The Citroën CX Story

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  • Опубликовано: 28 мар 2020
  • When I was small we went to a Citroën dealership to look at the CX and I was struck by just how odd-looking this French creation was. With the rear wheels half covered, my child’s brain wondered just how changing a flat tyre worked, and the car sat low like the suspension was broken or something. I poured over the brochure at home, and strange things like the linear speedometer dazzled my young mind, amazed by this crazy space-age creation from a far-off land. The CX was the last car produced by an independent Citroën. With the company going into meltdown during development it was starved of resources, but it’s another Citroën design classic that’s worth celebrating today.
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Комментарии • 834

  • @tfleiter
    @tfleiter 4 года назад +88

    I have to disagree: the CX Turbodiesel was definitely the best long distance cruiser we ever owned. It was super comfortable - actually on a totally different level compared to the BMWs, Mercedes or Jaguars of the time. It was like a magic carpet ride. Totally smooth and effortless. You could drive it for hours and emerge relaxed from this car. Sure - it had some weird controls but they were all really ergonomically correct. Was also great as a “pacifier” for our young son at the time: it took only 5 min driving around in this really big car that had slow body movements like a big ship to make him fall asleep! And then it was time to listen to some music and let the landscape just float by....Fantastic piece of engineering - no doubt.

    • @smhorse
      @smhorse 4 года назад +4

      The DTR/TRD was best in its final form, with an intercooler. It is said that it is still possible to tune it for higher output, using a different pump and injectors. Not sure if anyone's actually done this.

  • @danp9551
    @danp9551 4 года назад +76

    Up until their merger with Peugeot, pretty much every car produced by Citroën deserves its own chapter in automotive history books. Everything they did was just so beautifully non-conventional and daring. They experimented so much and pioneered concepts well ahead of their time, coming up with exceptionally quirky technological solutions. It's a shame that society puts so little value on character and individuality in cars (or most other things, for that matter). The herd mentality is just too strong within the human race. I guess one could say we never really deserved Citroën...

    • @Journey_Awaits
      @Journey_Awaits 4 года назад +2

      Now SUVs are taking us back to the 80s

    • @oliviersimonnin6983
      @oliviersimonnin6983 Год назад +3

      I do agree 👍! Citroën is a strange mixture of the best concepts and the worst making; either you love it, or you hate it... ? Not enough to get money back to PSA "Peugeot Société Anonyme", owner of Citroën to improve the deserved second life of this car, even if Peugeot had never to see with the CX, engineered by Citroën on its own. 😢

  • @Jones-xx2gc
    @Jones-xx2gc 4 года назад +38

    I worked in a Citroen / Vauxhall garage for my first job in 1979. Those new Citroens had the most beautiful new car smell.

  • @budgiebirb75
    @budgiebirb75 4 года назад +73

    I am restoring a 1985 CX 25 GTi here in Australia. I get some amazing looks as well as having met some good people!

    • @1972dsrai
      @1972dsrai 2 года назад +1

      Are you able to source parts there or do you have to import?

    • @mj-mr5yu
      @mj-mr5yu 27 дней назад

      Lucky you, beautiful car good luck with the rebuild from ,🇮🇪

  • @arthurswart4436
    @arthurswart4436 3 года назад +11

    I worked at a Dutch magazine and newspaper distribution company in the 1980s. Every morning French magazines and newspapers were delivered bij two streched triple axle CX's. These cars did about 180 km/u while loaded with about 1500kg of paper. Often the French newspapers were available before the Dutch versions arrived at newsstands. These cars were an amazing sight, three wheels on each side and a jet fighter like cockpit with a single seat for the driver.

    • @hans-peterwagner4997
      @hans-peterwagner4997 5 месяцев назад +1

      Yes, everybody knows the Loadrunners of Tissier, Pijpops or Mikes Garage - up to 2 t freight on 3 axles with nearly 200 km/h BUT a fullstop with the relatively narrow but high shouldered tyre and the standard breaksystem would have been impossible in an emergency break-situation. It is like the first generation of Mercedes Sprinter or the 1990´s VW LT-series with very high top speed combined with very weak tyre and very small breaks. But as a driver you always look at the top speed.

  • @TheAllMightyGodofCod
    @TheAllMightyGodofCod 4 года назад +71

    When I was a small kid my doctor had a CX Pallas break and the pharmaceutical had a CX 2.5 turbo GTi prestige and he's wife the Pallas.
    As a result I always wanted to get sick just to see the cars, special raising to get going.
    "Peugeot promised to keep Citröen a separate product line" well, we all know how that went....

  • @JoriDiculous
    @JoriDiculous 4 года назад +18

    We had a 2.5L Turbo CX one of the last models, and is today still the best car i have ever driven, including new citroën's. You can drive for hours without being tired or road fatigue thanks to the hydraulics and the seats. Amazing.

