The Citroën CX Story

[@tfleiter]

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]

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.

[@fabrisseterbrugghe8567]

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.

[@danp9551]

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_to_who_knows]

Now SUVs are taking us back to the 80s

[@oliviersimonnin6983]

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]

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

[@arthurswart4436]

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]

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.

[@budgiebirb75]

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]

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

[@mj-mr5yu]

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

[@JoriDiculous]

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.

[@glynnwright1699]

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]

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

[@glynnwright1699]

@@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]

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

[@cliff9455]

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

[@cliff9455]

@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

[@blitzroehre1807]

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]

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

[@bumfluffmcregor3730]

It never let you down except twice

[@HerrSchmitti]

@@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.

[@RetroGamerVX]

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]

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

[@DrewLSsix]

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

[@Perkelenaattori]

@@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]

@@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]

@@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.

[@TheAllMightyGodofCod]

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....

[@Acarsfault]

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 ...

[@flemmingsorensen5470]

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

[@michaelsternberg1274]

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.

[@jacovanlith5082]

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

[@marksterling8286]

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.

[@edouardesk4535]

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.

[@stephenberry1205]

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.

[@hugocass8381]

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]

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

[@henktulp4400]

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...

[@-DC-]

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

[@johnbusst200]

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]

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]

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

[@janosnagyj.9540]

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

[@rogerdavis5053]

A worthy successor to the Goddess of which I have owned three. I had a 1980 CX2400 Pallas CMatic and it did not lack power towing a large caravan all around Europe in 1986. I also had a Citroen SM for nigh in 10 years and it never let e down once.

[@jurekvakva]

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.

[@guusguusguus]

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]

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

[@jacmout]

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!

[@Guhonter]

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]

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....

[@BombDaBass2000]

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!)

[@TobmansErbe]

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

[@cretinaceous]

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.

[@Skanzool]

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]

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

[@kikichevy]

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...

[@christianneitzel]

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]

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]

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

[@gerrycheshill7452]

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.

[@TheHorsebox2]

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

[@pajapajser4554]

The most handsome car 😎 Here, in Belgrade, Serbia, there was one, parked in front of the Australian Embassy, with 3 rows of seats.. for me, the piece of art...

[@WarCrimeGaming]

Citroens were quite popular in Yugoslavia, weren't they?

[@pajapajser4554]

@@WarCrimeGaming actually, yes. We had a company named Cimos, in Yugoslavia which assembled Citroen's vehicles. It was in Slovenia, now an independent country. Dyane and 2cv were very popular, and GS as well.

[@StepDub]

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.

[@adampoll4977]

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.

[@tasospappas6627]

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...

[@donvitocorleone3951]

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

[@Perkelenaattori]

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

[@james-to3ht]

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

[@PaulHojda]

God, i love the CX's design

[@andreventer7024]

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

[@computer_toucher]

I learned to drive in a 1983 CX 20 at 16, and when the electronics fried we got a 24 Pallas. Both with the old cylindrical meters. Most comfortable car ever. Such a cruiser; drove it several 24-hour, 1500 km trips in a few years. And had it on a bumpy country road at 160 Km/h once. A true legend, e: Interior just like @10:40

[@martiniv8924]

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

[@Thomas1984.]

Very interesting video! I really liked it. My dad, always a Citroën enthousiast has had multiple DS and CX. But the car I always was most fond of was the Citroën CX Turbo II. In black. As a kid I always felt like I was sitting in a plane. It’s really interesting to hear from the video that it took like 11 years to produce it (in a way). Great video and content!!

[@atatexan]

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

[@andrewstones2921]

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]

Thanks Andrew!

[@donjorge8329]

The CX is such a beauty!!!

[@antrc]

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.

[@mikenorris5378]

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

[@johanslabbert2869]

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

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

In 1982 or 1983 we went to the big UK car show (I was about 14 so I don’t remember the city) but saw this car there and fell in love with everything about it. Alas, I’ve never had one or even driven one.

[@boelwerkr]

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. :-)

[@jourwalis-8875]

It was not a "quirky" mushroom "pedal" at all! This is the most sophisticated brake "pedal" there is! Gives the best, most effective and fastest brake action of any other design!

[@Mr.Mølbach]

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. 🇩🇰🇩🇰🇩🇰🇩🇰🇩🇰

[@stevevater8598]

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.

[@darkond3523]

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]

Never knew this. Interesting !

[@kresimirsimunovic5333]

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.

[@haribopower]

My dad borrowed my grandfather’s Gold, fully loaded CX to take us caravanning over my sixth birthday. I still remember the magic suspension, crazy dials, luxury leather seats, and electric sunroof! It finally rusted away in the 90s. I’d love to have one now. If someone else maintained it!

[@sl077766]

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

[@nealeburgess6756]

I bought an early CX 2400, the carb version, as an old banger. It was left hand drive, and no MOT. I paid 30 pounds for it, which was about what you paid for a tankful of petrol for a family car at that time. I rate it as one of the two best cars I have ever owned. It took a family of 5 on a European holiday, including, England, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy and Lichstenstein. At other times I used it to tow my caravan in the UK. It truly was a fantastic car, and I loved all it's idiosynchrasies. The next owner exported it to Canada and used it there for some time.

[@ThomasD1962]

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

[@cawimmer430]

Awesome car. Around two years ago I attended a classic car show and there was a Citroen CX 2.5 Diesel owner who had covered an astonishing 650,000 km+ with his car. He claimed the engine and transmission were all original. The car was in decent shape, not perfect, but not abused either. Beautiful car. I’ve always had a soft spot for the CX.

