I called France one day in the early 80s to the Citroen headquarters. Today, that would be a non-event, but back then international calls were kind of pricey. I spoke with a very helpful woman in customer service and my year of Francais was not nearly enough, she graciously switched to English. I asked if I could be sent some literature, whatever was handy for a look at the current year models. A couple of weeks later, I received two mailing envelopes stuffed full of brochures and technical data sheets, repair guides, it was way more than I asked for and I was delighted!
That reminds me of Polaroid in their glory days, before digital cameras put them out of business... Besides their very thorough instruction manuals, and a list of service centers all over the world, I still remember a person on the 800 number named Sue Gagnon who was so very helpful to me, and had been with the company for 30 years and actually took one of the prototype SX-70 cameras on her honeymoon to give the results back to Dr Land... Sighhhhh
@@HelpingHand-ic4wt Oh yeah, I forgot about the OTHER possibilities of instant photography... you dirty so and so. 😉 (But she was just trying to optimize the film chemistry and flash bars.)
Hi from Sydney, Australia. One of my friends left the corporate world in his late fifties, to start his own specialist consulting business, in prior days he'd had whatever brand of company car given to him, and he hated most of them this was in the early 1990's. Possibly having to spend reasonable time behind the wheel in rural New South Wales he was determined he was going to drive something he would enjoy. Not a huge amount of Citroen CX's came to Australia. But this is what he wanted, and after searching for a while he found a long wheelbase Prestige it was a one elderly owner immaculate car. At one point I went with him to an antiquarian book sale and auction in a large country town the car was so cosseting, possibly the most comfortable car I've ever been in, on very bad roads it was like a hovercraft just gliding over bumps and broken surfaces like they were not there. He drove it all the years near 3 decades until his recent passing as a 90-year-old. Exceptional cars.
I had the sheer joy of a Paris delivery new RHD 1978 CX Prestige 2400 EFI 5 speed with leather... wonderful in Europe, even more wonderful in Australia...
just a note: the bulge on the hood was not specific ro the Turbo versions. Was on absolutely all CX and is the air intake for the cabin ventilation. Doesn't matter actually, the video is lovely Thanks Adam!
Hey amazing to see the CX featured on your channel. I am the proud owner of a first gen CX Prestige. The interior (except the quality of some materials and assembly) is amazing as is the ride. The exterior of the car now looks even more amazing than in the 70's-80's. It looks from another planet compared to today's "cars". Cheers from Switzerland
Excellent video! My spouse had a Citroen Xantia when she lived in Brussels. I remember riding in that car up cobblestone streets with Belgian pavers that were so rough that I slowed my 1980 Jetta down to 15 mph because I was concerned that parts of the car might simply fly right off. Her Citroen would go flying up that street at 30 mph and you felt nothing! You heard a little roar from the tires, but that's it. Amazing! I will say that the hydraulic power brakes on the Citroen were very touchy. You just barely put pressure on the pedal for a normal stop, it took a little getting used to. The 767 that I fly for a living has a similar system with 3000 PSI, but is much easier to modulate than on the Citroen.
They rode so smoothly and were so well planted to the road that the BBC used the DS as traveling camera cars. Here is how that setup worked, 3KW generator being towed behind, A driver in the front seat, (right-hand drive), and a videotape recorder in the passenger seat. In the back there were two engineers in the back seat (watching 3 monitors and adjusting camera settings, and on top of the car was an additional frame over the roof that a person could stand on when the car was still, but attached to the middle of the frame was a mini camera crane which could extend out over the front of the car, with a camera operator in the care seat behind the camera, and then the camera a 210 pound EMI 2001 was mounted to the crane, the car would then go down the road, with the camera operator following the action and a small microwave transmitter with its antenna on top of the car would relay the signal back to the studio. They did use the car once to follow a 747 down the runway at 80 mph down a runway at Heathrow Airport, for a videotaped segment. ua-cam.com/video/EQA9FiqKct8/v-deo.htmlsi=PiZbKKXzIA8yaA3R
Hi, I'm a Citroën mecanic and collector in France, and this is the most detailled video I've seen about the CX. The interior is quite unique, even in France some people find it strange and quirky. I had 2 CX. One turbo diesel serie 1 and after, a gti turbo 2. The last one was a beast. Boost pressure was pushed a bit, the engine developed 220 HP, it was ripping the tire all the time when you was putting your foot to the floor ! Really an incredible car. You should make a video about the Citroën GSA, the interior was really bizarre and this one, the craziest Citroën ever done, and I love it !
The CX was technically a body on frame car, as its unibody was mounted to a separate full length non-self supporting "chassis" consisting of two longitudinal members and three crossmembers that supported the entire driveline and suspension mounts. The result was exceptional rigidity for the time and arguably the best ride of any Citroën.
I've owned and driven models with both interiors and have appreciated their ergonomically logical functions and positions. Allways at fingertip distance and with very distinct feeling and movement. As for the 'rolling drum' speedo and tachometer, Mercedes and several other brands used the same technique but vertically positioned as a thermometer- nothing really special about it, just another kind of application. The one-spoke steering wheel is not a gimmick but a safety feature with the column/hub deep down in the dash away from your chest in case of an accident. Also the door opener lever, is hidden in the handle and thus protecting the door from being accidentally opened. These are just a few details along with all the other safety oriented technical solutions such as in the springing and steering (neutral pivoting hub/steering geometry), the brakes and hydraulics automatically sensing weight distribution... etc etc. I came to love the CX's after decades with other exclusive European cars. Finally - for now - the signalling switch doesn't neutralise automatically because Citroën has always prioritized giving the driver control of the car, not the other way around. Today we are to lazy though... The CX was a 'drivers car' in so many respects, especially in really harsh conditions when it really came to the fore - it just loved to be pushed through snow and ice. Miss them!