  • @blitzroehre1807
    @blitzroehre1807 3 года назад +46

    I fondly remember mine, a 1983 GTI 5speed I got in 87 when I was still at trade school. Nobody wanted it because it was factory painted a strange Pink-Beige, got it dirt cheap because I then just could not afford a Golf GTI, XR3, Pug 205 etc like my mates had. I had not planned it as a keeper, but ended up owning it for 6 yrs, got the shop manual and maintained it well, it never let me down except on 2 occasions where it needed new alternator brushes, no idea why they wore so fast..
    It turned into a proper chick magnet from the laughing stock it was at first, the girls would prefer to hitch a ride to the discos or concerts in the CX because in addition to the fast and incredibly comfy ride which didnt ruin the hairdo, it was fitted by me with the most elaborate Car CD HiFi by Kenwood where I ran a second woofer amp in the trunk with a huge bass shaker in a custom box. That was something unheard of back then. My GTI/XR3 mateys quit joking about my pink tart spacecraft after a while.
    I sold it for way more than I paid for it because of the immaculate condition and the stereo system just to make way for an Audi 200 Turbo, which I deeply regretted later, another story :-)
    P.S. Thumbs up from those ex-CX owners here if you also had a tube of superglue in your glovebox to re-fasten those arbitrary bits of interior trim which kept falling off while driving XD

    • @nolanr1400
      @nolanr1400 Год назад

      I 'm sure you didn't need any glue to fix anything on the Audi hahaha

    • @bumfluffmcregor3730
      @bumfluffmcregor3730 Год назад

      It never let you down except twice

    • @HerrSchmitti
      @HerrSchmitti Год назад +2

      @@nolanr1400 Audis of that time are a whoooole different story. They are much worse. (1980s)
      My experience is actually best with the french vehicles between 1990 and 2000. Citroën and Peugeot from that time still hold up: no cracks, fresh colors, new feel, no bleaching etc.... Compare that to any German brand and you have a definite winner. But German marketing was always good. German best they say, German best everyone believe.

  • @glynnwright1699
    @glynnwright1699 4 года назад +55

    I had a front offside tyre blow out on my CX when on the motorway, there was virtually no indication through the steering wheel that anything had happened, apart from the increased noise. I steered the car with no problem at all into the stopping lane by the side of the motorway.
    It was one of the best cars I have had, really excellent on long motorway journeys.

    • @Golo1949
      @Golo1949 4 года назад +6

      Strange! I have just written the very same thing, such a safe car to drive.

    • @glynnwright1699
      @glynnwright1699 4 года назад +2

      @@Golo1949 It happened on the A1M about 1982, just North of Hatfield. There was so little fuss, even though I was doing a bit more than 70 (along with everyone else) that it took me 10-15 seconds to guess what had happened.

    • @trespire
      @trespire 3 года назад +2

      What other make can perform that party trick ? Non that I know off.

    • @cliff9455
      @cliff9455 3 года назад +4

      I hit a 3 inch tall brick on the road, the car only swayed a little, no damage to car or tires

    • @cliff9455
      @cliff9455 3 года назад +5

      @John Stone The explorer is stone age compared to the Citroen . Your explorer thumped its way across that brick, it dont have an integrated self leveling suspension. Rolls Royce bought the rights to put it on their cars, does that tell you anything? The only thing close is the Lincoln Mk VIII

  • @RetroGamerVX
    @RetroGamerVX 4 года назад +214

    I wish car designs were as brave and innovative as these these days. Citroen probably still one of the most daring, but still no patch on those days.

    • @oskarthompson3789
      @oskarthompson3789 4 года назад +6

      Tesla is doing so with the cybertruck, even honda to an extent with the honda e

    • @DrewLSsix
      @DrewLSsix 4 года назад +18

      @@oskarthompson3789 what's so bold about the Tesla?

    • @Perkelenaattori
      @Perkelenaattori 4 года назад +29

      @@DrewLSsix They're bold because they are constantly testing how bad of a car they can deliver and the lemmings will still love them. Panel gaps galore, rusting after 6 months, painted like watercolor, using non automotive grade parts with wheels falling off and the lemmings still think that they're going to disruptively innovate all the OEM's out of business.

    • @joeyknight8272
      @joeyknight8272 4 года назад +3

      @@Perkelenaattori bull any proof? Most tesla owners love their tesla. Gaps are gone after the second generation. I was once like you but I realized I was wrong

    • @Perkelenaattori
      @Perkelenaattori 4 года назад +19

      @@joeyknight8272 You know it really doesn't take a lot of googling to see the quality of the cars. New pictures of the Model Y have proven the gaps haven't gone anywhere. Also the Tesla community is such that whenever someone on Twitter complains about their car there's 40 morons who tell him to shut up because Elon is going to take them all to Mars and that by airing out car issues they're causing the stock price to drop. Tesla is a cult like scientology.

  • @flemmingsorensen5470
    @flemmingsorensen5470 4 года назад +23

    My dream car as a child - and it still is, and now I have turned 51 !!! 😉👍

  • @donjorge8329
    @donjorge8329 3 года назад +22

    The CX is such a beauty!!!

  • @fabrisseterbrugghe8567
    @fabrisseterbrugghe8567 Год назад +2

    I saw a CX in a U.S. parking lot in the early oughts. It looked to be about a 1982 model. People were asking if it was a new Toyota or a hybrid from another brand. When I said I thought it was a 20 year old French car, people thought I was crazy. Eventually, the owner showed up and said, "yeah, it's 20+ years old.". That's what I love about Citroens. They always look both classic and futuristic.

  • @michaelsternberg1274
    @michaelsternberg1274 4 года назад +16

    Seduced by the plaudits of Car Magazine and in love with the space age looks, I bought one of the first new manual Gti versions in the UK in November 1977. Initially it was a great treat and quite wonderful. Then slowly fault after fault appeared. The gears became notch and a torment. The breakdowns were numerous and disabling. The AA men always had huge difficulties in making temporary repairs and I never found a garage which could service the car correctly. But it kept me safe when I was smashed into at great speed by a madly driven vast estate car; so in the end it came up trumps. The day before I part exchanged it, the clutch pedal fell off! It was a flawed masterpiece.

