm impressed and appreciate your effort and enthusiasm 👍
I belive it has an intermittent setting for the wipers, to the right of the off position there is an "I" marking
Thank you, I think you’re right
@@MorselsAndMotors and congratulations on the amazing video! Love it!
that's definitely the best colour to have,Gorgeous.
It really is!
Seeing it in such a pristine condition, it doesn't look bad at all. But all that plastic ages horribly and that's probably where the reputation comes from.
My landlord at University had one of these. I was driving a 2CV as an impoverished student. I dreamt of 652cc power and electronic ignition, along with the added refinement (comparatively) to my 2CV. However, I still own a 2CV and have done since those days 40 years ago.
Back in ‘78 I was tempted by the Visa and went to have a good look at it. At the time I was running a Mk1 Polo and I eventually stuck with VW for several more years, ending with a new ‘82 Golf Mk1 Formel E. However the Visa comes across as a very good car indeed.
Great review, I don’t even ember the phase 1 visa, quirky practical 5 door hatch. The beige Phase 2’s were everywhere back in the 1980s
I have never driven a pre facelift Visa let alone one with a 2CV engine, but they were so comfortable. Though my dad is from a very Citroën family he opted for a Renault 14 back in the day which is his biggest regret to date.
I owned one in the 1980s, it was unique and well built. It was reliable and easy to service.
Nice to hear that
ULTIMATELY SHE HAD A GREAT CAREER.....
1100cc version of the visa was beautiful to drive
I always wanted us to get a Visa when I was a kid.
Absolutely glorious!
It’s so ugly, so the Fiesta or a VW Polo probably look more “modern”, but just look at how much room there is for the same price as much smaller cars?! 😮
That musical engine noise is so typical of French villages in the pre-Y2K decades. It’s so unique and I absolutely adore it! 😁
Not just FOUR front vents, but a REAR vent too, AND two more vents on top of the dash for defrosting the side windows (wonder how well they work from that lofty position though?).
Enough can never be said about those easy to reach controls all around the steering wheel though. 😱
It really is just glorious, if you can get over the rather ugly outside looks.
The thing is, the more time I spent with it, the more I got used to the looks and slightly fell in love with it
@@MorselsAndMotors I totally get that… I used to hate seeing them when in France, thinking how ugly they were and who would buy one anyway. But now? I want one for myself! 😂
I really enjoyed this, excellent review! Such an interesting car, the exterior has a stark, functional almost industrial type of design. It seems class-leading in terms of space utilisation. Not sure though if the compact car buyer was looking for such a design statement, I could be wrong but I think Visa sales only really took off after the much toned-down facelift model had appeared.
This is what used to be considered a “green” car minimalist, frugal, weighs the same as paper clip, about a tenth of the energy to build as a two tons of Tesla !
Yep, I miss those days
I remember being loaned a blue 652cc Visa by my local Renault dealer when they were repairing my 1982 18GTL - this'd be about 1985 or 1986.
Surprisingly good.
And agree about the original fiesta…..the mk2 wasn’t a great deal better.
Tricolore coat. Nice touch. 😉
This is in wonderful condition.
Hazard light switches were probably worn out from all the visits to Blockbusters.
The headlight height adjustment wasn't so much posh as it was kind of a a necessity, inherited from the 2CV to avoid blinding oncoming traffic if you carried anything over a sixpack of beer in the back.
Lovely cars!
Ahh thanks!
Straight on I can see Skoda Favorit first gen.
Quirkiness galore! We've got to hand it to Citroen for making really interesting cars back in the day.
I love its rustic yet futuristic porcine charm and bombproof engineering. But 34 horses *is* a bit on the low side even for the time. A Mini 1000 (or the Metro you have) has about 41 or so. 34 puts you down in Mini 850 territory. More than enough for 1965 but by 1980 the pace of life had moved on. You really need to try a Renault 5 one of these days!
Don't forget that this was just the base engine...