Some of the wilder Virgil Exner era intereors on Chrysler products are pretty wild, like the 1960 Dodge, and the Chrysler Astro Dome. Iove Citroens and had a 1959 DS in college. That had a pretty funky dash as well. Had the car for weeks before i figured out how you’re supposed to start the engine, I had been putting a wrench across the starter relay under the hood. You turn the key on then move the little gear lever beyond reverse to crank the engine.
As a boy, I loved going to my dad's auto garage at night, with the shop lights off, and I'd sit in the various cars, switch to "parking lights" so the dash would light up. Some of those Chryslers had GREAT lighting and colors! Wow, you just triggered a 60-year-old flashback !
My uncle was an engineer and liked French automobiles. He had a 1961 DS Wagon,, bought new, that looked like a vehicle from outer space compared to my dad's '61 Chevy. I recall how well his Citroen rode, the one spoke steering wheel and the mushroom-shaped brake button. Great wagon!
In the '70s, I remember stories about their "green blood" that ran everything. I don't know if that hydraulic fluid they used was green or not, but it was very intriguing to us as teens. [edit: fix one word]
@@danielulz1640 No, it was a mineral hydraulic fluid, dyed green so no-one would mix it up with normal brake fluid. Unlike brake fluid, which absorbs moisture and encourages rust in the brake system, LHM (Liquide Hydraulique Minerale) lubricated hydraulic valves and cylinders and protected the system against corrosion.
I learnt to drive in a CX Super 2ltr manual - my step dad's car. I thought that car was brilliant. So smooth, quiet and futuristic. The seat were also so comfortable. It was easy to drive and I never had problems with the non-cancelling indicators. Independent Citroen was such an innovative company with the DS, CX and SM being the principle of their engineering before merging and never being the same again. I miss their style. Can't think of anything like it today.
I believe their greatest works were in the category of advanced suspension systems. From the first fully independent suspension in the Traction Avant to the tuned mass dampers used in the 2CV to what I believe was their greatest invention, the world's first active suspension system introduced in the DS in 1954- a system so good that even Rolls-Royce adopted it, and which is still produced in more modern variants today.
I do have 1 foot in my grave, but drive around very happily in my 1982 CX 2500 Limousine 5 speed Diesel here in Vancouver BC. It is one of the most comfortable cars on earth . Awful to get in and out when you are tall. Slowly but sure we are starting to rust away together, I still prefer the DS 21. The pistol grip doorhandles are something else, somebody with short fingers are not happy. The rear glass is made in such a way that at speed over 80kmph and its raining, the window stays dry! Very clever indeed. Love my CX, Bas
I am sure you know this already but maybe worth mentioning, the pods are a sort of safety measure in that you can do nearly everything without taking your hands off the wheel, and the non-canceling turn signals were thought to be safer by the designer as well. Also maybe worth mentioning that American and some European cars were commonly fitted with drum speedometers from the 1910s to the early 1930s, so there is an early precedent too.
I've read an article years ago where a Citroën engineer was quoted. He said that the turn signal switch had to be on the pod, but they couldn't think of a self-cancelling mechanism for it in that position.
I used to like peeking in cars to look at their Interiors. When I saw one of these in the 80s I was absolutely wondering what was going on with those instruments. It's sat in the back of my mind for decades until the wonders of UA-cam finally revealed it to me. I can't understand why Citroen has become more mainstream. We are in a boring world.
I can hear management in the design phase: "It's not crazy enough. Back to the drawing board." My favorite French car is the Citroen C6. Completely outrageous.
Horns in different places were pretty common back in the day. Both my 1971 Triumph Stag and my 1978 MGB have the horn on the end of the left column stalk. Actually fairly conveniente all things considered...
Yea, I agree. It was very common in most cars back in the 60's right through to the late 80's for the horn to be on the end of a stalk, rather than on the actual steering wheel itself. The latter only started becoming common from the early 90's onwards.
Another great video Adam.I love you are branching out and are reporting on cars from different companies foreign and domestic. The Citroën and Saabs are truly unique vehicles. It's very 😎 on the Citroën due to weight distribution and pneumatic suspension it can run on 3 tires .The rolling gouges of course harken to the Toronado,but also the Edsel as well.Take care and cheers from Eulethra.
I have a Citroen C4 Cactus 2017 and it is the most strange interior that i had in a car till now, no rpm or temp gauge. Really weird dashboard. Great Video, thanks!
Citroën experimented with these “control pods” for several years, including the GS, CX and Visa. Notice how many warning lights there were already! Also true on the SM and DS. The big red STOP warning was always paired with another red warning light, meaning that this warning could NOT be ignored. Things like coolant, or engine temperature, charging, low oil etc. Later on, post Y2K, Citroën experimented with fixed controls on the center of the steering wheel, such as in some Picasso models, and some Citroën C5 models. In these cases, multiple controls were in the center of the wheel, but when the steering wheel was turned, the entire center hub remained stationary. They also experimented with remote climate controls placed near the side vents of the driver and passenger, rather than in the center console. Peugeot, Citroën and Renault have all used little control pods behind the steering wheel to control audio functions and sources, or in the case of the first two, the cruise control and speed limiter.