  • @Acarsfault
    @Acarsfault 3 года назад +5

    We had 2 Cx in our family. A Pallas and a Limousine.
    As a kid can’t forget the trip we did all across Europe with my father (RIp) at the wheel ...

  • @paulreilly3904
    @paulreilly3904 Год назад +2

    A 1984 CX Gti was my first ever car, and boy was it wonderful. Mine had the cylindrical speedometer and I'll never forget racing an Opel Monza on the M4 in the UK. Neither of us were backing off, and I had the joy of seeing the speedo reading 0 mph as it had gone all the way round. I guess we were doing around 125-130 mph. Brilliant fun. If it was still around today I'd buy one tomorrow.

  • @johnbusst200
    @johnbusst200 4 года назад +49

    If I won the lottery tomorrow, for some strange reason, one of these would be in my garage collection. Always loved them growing up.

    • @benartee9493
      @benartee9493 3 года назад +1

      Why wait for that elusive lottery win? Overall cost of ownership is likely lower than a lot of family hacks you can have right now. And whilst airbags werenever available, automatic, abs and a/c can all be had.

    • @haroon4567
      @haroon4567 2 года назад

      mate its a CX not a Pagani fuckin Zonda, you don't need to win the lottery to have one.

    • @janosnagyj.9540
      @janosnagyj.9540 2 года назад

      @@haroon4567 I suppose most of the money needed for a suitable garage :)

  • @stephenberry1205
    @stephenberry1205 3 года назад +2

    Excellent CX history.
    I had the pleasure of taking delivery of a UK spec RHD CX Prestige 2400 5 speed with leather. EFI and 5 speed box gave surprising performance, economy and torque for a large luxurious car.
    Supreme tourer in Europe and back in Australia.
    It had footrests and headrests for the rear seat passengers as well as rear sunblinds in the back concave window which was self cleaning from the aerodynamics. The back doors also had sunvisors to the windows. The single wiper was possible because of the large sloping windscreen, and had the benefit of throwing the water off the screen instead of two wipers slapping it from one to the other.
    The rocker switch non self cancelling blinkers was carried over from the non self cancelling stalk of the DS.
    Logical. On when you want them, off when you are finished with them. Self cancelling did not work for a lane change, often cancelled when you did not want them to in roundabouts and the like.
    The blocks on the end of the control pods gave high beam flash on one side and town and country horns on the other. In my book there has never been a better control system. When added to the self centring power steering with only 2.5 turns lock to lock reverse parking was a doddle.
    My parents were so impressed with their GS 1200 C matic that they bought a CX Pallas 2400 carbie C matic.
    Great car stifled with antipollution gear and inferior ventilation and air conditioning for Aussie conditions.

  • @marksterling8286
    @marksterling8286 3 года назад +7

    As a teenager I remember my parents getting a brand new CX25GTI Turbo. Every journey was an event, with the black headlining and the T shapes cut into the alloy wheels, it was an awesome car. It was a very different beast from the CX we had had a few years before.

  • @jacovanlith5082
    @jacovanlith5082 Год назад +2

    The Citroën CX is like a Hasselblad 500 C/M photo camera.
    Great to use and never a dull moment because of the quality.

  • @PaulHojda
    @PaulHojda 4 года назад +26

    God, i love the CX's design

    • @andreventer7024
      @andreventer7024 3 года назад

      If you are talking to God, you don't have to be on youtube. Hehe

  • @hugocass8381
    @hugocass8381 4 года назад +41

    I had two CX models, starting with a 1981 Pallas ie automatic, with disintegrating interior trim. That was the only car I've ever written off, but only after it had gone did I realise the genius design behind much of the interior (heater controls excepted). The hidden internal door handles were perfectly placed, as were the fingertip controls that fell so easily to hand (once pointed out); and the rotating drum instruments behind magnifying lenses seemed wacky until I drove something else and realised that the lens effectively placed the instruments at a focal point similar to the road ahead, so no need for the eyes to adjust when looking from one to the other. My second CX was a 1987 DTR Turbo which was better built, but quite unrefined and not as comfortable as the Pallas, but it was unwaveringly stable, even in strong crosswinds. Clearly, a great deal of clever aerodynamic design went into the CX, but it really had no hope against conventional offerings from Ford, Vauxhall, BMW etc.

    • @alexzenz760
      @alexzenz760 3 года назад

      Had also 2. 1978 and 85. Concept was far ahead, manufactering quality poor. .

  • @Skanzool
    @Skanzool 3 года назад +4

    Greatest car ever made was actually the Citroen DS. When I was a kid my buddy's uncle showed up one day with a DS and all the kids in the neighborhood ran over to check it out. We wanted a ride but had to settle for just sitting on the plush rear seat. None of us had ever seen such a creation as the DS as they were exceedingly rare in North America. Later I would travel to France and ride in one and go on to learn about how great this car really was and how important it was in automotive engineering.
    Great car, no doubt one of the greatest and in my books the greatest car ever devised!