Then you had the 950 something cm2 with 45hp and then the 1124 with 55hp and then the 1.3... then, in the 80's, during phase 2, they went up to 1.7 on the diesel and 1.6 and 115hp on the GTi.
I had a Visa GTi which I sold earlier this year. I honestly find the 652cc versions more interesting and entertaining to drive!
@TheAllMightyGodofCod Those power levels do sound more appropriate for the time. British Leyland sacked off the 850 in 1979 and never put it in a Metro. But I have no idea of sales figures or anything to really be objective about this :)
@benc8386 I had a 1988 AX 11RE with the 1124cc engine and 55hp and 4 gears... Bought it in 2004 and it went like a little rocket...
I imagine that a Visa 11 would also be very good to drive.
@TheAllMightyGodofCod I have also driven an AX with probably a similar engine. Lovely car with very good ride and handling. Although it was considered a bit too conventional by some at the time for a Citroën.
Amazing! Those are almost extinct! Love it! 🙂
It’s super rare
The French were at the forefront of the move to plastic bumpers with cars like the Renault 5 in 72 and the Simca we know as the Chrysler Alpine being launched in 74.. The Visa represents to me the pinnacle of the 70s small car, first it is like the 104, it is the right size and has 5 doors, something the 205 and Uno were to establish as the norm in the early 80s, then it takes the best small car platform of the time the 104s and adds the funkiness of Citroën rather than the far too sensible 104.
Don't think many, any?, got to New Zealand but always liked them. Never thought of it until you mentioned the plastic face but similar to the mk 1 Fiat Ritmo
I really used to dislike these when i was a car obsessed kid, i thought they were so ungainly looking... Which they are, but they now look so unusual even as a 70s-80s period car that i have a sudden fondness for them, especially in that colour. I seem to recall there was a bright green as well?!
Love it. Anyone think the headlights are similar to the Skoda Favorit?
Thanks roll on phase 2
Erect in the back of a MK1 Visa - I bet you were! 🤣😘 - I'm in love with that headlining and what a glorious colour!
I couldn’t help myself. There are so many delicious details I just want to stroke
I like it). Its headlights are similar with VAZ-2108 headlights. And i think if this car was imported in Soviet Union, the headlights will be replased in case of crash...
I've only just noticed that it's like a shortened GS.
Yes, I noticed that too. In fact I mention this realisation in part 2 when I’m driving the brown phase 2
@MorselsAndMotors also, from a certain angle, there's a nod to the 2CV.
The 104GTR was rapid.
I've never seen one of these here in Australia. Did I miss you mention the suspension? You did say it was soft over a speed bump but is it the same as a 2CVs?
No the suspension is more traditional in construction and has no linkage front to back like in the 2CV.
We owned a red C15, the commercial variant until we had our first kid.
Exactly, it’s fairly conventional
I actually quite like the pig nose styling!
It has really grown on me the more time I spent with it
That pig nose wouldn't have looked as bad if it was body coloured but it's very charming nonetheless and in a lovely colour, great review
Oh, what happened to your MK1 Fiesta did you sell?
Yes I sold it earlier this year. I liked looking at it but not driving it.
@MorselsAndMotors I wonder what happened to it
Are the Visa's borrowed or new additions? The yellow one is marvellously preserved or restored
The nose was designed like that as the 2cv engine had a large cooling fan on the front so they had to extend the nose a bit to cover it.
There was no need for it on the 4 cylinder versions so the front end is all in line.
I did have a 2cv but never got to drive the Visa Club. The 2cv engine was great and simple to maintain . If Australia had got them I would imagin the air cooling would have been a bonus.
What a quirky beauty, so idiosyncratically French
I wish I owned it.
Me too
Look like a Austin metro on steroids!
Think I might be bucking the trend here but I think it's horrible. Exterior is ugly and with ungainly proportions.
Interior seems very bitsy and clunky.
Probably did its job very well in 1979 though.
Good enough for banger racing😂