The yellow headlights are a great idea. I wish there were regulations here in the States that considered the blinding of oncoming traffic. I can't drive at night anymore because the headlights of oncoming cars have gotten so bright. It seems that all regulations for modern vehicles only pertain to the occupants of the vehicle and anyone outside the vehicle is not considered at all. This seems very apparent when you look at modern pickup trucks and large SUVs. But even smaller vehicles have blindingly bright headlights that are directly in my line of sight in my older sedan. Something needs to be done about this. And many other things regarding modern vehicles. They're only safe if you're in them. To everyone else, they're a danger
I couldn't agree more, but I think we are fighting a losing battle. I first drove in France around 1980 and loved the way I was never blinded (in the cities you were even required to use parking lights only). Funny thing: your eyes are wonderful intruments that adjust so you can see just as well by dim(-mer) lights when you are not blinded. But since then I feel it has been an "arms-race" of cars getting brighter and brighter lights and now I have to run bright LED-lights on my bicycle just to be seen
@@friedjohn These LED headlamps can actually damage your retina if you look at them long enough! They are very dangerous. Whenever possible look away from these lights, not directly into them.
Fascinating. And, I’m so surprised to learn that you’re a Citroen fan. I was a heartbeat away from buying a pre owned one as a recent college grad in 1965. Thanks Adam.
Why am I reminded of the line from Monty Python and the holy grail: “Are you French??” “Of course I’m French!! How do you think I got this OUTRAGEOUS accent???!”
You just have to ride in one of these, a DS, SM or a C6 to really appreciate how unbelievably comfortable they are. Nothing else comes close. Once you drive or are driven in one even the modern air suspensions with lasers and stuff will feel like a huge step backwards. People keep saying it's like a magic carpet ride and i always thought that was just some gimmicky saying, but it surely was not. My grandfather purchased a Citroen C6 and i loaned it from him every single chance i got. When a friend from the states was visiting that was the car that even she had to admit was just something else, after listening to her frown upon european cars for the last week. It was a shame the 2.7 Jaguar co-developed diesel V6 was a problematic powerplant which eventually let go forcing my grandfather to spend time on the side of the road. At the age he was then it was such an unpleasant and scary experience to have an engine fail during driving that he lost trust in the car and sold it, even though an insurance paid for a used engine with less miles on it to be installed. Shame, but i have such great memories of it. It had so many weird things about it and it was okay for it to be weird. Nowadays nothing is allowed to be weird.
@@Low760 you're right sorry for the mistake, i think i've seen it on so many Jaguars it has hazed my memory but yea, definitely the Ford developed one. I did hear that the facelifts used a 3.0 litre variant of it which at least then was supposed to be "improved", but didn't end up looking too much into if that would have been a more reliable choice. The DW10 4-cylinder diesel or the petrol V6 is what i keep looking for if they are for sale, but they are rare cars...
As an owner of a C5X, the Citroën Advanced Comfort Active Suspension, which combines Progressive Hydraulic Cushions with active suspension control. The vehicle adapts the suspension of each wheel to be softer or firmer depending on the conditions encountered comes very close to the original hydro-pneumatics.
I have a CX with the revolving drums, and can say that the 2 pods with the controls on work really well. You can operate them all with taking your hands off the wheel. And I prefer the non-cancelling indicators!
And the dash display award goes to Mercedes for the SBC braking system. This is a brake by wire system with emergency backup. The system has a limited number of applications before a yellow service warning appears. If this is ignored, a red do not drive screen appears and the car is limited to limp in engine power.
They had that there to indicate a malfunction with the very sophisticated brake boost system. In the SM they didn't even have a physical linkage to the master cylinder; the brake system was activated by hydraulic pressure produced by a plunger in the shape of a big button mounted to the back of the pedal box.
I had an early CX and it was way more intuitive to drive than it looks. Supreme comfort let down by poor ventilation and expensive servicing. It was a joy to waft along in.
@@PedroConejo1939 Oh, thank you for that clarification. I saw one of these when I was just a kid, before I could drive, and just remember looking at the floor and thinking it was odd.
@@josephgaviota Those Citroëns that ran the brakes from the high-pressure suspension system always had powerful brakes and a lot of people couldn't get used to them. If you knew how to use the brakes properly, it made a Citroën the wrong car to tailgate - they could out-stop _anything._ It saved my life a time or two.
Great video Adam - I like the variety. Not only do you show a lot of US stuff we Aussies never knew existed, but you also branch out into other makes like this. When you made the comment about nobody copies Citroen, I thought you may like to know what GM (Holden) Australia did in the 80s - their designers were heavily "inspired" by Citroen. The 1980-1985 WB Holden Statesman & Caprice luxury sedans (Australia's own Cadillac), the 1980-1983 Holden Commodore SL/E and 1984-1988 Holden Calais (both were the top-luxury spec Commodore) got a single spoke steering wheel fitted to them, that was heavily inspired by Citroen, and this was noted incessantly in the media coverage. Aussies did it right though - the whole face of the vertical spoke became the horn pad, and it was only broken up by a small badge denoting the trim level (SL/E) the Statesman wreath, or just a Holden logo, depending on the model & year. But it didn't stop there. The 1986-1988 VL Commodore took the pods idea with "fingertip control" for the wipers and washers (both front and rear on wagons) rear demist and power antenna. The headlights followed the more common (for the era) Japanese location on the blinker stalk. They continued to do binnacle pods in the 1988-1993 VN and VP Commodore, adding even more to the switch banks, including headlights, instrument dimming and cruise control switches. Fortunately the traditional blinker stalk remained in place. They stopped doing the pods after the 1993 VP, reverting to dashboard controls for most things, with wipers & intermittent delay control on a new left stalk, and blinkers + cruise on the right stalk. Ford Australia went even harder at it with the 1984 XF Falcon, and ZL/FE Fairlane & LTD models. More basic cars only had a few binnacle switches, but the Fairmont Ghia, Fairlane and LTD went all out - the entire A/C controls were mounted on the left binnacle (with the exception of the switch to turn on the motorised vents). Google those models for some images. They also featured a beautiful VFD display that's one of the best I've ever come across for style, readability, and functionality. Citroen definitely got copied by Aussie designers.