    • @andrewpoules9109
      @andrewpoules9109 Год назад

      The renault 16 was just as avant-garde as the ds and both were as French as dijon mustard will never see cars like these again unfortunately

  • @edouardesk4535
    @edouardesk4535 4 года назад +2

    When I was younger, I had just gotten my driver's license. My brother had just bought a CX 2500 Pallas. He asked me if I could take it to the garage for servicing. I must admit that I was not reassured on board this boat. But what a pleasure and what a show-off! An unforgettable memory.

  • @christianneitzel
    @christianneitzel 4 года назад +18

    So sad that this iconic brand is gone. At least, when it comes to their identity. This was the last true Citroën. And what a car it was... ❤️

    • @melesmelesfaber3866
      @melesmelesfaber3866 3 года назад +1

      There is still a trace of them left, I realize it isn't the independent Citroën anymore; but I'm enjoying my diesel 2017 Berlingo like hell!

    • @fuckinantipope5511
      @fuckinantipope5511 Год назад +1

      The last real Citroën was the C6. It still had it's own charme, not looking like the other cars of it's class during that time and using hydropneumatic

  • @donvitocorleone3951
    @donvitocorleone3951 4 года назад +42

    My Grandfather still has one with less than 100k kilometers and it's amazing. The clutch screeches a bit though lol

    • @Perkelenaattori
      @Perkelenaattori 4 года назад +3

      It's such a car that it's worth some clutch love.

  • @guusguusguus
    @guusguusguus 4 года назад +6

    I've been driving a CX25 GTi Turbo 2 for the past two weeks and it is honestly one of the most interesting and comfortable cars I've ever driven; an amazing design to this day by Citroën!

    • @trespire
      @trespire 3 года назад

      @LYNE Mind out you don't get addicted to driving one as I did !

  • @Guhonter
    @Guhonter 4 года назад +5

    30 years ago I had a silvergray '87 CX 2.5TRD Turbo 2 and I loved the car for long distance Autobahn trips. Wish I had the guts and money to buy and restore one, just because it is such an iconic vehicle.

    • @tfleiter
      @tfleiter 4 года назад +1

      Guhonter I had the same version....best long distance cruiser ever. We drove it everywhere across Europe without any issue...and certainly no back pain. Even the air conditioning worked in this car. Still missing it a bit....

  • @-DC-
    @-DC- 4 года назад +18

    Loved this period of Citroen design, clever, different, engineering masterpieces available to the masses. We'll never see stuff like this again unfortunately.

  • @cretinaceous
    @cretinaceous Год назад +1

    I owned a CX 2.5 with fuel injection. It didn’t have a standard gearbox - it was driven hydraulically and you had 3 ratios uphill, ordinary and motorway. Most of the time you used standard - you started in it and remained in it unless you climbed a mountain or entered a freeway. I never noticed a lack of power nor speed. In fact, what drew my attention to it was the CXs flashing past me on the motorway. The dash layout was brilliant - you could make any change or adjustment without taking your eyes off the road or your hands off the wheel. There are many modern cars that could learn from the CX. It’s road stability was renowned. I’d love to own an update of it.

  • @BombDaBass2000
    @BombDaBass2000 4 года назад +10

    my uncle had the 8 seater CX in the mid-late 1970s.. i sat back in the last row and felt like a king back then..for me it was a huge spaceship! (we owned a Renault 4!)

  • @jurekvakva
    @jurekvakva 4 года назад +7

    Nice video!
    I have been a happy owner of my CX 25 Prestige for twenty years.
    It still puts a big grin on my face whenever I take it out for a spin.

  • @jacmout
    @jacmout 4 года назад +3

    Excellent information on these rare gems! It's a bygone era with fond memories. My father had two Citroens - first a ID19 the a 1968 DS21 that he drove till 1981. I can remember them well after all these years!

  • @TheHorsebox2
    @TheHorsebox2 4 года назад +8

    Yes, I remember drooling over the sales brochure. The Prestige was the one for me. Very professional video. Thanks.

  • @james-to3ht
    @james-to3ht 4 года назад +3

    You just get better&better,I loved the CX,my neighbour had the estate/safari version 33 years ago when I was 7 and it was like being in a cave it was that big!Full credit to you again with another great offering

  • @gerrycheshill7452
    @gerrycheshill7452 4 года назад +16

    La Citroën CX etait fantastique! Que de souvenirs! And it s a french who tell you that. Thanks for all the video you make! I will love a peugeot 405 or 406 story.

  • @TobmansErbe
    @TobmansErbe 4 года назад +9

    I grew up in the back of my fathers CX Loadrunner which had a high roof and three(!) axles. Really awesome car. Good times.

  • @johanslabbert2869
    @johanslabbert2869 4 года назад +3

    Thank you for making lockdown a little more bearable here in Cape Town! As always, an excellent presentation and a great entertainment. Stay safe!

  • @ThomasD1962
    @ThomasD1962 4 года назад +4

    Great piece sir! I was at the launch in Holland (12yrs old) and remember it well. That was a good day!

  • @rafflesnh
    @rafflesnh 4 года назад

    Thanks for another enjoyable trip down memory lane, BC, especially during these troubled times. Keep well.

  • @ronaldderooij1774
    @ronaldderooij1774 4 года назад +2

    I drove a BX. Good car. Good reliability also. Now, my current situation (divorced) demands that I drive an ultra reliable and economical car. Hence small Japanese. But I still remember the hydropneumatic suspension!