[@brucestuckey-clarke1416]

I had a CX 2400 Pallas C- Matic in Australian in the 70's. Second gear gave you a semi - automatic which could happily move the car took in slow traffic . It could not move the car if anything resembling an incline confronted it. It drove in regularly to the farm and the vari- power steering really took any stress out the driving but difficult to check wear on the tyres because it always centred them. I remember late one night on Sydney Harbour Bridge, the expressway lanes were blocked due to an accident. Traffic had banked up and going nowhere, so after carefully checking the main platform of the bridge to see no traffic, I raised the car and moved over the concrete barrier onto the main span. Not a manoeuvre that could be attempted in the traffic of today or the cars either.

[@51StPi]

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.

[@quattrosaxoni3625]

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......

[@Texmotodad]

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

[@flori5548]

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

[@Texmotodad]

@@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.

[@johnfaulkner6776]

My late mother adored speed and citroen cars. " Can't we go quicker" was her constant question. She died in 1987. The undertakers used Citroën hearses and they were late! A perfect funeral and this time I asked " Can't we go faster?".

[@alansharp1528]

We had a CX Familialle as our daily driver for many years. Taught my 4 children to drive in it and in spite of that the clutch lasted 100k + miles. A great car. Miss it to this day.

[@PatriceBoivin]

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.

[@MrRobertsap]

I bought a CX 2000 from 1976 back in early 1980. A splendid car, and when ever you looked at the eye in the dash, showing your speed, you were always speeding.... So smooth and silent it was. Now a bit of a similar experience in our all new C4 ë. Same contours from de side. Only on 18 inch wheels, so a little bit higher.

[@JohnKerr-bq3vo]

I recall my CX was a 2400 L and luved it.... in 1976

[@nosecretsbass7471]

I've owned many CXs, from a very early S1 2400 Super through 2.0 Douvrin engines, 2500 Diesel Safari and 25RI Familiale to a S2 25GTI Turbo. Varying degrees of reliability, but I loved them all. Fantastic, characterful and ridiculously comfortable

[@caspardejonge5902]

The CX slow???? What a load of BS! I had a 2000 Pallas 1984 for 13 years and never ever ran out of HP in normal traffic or on the highway. 105 HP was plenty to get ahead, even on LPG. Somehow these car journalists always need the top engine to be satisfied. Normal people who want a beautiful and exentric car are well happy with 105 HP. :) Of course, owning a 2500 turbo or TD would be fantastic but calling the others slow, nope. Best ride I ever had. Very happy with my current Xantia 1.8 16V that has the fantastic suspension again! 324.00 Km and goping strong. Citroen rocks!

[@MaxxVelo]

Back when Citroen let their mad imagination run wild

[@rundgren80]

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

[@zenbudhism]

Beautiful

[@olik136]

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]

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]

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

[@wilsrecreations450]

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]

Thanks Wil!

[@fredaydaybae8450]

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

[@BigCar2]

She was scary!

[@fredaydaybae8450]

Big Car 🤣🤣🤣

[@mattw8332]

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

[@Cooliemasteroz]

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.

[@davidtraynor8075]

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!!!

[@melesmelesfaber3866]

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

[@melesmelesfaber3866]

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.

[@neilwalsh4058]

Possibly the only Citroën I've every considered buying. Never did though and think I missed a trick. They're a stunning car and the like of which we'll never see again. Au revoir to a classic.

[@benjaminsmith2287]

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.

[@sebastienreichel3214]

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...

[@janvierprado8876]

😂

[@nicnak4475]

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

[@JohnnoDordrecht]

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

[@Truthseeker1515]

Parents purchased a GS estate in 1976 until switching to a Toyota Hiace Camper car in 1980. I was a toddler but have fond memories of the car. The front headlights and rear were so iconic. You automatically identified the car as a Citroen.

[@michelnormandin8068]

I bought a used 72 DS 21 Spéciale in august 74. The most confortable cruiser I ever drove and the most expensive car to keep on the road in Montréal. That car got me more easy pick ups than a Ferrari at the time.

[@phukewe6034]

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

[@Soccerates]

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]

HubNut has bought a GSA, not a CX.

[@pots_83]

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

[@ixlnxs]

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

[@dinos9607]

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.

[@silkdestroyer]

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!

[@Golo1949]

In the 80s I had the Reflex, I loved it very easy to drive and very safe. I had a flat tyre on the front once but the car never showed any hint, I stopped because I heard a funny noise and the passenger tyre was completely flat, no pulling on the steering. I had to sell it because the wife thought it too big to drive.

[@Golo1949]

Forgot to mention I later swapped my 12 seat minibus for a BX on my memory of the CX. sadly it was the worse care I have ever had, what went wrong went wrong, but I still like Citroen's. As well as a Lexus GS300 I still have the Xsara Picasso, a really practical car.

[@ronaldderooij1774]

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]

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

[@nickparker4875]

At 72 I have owned many cars. 2 x Aston Martins. 1x 911. 1 x850CSI. 1 x 840 Mtec. 3 x XJ6. But also 4 CXs inc 1 Pallas (the slowest car in the world). They were the most enjoyable cars to drive of anything I have ever owned. Thank you Citroen.

[@g00dfeeling]

Really love CX. The coolest car ever. Love all big Citroens but CX above all of them.

[@ralfrisberg8009]

Oh my god, miss my 87 break turbo diesel i had because it's THE car i will always regret selling!

[@Ricketik65]

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.

[@neoamaru]

This is perhaps one of the few english-speaking channel where i learn a great deal about and that also gives a comprehensive take on French cars..thank you for that!! Hopefully one day i'd get to watch you talk about the Renault Laguna III Coupé..(my current car)

[@BigCar2]

Maybe one day!

[@michaelkelly8003]

Had a CX Familiale which was quirky but fab for long trips with a big family. Maddest car I've owned, eventually replaced with an Espace