A friend had a coveted SM and a DS and although they were such fabulous and unique cars, they were unreliable money pits, every time we went for a drive it was a major gamble but they were so comfortable and small crowds used to form around the SM wherever we parked
The 2CV Citroen had several funky features from the wipers powered from the speedometer on early versions, windows that flapped up to open, inter connected springs for suspension, door locks that just rotated when locked etc etc. Renault had different wheelbase lengths on either side due to placement of the rear suspension. The Renault 16TX had a 5 froward speed and reverse column gear leaver. three on the tree plus 2 more. Panhard PL 17 had funky windscreen wiper pattern, Never under stood why the didn't get tangled.
Hi Adam, how good to learn that you are Citroën CX fan. I came to your channel some years ago as a Cadillac Brougham 5,7 1990 driver, and I now own a CX. If you come to Europe, stop by Paris and have a CX ride! so much to tell about this car (and the Cadillac :D). I used to live in Germany and at high autobahn speed the CX is incredibly safe, I understand why it has plenty of German addicts!
i had amongst others that CX model a late one, have also 3 DS from diferent years and a GS, Dyane, Mehari, 2CV(80´s, improved interiors all white) and three AMi the diferent bodies being the three volume model, the strangest of all with a strange installed back window also the known by tracion avant like Dupond & Dupond from Tintin comic strips in Bordeux with beige interiors and drove it for 5 years as my daily car ,had also one in black , older. In 81 bought in 2nd hand a CX 2600 diesel with all extras like the luxury version with the two litle tv´s magnifying glass to numbers that rotate behind, as the GS and DS´s i own, the one you´re showing was like my diesel on top of the speaker had the radio cassette player from blaupunkt and on the speaker spot installed a equalizer and a amplifier all from pioneer ,including four big speakers in the back and in the front on the foot section, the regular gages who were very nice(regular as in other cars or the last they installed there) and at night had a lightening who made them even more modern looking, after bought a XM even more surprising, as it is today still surprising for the ones who never had seen one, have the 3.0L V6 but first bought a 2.0L anemic engine and sold it after two years was kind of a spaceship and it lift of but stoped ,didn´t went airborn, had a Visa made for rallyes with atatched original panels on top of the wheels panels , screwed to allow better tires and iron special wheels, all white, my fatherv was into citroen´s he made me caught the bug, the first DS was his the first model GT version with gages sportive regular ones with GT 2.173cc´s written on the back in golden metal, it had extra headlights(extreme far seeing ,blinding drivers that were passing by us on the reverse direction ,this from the same colour of the panels only white on top and green all around, a nice car in early 2000´s i drove it a lot, it was in our family since new, my young memories was in the back looking to the dash lightening which was very ahed for the time, this traveling to the south ,one month on the beach camping, normaly with a pine tree litle forest always with shadows like 100 meters from the beach and lot´s of european countries families there some we met each year growing up with their daughters, when i was 10 i already speaked french with perfection and with 12 years old ,english only today it´s hard for me to talk french, but i can read perfect, the C& they say in a video it was a Flop but i saw more C6´s than othjers brands cars from the same range maybe in england where the video was done , they could not exopect to be sold as the C2, the death car, and they say cars are more safe today. With a late 60´s car at all possible crashes in the modern one death assured and seen a lot of young men dead but like bits of flesh and not at more than 80km´s an hour while in a very old citroen no problem at all , a bit shoock up but nothing more a -20 for modern safety, a lie like all is said today from oficial services. i almost forget to say that had a Xantia 1.8 but sold it after 1 year of owning it but in 2019 the father of a friend of mine had a fully equiped Xantia with turbo -diesel engine and with the first alloy wheels that were nice after ,the ones released after 96 i found them very ugly ,he asked me if i wanted the car to which i replyed i had not money to buy it and he asked me "you don´t have 400€ ?" yes i replyed , and i got it and before taking it from the garage he explained me all new things like the bulbs(balls with oil and some suspenction parts were all new but i read about it and it´s like the old suspenction only at high speeds the direction gets heavier as there were complains but i never noticed nothing at that department) also several other pieces and parts had been changed before he died and it was a perfect car ,sometimes i drive it, as my daily car is a octavia sport 2.0TDi from Skoda and i change it sometimes also too keep it running as it is perfect, and like others ,three wheels running, even in turns while going up hill ,never touched the ground as older citroen cars like the GS and CX, the XM i never tried that, but also never had a flat tire
Big speaker in the center, but where's the radio? I dig that single spoke wheel, even though it looks like you'd hit your hands on the turn signal pods.
I have had several CXs over the years. The main thing about those controls (which you didn't fully state) was that all those controls could be operated with your finger tips without taking your hand off the wheel. Indeed, with the very direct DIRAVI steering you could not just let go of the wheel while going around a bend or it would self-center rapidly giving you a big jerk.
Very nice video, thank you. Interesting also: besides being elegant and stylish the CX engine was bullet proof, very reliable. It was more or less the same engine over the years. The suspension needed some effort
As a kid I had a few enjoyable days being driven around in one of the early models. It certainly left an impression on me and I recall noting how you could turn the wheel with just one finger. I also noticed the brake pedal which was lower than the clutch and accelerator and the brakes were both powerful and sensitive. The seats were comfortable and the ride was amazing. What a wonderful and unique car and I feel so lucky that I had that experience back when these cars were still new.
Such cool cars, I've always liked Citroen's and there used to be quite a few running around the Seattle area when I was a kid in the 70's/80's, mostly DS's and a few 2CV's. Those CX's are very nice looking cars.