    • @olik136
      @olik136 4 года назад

      really depends on how much you drive (and where you are)- I have 60s Volvo and everything I have to repair is way cheaper than with the modern cars I've had. Not to mention the insurance and taxes. But finding a workshop for classic cars is not easy- and finding parts can also be a problem

  • @kikichevy
    @kikichevy 2 года назад +2

    A true legend that a lot of people miss out on. Citroen always knew their odd cars attracted odd customers.
    the Turbo 2 diesels were seriously fast for a diesel, my old man told me about blasting at 210kmh on french highways in the middle of the night...

  • @phukewe6034
    @phukewe6034 Год назад

    Thank you for all your films, brilliant and much appreciated.

  • @silkdestroyer
    @silkdestroyer 9 дней назад

    In 1976 I was a16 yr old, doing a bike ride from Durham to Cornwall during the school hols. Leaving a café at Looe, in Cornwall, a car cruised into the car park which was the first car I remember making me stop and stare after it. I learned that it was a CX.
    I now own a 1985 2.5 Pallas auto, recently re-commissioned and back on the road after a 16yr lay off. I love driving it and have to say that I much prefer the rocker mounted, non-self cancelling indicators. They stay on until I decide that I have finished with them!
    I also, as it happens, have a 1989, series one 2.0 Si XM, and a recently imported 1973 SM. I just love Citroen's sales flops!

  • @MaxxVelo
    @MaxxVelo 4 года назад +284

    Back when Citroen let their mad imagination run wild

    • @rundgren80
      @rundgren80 4 года назад +15

      It's no coincidence the CX was the last car developed while Citroën was still an independent company..

    • @zenbudhism
      @zenbudhism 4 года назад +6

      Beautiful

    • @olik136
      @olik136 4 года назад +14

      first PSA killed the cool weirdness and 20 years later they tried to reproduce it with the Pluriel - or now the Cactus... but it is fake weirdness just to be weird- and it shows

    • @PatriceBoivin
      @PatriceBoivin 4 года назад +8

      Engineers can come up with very interesting and pragmatic designs. I wonder why pneumatic suspension hasn't been licensed by other manufacturers, it seems like a great idea to me to provide smooth riding to drivers and passengers. We can't even buy aftermarket kits to replace the OEM parts. Is someone sitting on the patent?

    • @glynnwright1699
      @glynnwright1699 4 года назад +8

      @@PatriceBoivin It was licensed to Rolls Royce who used it for a while.

  • @andrewstones2921
    @andrewstones2921 4 года назад

    I am in awe of the detail and depth of Big Car videos, and I am addicted to watching them. Thank you so much for the hard work.

    • @BigCar2
      @BigCar2  4 года назад

      Thanks Andrew!

  • @JohnnoDordrecht
    @JohnnoDordrecht 4 года назад +3

    Big thank you for this one, i was always in love with Citroen

  • @marcosvalcarcel552
    @marcosvalcarcel552 4 года назад

    As always, great video! Already looking forward to the next one

  • @martiniv8924
    @martiniv8924 4 года назад +9

    I had a gold CX, suspension had a mind of its own!

  • @adampoll4977
    @adampoll4977 4 года назад +4

    I had an old one for a year or so. It was a dream-like magic carpet ride when running, but a heartbreaker when she wasn't. Too many years of cowboy mechanics who didn't understand euro cars (especially Citroens) took their toll.

  • @henktulp4400
    @henktulp4400 2 года назад +2

    Thanks soo much for this vid about rthe CX!!!
    In the past I worked a lot on them as a mechanic....there are quite some amazing technical features....
    To maximise stability and steering precision the suspension,both back and front,were connected to one frame that runs from back to front of the car....on top of that between suspension and frame there were real bearings instead of the usual (noisereducing) rubber silent blocks.....the noises were absorbed by silentblocks between frame and body.
    The result was an unequaled stability.....the Diravi keeping the wheels at centre unless you turned the steeringwheel (only 2,5 rotation from max. Left to max. Right!!) .....nearby my place there is an exit of the mainroad where leafs of trees accumalate in autumn being nicely slippery in the rain....you could drive with LH wheels over the leafs,take your hands of the wheel and brake hard.....it would not change course,not even a bit,in spite of all the brakeforces being on the RH wheels...
    The understeer is created because,as you say,2 third of the vehicles weight rests on the front axle.....but Citroen compensated this by giving the rear axle a much smaller track,just like the DS;it would steer more or less nuetral....
    Another funny detail:the rear brakes are fed by the hydraulic pressure on the rear suspension,ie much weight much brake force and vv. Thus avoiding rearwheels to lockup (not many CX’s were sold with ABS) ....however on older cars you can come accross the valve under the brakepedal to unwantedly leak pressure in to the rearbrakes....when parked the rear and of the car will drop faster than usual and the rearbrakes will overheat and cause heavy vibrating in the back....the same principal can be found on other hydraulic Citroens....
    In many ways the DS and CX were in their era a relief to people travelling through France.....the roads were often in bad shape and when travelling longer distances there was no better car imaginable....I remember CX owners talking about a spot somewhere on an Autoroute in the south of France there was huge bump.....lights flashing warning drivers to reduce speed to 50km/h....some CX drivers doing well over a hundred and make a complete 4 wheel lift-off jump.....and drive on like nothing had happened....
    I am pretty sure the amazing upgrade of the French roads in the past decades helped the hydraulic suspension to become a bit of an overkill...

