1986 Citroen CX 22TRS 2.2

Summary:

This is cheap luxury GT motoring

Faults:

Front tyre blow out at 60mph on Dual Carriageway.

Battery replaced.£ 30.00.

Starter motor failed, replacement cost £80.00.

Needed extensive under-body welding.

General Comments:

Car is used on a daily basis, covering about 100 miles per week at a cost of 4/5 galls of unleaded fuel, but in the comfort of a Jaguar/Mercedes.

How many cars have an illuminated ignition switch or warning of rear bulb failure?

Ride is superb.

Steering a life saver.

Heating is lacking on very cold day's.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 22nd January, 2003

1986 Citroen CX GTi 2.5 petrol

Summary:

Underrated but thirsty work of art

Faults:

Nothing expensive, you do tend to replace parts on a CX before they become a problem mainly out of paranoia.. most hydraulic faults were due to lack of servicing by previous owners.. engines have unusually high torque and could tow a train!!!

General Comments:

Loves motorways.

Excellent ride quality.

Variable power steering is a gem.

Bit of a barge around narrow country lanes.

Pininfarina inspired styling (same prototype as the Rover SD1)

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 23rd February, 2001

16th Aug 2010, 17:55

I think you got a couple of facts wrong re designs.

Pininfarina did do a very similar car design to the CX in the late 60's for BMC (I had a Matchbox toy one as a child) - This design was a proposal for the the 1800 'Landcrab' replacement.

Foolishly, BMC didn't go ahead with the Pininfarina proposal, and decided their own thing in house - idiots!

I think Citroen poached the concept shape of the Pininfarina concept.

The BMC result was the Austin/Morris/ Wolseley Princess series. Not as elegant, but not especially ugly.

The Rover SD1 was designed by David Bach, who was one of Rover's top designers. His elegant SD1 design, something of a classic now, took inspiration from the Ferrari Daytona.

Archive photos of the mock ups and prototypes, show the two cars parked side by side at the time for comparison and appraisal. The SD1 was a rival of the CX.

Sadly, the SD1 & Princess were plagued with problems, especially on the series one cars, as the company had seriously dismal quality control & appalling industrial disputes in the 70's, which all but bankrupted the company.

At its peak in the 60's, BMC was one of the most innovative and largest car manufacturers in the world.

How times have changed!...