This was the 'space' car in 1974, with Detroit putting instruments in little fake wood grain silver trimmed boxes all over the dash ...there was _this_ ! People purchased the first gen for the ball dash ash tray alone. The lighted dash at night is something to behold, although let down to some degree by the quality of the plastics. I'm a Citroenaphile from way back and the new drive is in my banner.
Thanks for the great video. I think Peugeot blocked V6 engines in the Citroens, as that would interfere with their market potential. Peugeot and Citroen did not merge out of love for each other....and the legacy Peugeot was in control.
Aussie Citroen addict here. Over 52 years and 17 Citroens my favorites were in order: 1) 1978 CX 2400 EFI Prestige 5 speed with leather 2) 1982 2CV6 Charleston 3) 1972 DS21 EFI Pallas 5 speed with leather. 4) 1974 GS 1220 Club manual The CX was my favorite... The fingertip power return DIRAVI speed sensitive steering. Finger tip control including the BEST blinker swich ever.. on finger extended on and off - when you wanted it... not in roundabouts. Ah - that 123 inch wheel base with hydropneumatic height adjustable self levelling suspension. Maybe the only car ever to have the body mounted on rubber blocks on two 'longerons' to further. What about the single wiper
Nice of you te feature non US cars as well. From Citroen the GS might be more interesting in design. it has the same sort of overal look and interior, but it has air cooled boxer engine. Also the CX Turbo's had super nice rims as you can see in the video. Two "T" 's are incorporated into the rim in the turbo versions.
7:14 Having driven, and owned a 1st generation BX, with the PRN-pods, I almost immediately found the non-self-cancelling turn signal switch being a positive trait.
My fave car. Family had a CX 20 (exactly these colors @6:40 :) and a CX 24 Pallas (double weber), both with the old cylidrical gauges. Such a comfortable cruiser. Had a few 24-hour trips in it.
I had two mk1 BX's - a 19RD and later an early 19GT, both amazing cars in their own ways. My Dad had a 19RD estate and then a 19DTR, both mk2's. I kind of preferred my older models, but loved them all! The XU(D) engine's were great and as tough as anything.
The Grace Jones advert is my all time favorite weird auto advertisement! The original speedometer reminds me of my ‘68 Toronado. My best friend in high school had a Peugeot 504 which had a great ride, but was much more conservative than any Citroën.
The one spoke deep dish steering wheel and the non self cancelling indicator are just a small part of the safety package of this very advanced car. The one spoke deep dish steering wheel was intended to reduce head injury in case of a collission, the hard structural elements being further away from the head of the driver. This is also the reason for the rather strange dashboard shape (as far away from the front seat passengers as possible and made out of soft material). The non self cancelling indicator makes the car more visible when overtaking particularly on the two 3 lane route nationale roads, warning oncoming drivers with the continually flashing indicator. If you drive in France this "style" of continuing to indicate while overtaking is fairly common still.
The '80s were certainly a time for odd/futuristic instrument clusters and interiors, I'm sure I remember a friend's parent's car having a weird mechanical bargraph type of speedo where a red bar got longer, the faster you went, and where a "trip computer" was considered the very cutting edge of technology.
We had a Renault 5, later called LeCar. It didn't have the suspension tech of this Citroen, but it had a wonderful ride. So does our Saab 9-5. It just glides over Michigan roads.
I own one of these vehicles. A light blue state wagon. I love it. It has an opening hatch. Full suspension. And a trailer hitch. It is from the early 80s. It is made by matchbox.
Adam, your pronunciation of Citroën is flawless, you must have French blood. 😉 However, I'm confused about 2 things you said in the 2nd minute: FWD cars are notoriously front heavy, yet you said that they moved the engine as far forward as they could, AND tilted it even farther forward. Am I getting that right? Also, 16 elastic links connecting the body to the axle? Please tell me what I'm getting wrong. (P.S. I think you have shown us a Mopar with the turn signal switch on the left side of the instrument cluster, but I don't remember about canceling...)
i had a great laugh with your video, specifically with your narrative about the rotating balls for speedo and tacho. All the while looking with my mouth agape at that super huge fail of an idea or the implementation of it. An idea, where you will never be able to rev match to downshift, neither will you ever know you exact speed, like EVER LOL. I mean WHO would think of stuffing two BALLS IN LIQUID behind the dashboard for crying out loud? who, other than the FRENCH? hahahah, keep the videos coming they are great!
60's Mercedes has a vertical rotating drum speedo that had different colored bands showing what gear should be used. The coloring placement was different between the 4 and 6 cylinder engines.
I am far from a fan of French cars but the CX dashboard controls were exceptionally easy to work on the switch gear fitted together like Lego bricks very easy to replace switches or instruments even if you had never worked on one before
I think there is a German car test where the CX was placed against a Mercedes Benz and a big Fiat. It won all segments. These were not bad cars, but if something broke, you had to pay more than your fair share of labor cost. Quite complicated cars to work on.
Despite loving the DS and particularly the SM, I could never embrace the CX. The exterior styling seemed more than a bit lazy, with the windshield and front door glass fitting together as if they were from two different cars.
A rotating drum as the speedo we have in the 1958 Edsel. But the special feature about the CX's gauges are real lenses insted of simple screens above. I have had a 2009 Citroen C5, that was the last Citroen with that hydropneumatic. Sadly it was miles away from that cushy ride of the CX. But it also still has some quirks: The needles in the gauges point from outer to the center. The driver airbag doesn't spin with the steering wheel. Inverted konkave rear window. Door pocket lights, activated by motion sensor. Aluminium hood. Center media screen (7") pointed to the passenger. Active tilting main headlamps (if HID), And even a massage-front seat. (But only 4 gears...)