  • @paulrandomview
    @paulrandomview 3 года назад +1

    Very informative video, thank you. Well researched, good script, delivered well. I've always loved the design of the CX

  • @torresalex
    @torresalex 4 года назад

    That was excellent! Thoroughly enjoyed this video.

  • @Texmotodad
    @Texmotodad 4 года назад +6

    We had a grey market CX GTi 2400 for years in Austin TX. Thanks for the memories!

    • @flori5548
      @flori5548 4 года назад

      Perry Ford Tells us more! Why? How? What was the story?

    • @Texmotodad
      @Texmotodad 4 года назад

      @@flori5548 HI Fabian! Our first French car we had was a light blue 85 Pug 505 Wagon. Huge back seat leg room! With those folded down we could put out Burley tandem bike back there. Amazing!
      At the time, Austin had a great shop called The French Connection supporting French cars and selling nice used ones. We were there for some service on the 505 and he had the GTi in the parking lot. Was originally sold in Italy and had the dual fuel set up. Love at first sight! Dark green with sunroof, the spool dials (in KPH), manual trans, AND the cool top ashtray. (We don't smoke so we put change in it.:) And mentioned in the video, it had 2568523578425 idiot lights in the dash! Had the solid non-vented cast wheels with matching green and polished highlights. Gorgeous. In his video, notice the "vanes" under the front fenders just in front of the wheel. To direct air to the rotors. Clever!
      Unlike many other customers, my wife and I liked the manual blinkers on the left. The switch was very easy to use without taking your hands of the wheel. On the right, for the horns one side for the "city" horn - like something on a small Honda m/c to say "excuse me" with a pedestrian or animal. The other side was for the "get out of my damn way" horns. Very nice riding car. Took multiple trips from Austin to Jackson MS to see my family. At the time, I worked for AMD; the chip maker. Everyone wanted to ride in it and marveled how comfy the seats and ride were.
      The only reason we don't have it is, this is true, I came home one evening (my wife was out of town) and the car was turned sideways in our drive. I called the Austin Police and it turns out a guy dropped his phone while leaving the neighborhood park across from our home in his new F250. He told the Officer he bent over to pick the phone off the truck floor - and drove across the side walk up into our yard and hit the GTi on the drivers side square on the B post. Totaled due to frame damage. Very extensive. (Wish he hit a tree instead.) We were just thankful he didn't hit any kids. We bet he got a lot of grief from his wife.

  • @melesmelesfaber3866
    @melesmelesfaber3866 4 года назад +6

    Another great documentary on a car marque I'm fascinated by!

    • @melesmelesfaber3866
      @melesmelesfaber3866 4 года назад

      I never realized how heavily PSA stamped down on Citroen. I've owned a 205 and several 106's and loved them. I was always puzzled by the Citroen connection, and sharing of engines and platforms.

  • @51StPi
    @51StPi 4 года назад +12

    Before my folks got a CX they had had DS and GS, I thought the CX was quite ordinary, I thought all cars were like this. Most cars of today leave me cold.

  • @wanirfan9876
    @wanirfan9876 4 года назад

    Never as quick as right now
    Awesome video as always. Keep up the great work

  • @CAMARSHALL144
    @CAMARSHALL144 4 года назад +2

    Great review and good French! I thought exactly the same when I went to the showroom as a child.

  • @mattw8332
    @mattw8332 4 года назад +8

    One of my my favourite cars. I'd love to own one.

  • @chaimshamza5850
    @chaimshamza5850 4 года назад +2

    Wow, one of my favourite cars, this series of videos is incredible, i knew there would be little nuggets i didn't know about.
    Many thanks :)

    • @BigCar2
      @BigCar2  4 года назад +2

      It took a long time to research this and I found some interesting tidbits!

    • @chaimshamza5850
      @chaimshamza5850 4 года назад

      @@BigCar2 much appreciated, i don't love them any less, but it has sunk in abit more that they were so close to nailing a contender.
      My uncle had a v reg prestige in black, it had that glade ashtray in it but , for us, it felt more pompidou centre!

  • @Ricketik65
    @Ricketik65 4 года назад +3

    Thank you for the video! The CX is my favourite Citroën and I would love to own one again. Always regretted selling mine and now they're becoming way too expensive.

  • @StepDub
    @StepDub 3 года назад +1

    Had one for three years. Loved it. It was like driving a spaceship. Had trouble with the gearbox rings, which needed the whole engine had to be removed. Paid a small fortune to get it fixed. When it happened again just over a year later, it had to go. Still one of the most enjoyable drives I’ve had.

  • @mikenorris5378
    @mikenorris5378 4 года назад +14

    I have owned a number of Citroens. Often ahead of their time, usually eccentric. I love them.

  • @tasospappas6627
    @tasospappas6627 4 года назад +2

    My grandfather bought a CX 2000 Super new in 1977! It currently has 107.800km and is in good shape for its age. It is a very nice car to drive by all aspects. The fingertip controls are very easy to use, the speedometer and tachometer are very easy to see, the heating controls are quite stupidly positioned, but ones you learn what does what it's ok. Technically, particularly the 1985cc engine is very underpowered. The range should have 2200cc and above only. Also the Diravi steering wheel was very useful, I can ensure you about that since my CX has mechanical steering...