The CX was supposed to receive a flat 6 engine. That's why the bonnet line is so low. The old 4 cylinder (dating back to the 30's) could only fit under that bonnet line if heavely tilted to the front...
Citroen has always been an innovator; I can not say the same for Peugeot... The 2CV, DS, CX, etc all have been influential and 'noticeable'... in a quirky way.
Oh, so stylish, simple and practical is "Bizarre" these days? And non-self-cancelling indicators were a huge benefit! Your brain takes two uses of them to make turning them off a subconscious action. The big advantage is that you only need to put them on once. With normal self-cancelling indicators, they turn off when you move into a turn-lane so you have to turn them on again, which REALLY annoys me. I'm sure this is why people turn from the centre of the road, rather than from turn-lanes. Also, they're light to operate because there is no super-strong detente for the self-cancelling. Many European cars always had stalk-operated horns so the lack of stalks or horn-button wasn't a disadvantage. The only disadvantage of the single-spoke steering wheel was when air-bags were starting to become available and, later, mandatory. Later C4 and C5 models had a fixed hub so that the driver could have a full-size rectangular airbag, like the passenger's, instead of the smaller round airbag on everyone else's steering wheels. The Series 1 speedometer and tachometer were very easy to read. They had big numerals that were clear day and night, plus the whole cluster was compact and fitted neatly into the "Lunule". Oh, and they were rotating cylinders, not balls. The whole thing was very practical and easy. The "bulge" on the right-side of the hood was on all CX models, not just Turbos. It was the ventilation intake and the bulge caused a slight high-pressure area there, because the pressure in front of the windscreen was too low. Ventilation was the Achilles heel of the CX - they were always hot, with all that glass. I suspect this styling feature, also on the SM, came from the BMC Pininfarina "Aerodynamica" prototype.
2:41 There is an advantage to having a wheel that self-centers, even when the car is standing still. That could keep a driver from inadvertently whacking the car in the next space, thinking the wheel was straight, when it was really turned 360 degrees. Of course, it could complicate parking on a hill if one wants the wheels turned toward the curb.
06:42 No , no. The stalk and contols design have nothing to do with the single spoke steering wheel, absolutely nothing. This is being said in a lot of video however is not true. Both are just choices to go with. The 1990 XM had also a single spoke steeing wheel but conventional stalks.
One of the most notable eccentricities of the early CX dashboards, was the speedometer. Unlike in every other car where the numberd are fixed and the needle moves as the car goes faster; in early CX's the needle itself is fixed....and it's the numbers that move! - rather like how old fashioned weight scales work! It's actually a genius idea, even though it's also bonkers because it's so unnerving for drivers to experience; as they've not seen anything like it in any other car. It's no surprise that on later CX models, Citröen replaced this with a conventional speedometer. But that was just one of many quirks and oddities about the CX - a luxury car that refused to play by conventional rules. It was a car for eccentric people, and those who just simply wanted to stand out and didn't mind doing so.
I called France one day in the early 80s to the Citroen headquarters. Today, that would be a non-event, but back then international calls were kind of pricey. I spoke with a very helpful woman in customer service and my year of Francais was not nearly enough, she graciously switched to English. I asked if I could be sent some literature, whatever was handy for a look at the current year models. A couple of weeks later, I received two mailing envelopes stuffed full of brochures and technical data sheets, repair guides, it was way more than I asked for and I was delighted!
That's a great story! Nowadays they'd just send you a URL, and you're on your own.
That reminds me of Polaroid in their glory days, before digital cameras put them out of business... Besides their very thorough instruction manuals, and a list of service centers all over the world, I still remember a person on the 800 number named Sue Gagnon who was so very helpful to me, and had been with the company for 30 years and actually took one of the prototype SX-70 cameras on her honeymoon to give the results back to Dr Land... Sighhhhh
@@marko7843 Hmm.. the mind races thinking about that.
@@HelpingHand-ic4wt Oh yeah, I forgot about the OTHER possibilities of instant photography... you dirty so and so. 😉
(But she was just trying to optimize the film chemistry and flash bars.)
@@marko7843 I had a tuna fish sandwich with the wrapper loose.
Hi from Sydney, Australia. One of my friends left the corporate world in his late fifties, to start his own specialist consulting business, in prior days he'd had whatever brand of company car given to him, and he hated most of them this was in the early 1990's. Possibly having to spend reasonable time behind the wheel in rural New South Wales he was determined he was going to drive something he would enjoy. Not a huge amount of Citroen CX's came to Australia. But this is what he wanted, and after searching for a while he found a long wheelbase Prestige it was a one elderly owner immaculate car. At one point I went with him to an antiquarian book sale and auction in a large country town the car was so cosseting, possibly the most comfortable car I've ever been in, on very bad roads it was like a hovercraft just gliding over bumps and broken surfaces like they were not there. He drove it all the years near 3 decades until his recent passing as a 90-year-old. Exceptional cars.
There's more than we realise around but they are rare.
I had the sheer joy of a Paris delivery new RHD 1978 CX Prestige 2400 EFI 5 speed with leather... wonderful in Europe, even more wonderful in Australia...
just a note: the bulge on the hood was not specific ro the Turbo versions. Was on absolutely all CX and is the air intake for the cabin ventilation. Doesn't matter actually, the video is lovely Thanks Adam!
Hey amazing to see the CX featured on your channel.
I am the proud owner of a first gen CX Prestige. The interior (except the quality of some materials and assembly) is amazing as is the ride. The exterior of the car now looks even more amazing than in the 70's-80's. It looks from another planet compared to today's "cars".