  • @antrc
    @antrc 3 года назад +4

    I used to see more exotic versions like the GTi on family trips to Spain in the 70s and 80s. Such a beautiful design and totally mind blowing design inside and out. The European GS's had the same sort of dash as the Visa, so to my teen mind Citroen were very much THE thing. I would literally walk down Spanish streets looking in every Citroen window I could.

  • @fredericducomet.boquier7920
    @fredericducomet.boquier7920 3 года назад

    Excellent job ! As usual ! Thanks !

  • @vikram6969
    @vikram6969 4 года назад +1

    Thank you for this. Was waiting for this video

  • @fredaydaybae8450
    @fredaydaybae8450 3 года назад +1

    Awesome how you included the FANTASTIC Grace Jones ad in this. LOVE Her!!

  • @kavorkaa
    @kavorkaa 4 года назад +2

    Quirky car,love it
    Your ducumentaries bring me joy and amusement in this time and age of confinement
    And i doubt im the only one
    Thank you

    • @BigCar2
      @BigCar2  4 года назад

      I'm so glad you like it! I'm confined as well (and have a stinky cold), so comments like this mean a lot.

  • @boelwerkr
    @boelwerkr 3 года назад

    My dad liked the CX we had two of them bought used. Both later models with a diesel engine. Together he drove them for over 17 years. Robust engine but the body would rust through when you spit on it.
    We also had a trailer. We drove every summer to France, Italy or Spain. Three boys on the backseat, paying one cassette "he man masters of the universe" nonstop for 14 hours. :-)
    I was with him when we drove the second CX to the junkyard. The motor died with a bang on the driveway to the junkyard. :-)

  • @torgeirbrandsnes1916
    @torgeirbrandsnes1916 4 года назад

    Great vlog as always!

  • @robertthedutchguy4365
    @robertthedutchguy4365 4 года назад +1

    Thank you, again!

  • @rickveens92
    @rickveens92 3 года назад

    informative videos, pleasant to listen to, steady uploads ...
    you are doing a good job!

    • @BigCar2
      @BigCar2  3 года назад

      Glad you like them Rick!

  • @jeppegotfredsen4071
    @jeppegotfredsen4071 4 года назад +1

    Once again a really great video, thanks :-)

  • @Shane_Marsh
    @Shane_Marsh 4 года назад

    Fabulous video, can't wait for the C6 story

  • @markbriggs5531
    @markbriggs5531 4 года назад

    Top notch video. Thoroughly enjoyable.

  • @BaddaBigBoom
    @BaddaBigBoom 3 года назад +3

    I loved the rocker switch non-cancelling indicator swtiches.

  • @sl077766
    @sl077766 3 года назад +3

    Always loved the CX (and the DS for that matter) and think the last versions are still some of the best looking cars ever. A friend's parents had the estate (five kids!!) and it was a cracking car - the ride was just sublime

  • @pots_83
    @pots_83 4 года назад +18

    14:37 that ad is weird af...citroen is the weirdest car manufacturer ever and it makes them awesome!

    • @ixlnxs
      @ixlnxs 3 года назад +3

      The Grace Jones ads weren't their weirdest yet. They later had an ad with supermodel Claudia Schiffer as a live crash test dummy.

  • @lusilk7954
    @lusilk7954 4 года назад +2

    Been waiting for this one , top marks again

  • @enricio
    @enricio 4 года назад +1

    Your data is spot-on.
    You must have put a lot of work in making this video. 👏

  • @benjaminsmith2287
    @benjaminsmith2287 4 года назад +5

    Honestly, I can't explain how outrageous this car looked in the 1970s. It looked like nothing else on the road. Saabs were aerodynamic but still looked conventional. Also Citroēns raised up and down. Inside, modern, quite modern. This was truly the most advanced and modern but odd looking car that existed then. And I can't think of a car now that looks as modern as the CX did then.

  • @nicnak4475
    @nicnak4475 4 года назад

    I had a Cx Pallas C-Matic, Probably the most comfortable cruiser I have ever owned and with fantastic headlamps ! Loved the eccentric features.

  • @sr20trx
    @sr20trx 4 года назад

    Great video.
    Love the CX, dad bought a GS-X2 in 1976 I was the coolest kid on the street, loved moving the height adjustable suspension lever whilst mum was driving, she had no idea what was happening 😁

    • @BigCar2
      @BigCar2  4 года назад +1

      😃 Like me and my dad then! (see the Citroën XM video for details)

  • @atatexan
    @atatexan 4 года назад +7

    I had one of these imported to the US. This followed a DS23 Pallas I had in JoBurg which I preferred.

  • @PatriceBoivin
    @PatriceBoivin 4 года назад +3

    I was in Champagne in 1980, when I saw one of the CXes I took a picture of it. I thought "we can't get cars like this in Canada, I wish we could." Some people had imported DSes into Canada (mostly Québec) but I had never seen a CX.

  • @quattrosaxoni3625
    @quattrosaxoni3625 4 года назад +8

    Had a '86 CX for 7 years along with 4 other Citroens.The GSA was probably my favourite(my first Citroen) but the CX would still feel modern today.It handled as well, if not better, than my '04 Primera and '08 Mazda 6 and rode far better than either.Apparently they're more difficult to restore than the DS......

  • @davidtraynor8075
    @davidtraynor8075 4 года назад +6

    The CX, the one car who's wing mirrors went on to live on with the Aston Martin DB7, Vantage, V8, Virage, Jag XJ220, TVRs, Lotus esprit, excel, McLaren F1, Renault spider and probably many more. Great watch as always, love it!!!

  • @valentinexristov8915
    @valentinexristov8915 4 года назад +2

    Can't wait for the upcoming BX,Xantia and perhaps C5 and C6 Videos!

  • @darkond3523
    @darkond3523 4 года назад +8

    I remember this car being expensive in Yugoslavia and almost absent until local manufacture took place and made improvements and alterations. I remember one model was called Ајкула (Shark). They made mostly one or two consumer family type models while others were specialized vehicles used by hospitals, police and for funerals. Those were the stretched versions similar to the ones shown in this video. And I do believe if those YU made versions wouldn't be made this car would never be that popular outside of France due to it's price, gas guzzling and other things that made other alternate economic cars much more appealing.

    • @jpq6257
      @jpq6257 4 года назад

      Never knew this. Interesting !

    • @kresimirsimunovic5333
      @kresimirsimunovic5333 2 года назад

      Citroën CX limousine was never assembled by CIMOS, Koper, so all the limousine CXs were imported into Yugoslavia, while CX Familiale (estate) were built by CIMOS as an ambulance, hearse and normal estate.

  • @jezzaqc
    @jezzaqc 4 года назад

    Love this video and learnt a lot! Thanks so much for doing this! I rather lust after the series two but I was a child of the 1980. It would be an amazing classic car to own and so individual!

  • @wilsrecreations450
    @wilsrecreations450 3 года назад

    I'm CX mad and let me tell you one thing:
    This is the most real story of the CX I've seen in my all life. Well done, accurate and great narration...👍👊

    • @BigCar2
      @BigCar2  3 года назад +1

      Thanks Wil!

  • @Cooliemasteroz
    @Cooliemasteroz 3 года назад +5

    Some of those Citroen cars really were truly unique, beautiful and desirable. Back in the day they would have been a superb inland road trip car here in Australia as we had to endure hundreds of kilometres of corrugated dirt roads to get to many well known destinations. From what I hear though it sounds like it’s a rich persons car especially in Australia as you’d need two of them because of the repair issues. Although country roads have improved a lot I think the concept with this hydro pneumatic suspension would still sell very well here especially if it were made as a reliable vehicle by the likes of Toyota, though I doubt that Toyota could make a car look as good as a French car.

  • @dimitardimitrov5366
    @dimitardimitrov5366 3 года назад

    Thanks for the review!

    • @BigCar2
      @BigCar2  3 года назад

      My pleasure!

  • @MrMoelbach
    @MrMoelbach 2 года назад

    I have had 7 CX cars, including a 2.4 Prestige 1982 and my last was a Break with automatik gear. They were all fantastisk cars and I still love Them.I started ud the Danish CX-Clubsandwich Denmark wich is still aktive. Aften that I Got A XM and then.......The 2CV..my word. IF there is A car, that I MUST have again, it Will be the 2 CV.. Thanks for your fabulous programs. Continue please. Kindest regards from Denmark. 🇩🇰🇩🇰🇩🇰🇩🇰🇩🇰

  • @dinos9607
    @dinos9607 2 года назад +1

    The last updates on the CX has to be one of my favourite cars ever. Would consider still buying it. It is a pity that Peugeot PSA management did not believe in the viability of the Citroen tradition. Yes, they were more expensive in production and yes they were forced to cut corners here and there but it was a basis they could work. Instead of turning Citroen into a firm making practically the same cars as Peugeot, they could simply use Citroen's facilities to produce the small and mid-sized cars of Peugeot and then keep the Citroen badge for the mid-upper category, luxury cars. In a way, PSA did that in the 2000s with the introduction of the DS badge line, and it brought quite a success with cars such as the DS that sold quite well and for a long period of time.
    The problem of the French firm was that the French car market at home in France was considerably smaller in population compared to that of Germany, had less money to invest in luxury/specialist cars, the French people that have money generally do not like to show off with cars (rich people in Paris drive Renault Clios - only immigrants drive big luxury cars) and so they had a tremendous disadvantage in comparison to the German firms operating in a country mad about cars and where even middle class people saved money just to buy that luxurious Mercedes or BMW.
    However in spite of these, the French have produced some amazing cars in that category - namely Citroen. It is a pity they did not get more of a recognition for that.

  • @trumanmcgyver1385
    @trumanmcgyver1385 4 года назад

    Great videos! Thanks from España!

  • @sebastienreichel3214
    @sebastienreichel3214 4 года назад +31

    My CX story goes: when I was small we went to a Citroën dealership to look at the CX estate and I was struck by how the loading volume was big enough to fit my toy train layout to play while we drove. I was all for having it!! Playing trains while on the road was all 5 yr old me wanted! Dad went for the Opel Kadett 1.6l S estate instead... Train did not fit! I was devastated...

  • @Soccerates
    @Soccerates 4 года назад +8

    That mad Grace Jones ad seems to sum Citroën up. Good luck to Hub Nut who's just got hold of a later model!

    • @mehrzahl2219
      @mehrzahl2219 4 года назад +3

      HubNut has bought a GSA, not a CX.

  • @stevevater8598
    @stevevater8598 4 года назад +3

    My dad had a 2.0 petrol saloon and a famiale estate 2,4 diesel . Both were light years ahead of other cars of the time and they drove brilliantly.