Cheers from Switzerland
Excellent video!
My spouse had a Citroen Xantia when she lived in Brussels. I remember riding in that car up cobblestone streets with Belgian pavers that were so rough that I slowed my 1980 Jetta down to 15 mph because I was concerned that parts of the car might simply fly right off. Her Citroen would go flying up that street at 30 mph and you felt nothing! You heard a little roar from the tires, but that's it. Amazing!
I will say that the hydraulic power brakes on the Citroen were very touchy. You just barely put pressure on the pedal for a normal stop, it took a little getting used to. The 767 that I fly for a living has a similar system with 3000 PSI, but is much easier to modulate than on the Citroen.
These ride so smoothly. Seats are like parlour sofas and the interior is huge. They are quirky but had some space-age tech.
They rode so smoothly and were so well planted to the road that the BBC used the DS as traveling camera cars. Here is how that setup worked, 3KW generator being towed behind, A driver in the front seat, (right-hand drive), and a videotape recorder in the passenger seat. In the back there were two engineers in the back seat (watching 3 monitors and adjusting camera settings, and on top of the car was an additional frame over the roof that a person could stand on when the car was still, but attached to the middle of the frame was a mini camera crane which could extend out over the front of the car, with a camera operator in the care seat behind the camera, and then the camera a 210 pound EMI 2001 was mounted to the crane, the car would then go down the road, with the camera operator following the action and a small microwave transmitter with its antenna on top of the car would relay the signal back to the studio. They did use the car once to follow a 747 down the runway at 80 mph down a runway at Heathrow Airport, for a videotaped segment.
ua-cam.com/video/EQA9FiqKct8/v-deo.htmlsi=PiZbKKXzIA8yaA3R
@@mspysu79 Cool!
Hi, I'm a Citroën mecanic and collector in France, and this is the most detailled video I've seen about the CX. The interior is quite unique, even in France some people find it strange and quirky. I had 2 CX. One turbo diesel serie 1 and after, a gti turbo 2. The last one was a beast. Boost pressure was pushed a bit, the engine developed 220 HP, it was ripping the tire all the time when you was putting your foot to the floor !
Really an incredible car.
You should make a video about the Citroën GSA, the interior was really bizarre and this one, the craziest Citroën ever done, and I love it !
The CX was technically a body on frame car, as its unibody was mounted to a separate full length non-self supporting "chassis" consisting of two longitudinal members and three crossmembers that supported the entire driveline and suspension mounts. The result was exceptional rigidity for the time and arguably the best ride of any Citroën.
In the USA, GM had long used a perimeter frame where the body added strength to the center of the frame.
I've owned and driven models with both interiors and have appreciated their ergonomically logical functions and positions. Allways at fingertip distance and with very distinct feeling and movement. As for the 'rolling drum' speedo and tachometer, Mercedes and several other brands used the same technique but vertically positioned as a thermometer- nothing really special about it, just another kind of application. The one-spoke steering wheel is not a gimmick but a safety feature with the column/hub deep down in the dash away from your chest in case of an accident. Also the door opener lever, is hidden in the handle and thus protecting the door from being accidentally opened. These are just a few details along with all the other safety oriented technical solutions such as in the springing and steering (neutral pivoting hub/steering geometry), the brakes and hydraulics automatically sensing weight distribution... etc etc. I came to love the CX's after decades with other exclusive European cars.
Finally - for now - the signalling switch doesn't neutralise automatically because Citroën has always prioritized giving the driver control of the car, not the other way around. Today we are to lazy though... The CX was a 'drivers car' in so many respects, especially in really harsh conditions when it really came to the fore - it just loved to be pushed through snow and ice. Miss them!
Some of the wilder Virgil Exner era intereors on Chrysler products are pretty wild, like the 1960 Dodge, and the Chrysler Astro Dome. Iove Citroens and had a 1959 DS in college. That had a pretty funky dash as well. Had the car for weeks before i figured out how you’re supposed to start the engine, I had been putting a wrench across the starter relay under the hood. You turn the key on then move the little gear lever beyond reverse to crank the engine.
As a boy, I loved going to my dad's auto garage at night, with the shop lights off, and I'd sit in the various cars, switch to "parking lights" so the dash would light up.
Some of those Chryslers had GREAT lighting and colors!
Wow, you just triggered a 60-year-old flashback !
My uncle was an engineer and liked French automobiles. He had a 1961 DS Wagon,, bought new, that looked like a vehicle from outer space compared to my dad's '61 Chevy. I recall how well his Citroen rode, the one spoke steering wheel and the mushroom-shaped brake button. Great wagon!
I've always found Citroens strangely fascinating. And I agree, this car has a very crazy interior! I really liked the red version.
In the '70s, I remember stories about their "green blood" that ran everything.
I don't know if that hydraulic fluid they used was green or not, but it was very intriguing to us as teens.
[edit: fix one word]
@@josephgaviotayes, it was green vegetable based oil.
@@danielulz1640 No, it was a mineral hydraulic fluid, dyed green so no-one would mix it up with normal brake fluid. Unlike brake fluid, which absorbs moisture and encourages rust in the brake system, LHM (Liquide Hydraulique Minerale) lubricated hydraulic valves and cylinders and protected the system against corrosion.
Yes, thank you for the correction. It has been forty years since I was a Citroën parts man. @@normandiebryant6989
I learnt to drive in a CX Super 2ltr manual - my step dad's car. I thought that car was brilliant. So smooth, quiet and futuristic. The seat were also so comfortable. It was easy to drive and I never had problems with the non-cancelling indicators. Independent Citroen was such an innovative company with the DS, CX and SM being the principle of their engineering before merging and never being the same again. I miss their style. Can't think of anything like it today.
I believe their greatest works were in the category of advanced suspension systems. From the first fully independent suspension in the Traction Avant to the tuned mass dampers used in the 2CV to what I believe was their greatest invention, the world's first active suspension system introduced in the DS in 1954- a system so good that even Rolls-Royce adopted it, and which is still produced in more modern variants today.
I do have 1 foot in my grave, but drive around very happily in my 1982 CX 2500 Limousine 5 speed Diesel here in Vancouver BC. It is one of the most comfortable cars on earth . Awful to get in and out when you are tall. Slowly but sure we are starting to rust away together, I still prefer the DS 21. The pistol grip doorhandles are something else, somebody with short fingers are not happy. The rear glass is made in such a way that at speed over 80kmph and its raining, the window stays dry! Very clever indeed. Love my CX,
Bas
I am sure you know this already but maybe worth mentioning, the pods are a sort of safety measure in that you can do nearly everything without taking your hands off the wheel, and the non-canceling turn signals were thought to be safer by the designer as well. Also maybe worth mentioning that American and some European cars were commonly fitted with drum speedometers from the 1910s to the early 1930s, so there is an early precedent too.
Then, there is that one guy who has been circling the world to the left for the past 45 years.
I've read an article years ago where a Citroën engineer was quoted. He said that the turn signal switch had to be on the pod, but they couldn't think of a self-cancelling mechanism for it in that position.
I used to like peeking in cars to look at their Interiors. When I saw one of these in the 80s I was absolutely wondering what was going on with those instruments.
It's sat in the back of my mind for decades until the wonders of UA-cam finally revealed it to me.
I can't understand why Citroen has become more mainstream.
We are in a boring world.
I can hear management in the design phase: "It's not crazy enough. Back to the drawing board." My favorite French car is the Citroen C6. Completely outrageous.
Horns in different places were pretty common back in the day. Both my 1971 Triumph Stag and my 1978 MGB have the horn on the end of the left column stalk. Actually fairly conveniente all things considered...
Horn on stalks are easier than steering wheel.
Yea, I agree. It was very common in most cars back in the 60's right through to the late 80's for the horn to be on the end of a stalk, rather than on the actual steering wheel itself. The latter only started becoming common from the early 90's onwards.
@@robtyman4281 Japs were doing it way before then...
These always remind me of old French movies. Every character takes a cab ride in these.
Love these interiors! So many little quirky details to drool over. The one spoke steering wheel is just mesmerizing to me, so cool.
Another great video Adam.I love you are branching out and are reporting on cars from different companies foreign and domestic. The Citroën and Saabs are truly unique vehicles. It's very 😎 on the Citroën due to weight distribution and pneumatic suspension it can run on 3 tires .The rolling gouges of course harken to the Toronado,but also the Edsel as well.Take care and cheers from Eulethra.
I have a Citroen C4 Cactus 2017 and it is the most strange interior that i had in a car till now, no rpm or temp gauge. Really weird dashboard. Great Video, thanks!
That CX dash has more lights than a Christmas tree!
Awesome thanks for the 2nd video this weekend!
Citroën experimented with these “control pods” for several years, including the GS, CX and Visa.
Notice how many warning lights there were already! Also true on the SM and DS. The big red STOP warning was always paired with another red warning light, meaning that this warning could NOT be ignored. Things like coolant, or engine temperature, charging, low oil etc.
Later on, post Y2K, Citroën experimented with fixed controls on the center of the steering wheel, such as in some Picasso models, and some Citroën C5 models. In these cases, multiple controls were in the center of the wheel, but when the steering wheel was turned, the entire center hub remained stationary.
They also experimented with remote climate controls placed near the side vents of the driver and passenger, rather than in the center console.
Peugeot, Citroën and Renault have all used little control pods behind the steering wheel to control audio functions and sources, or in the case of the first two, the cruise control and speed limiter.
The yellow headlights are a great idea. I wish there were regulations here in the States that considered the blinding of oncoming traffic. I can't drive at night anymore because the headlights of oncoming cars have gotten so bright. It seems that all regulations for modern vehicles only pertain to the occupants of the vehicle and anyone outside the vehicle is not considered at all. This seems very apparent when you look at modern pickup trucks and large SUVs. But even smaller vehicles have blindingly bright headlights that are directly in my line of sight in my older sedan. Something needs to be done about this. And many other things regarding modern vehicles. They're only safe if you're in them. To everyone else, they're a danger
They only have to meet one criteria about light and they will throw light everywhere else.
If you have problems with headlights you most likely have cataracts. Go get your eyes looked at.
Yes I'm an eye doctor
I couldn't agree more, but I think we are fighting a losing battle. I first drove in France around 1980 and loved the way I was never blinded (in the cities you were even required to use parking lights only). Funny thing: your eyes are wonderful intruments that adjust so you can see just as well by dim(-mer) lights when you are not blinded.
But since then I feel it has been an "arms-race" of cars getting brighter and brighter lights and now I have to run bright LED-lights on my bicycle just to be seen
@@friedjohn These LED headlamps can actually damage your retina if you look at them long enough! They are very dangerous. Whenever possible look away from these lights, not directly into them.
Modern headlights are garbage
Keep it up with the European cars Adam. They're just as cool as the U.S. vehicles, albeit with their own unique charm.
Fascinating. And, I’m so surprised to learn that you’re a Citroen fan. I was a heartbeat away from buying a pre owned one as a recent college grad in 1965. Thanks Adam.
Why am I reminded of the line from Monty Python and the holy grail: “Are you French??” “Of course I’m French!! How do you think I got this OUTRAGEOUS accent???!”
You just have to ride in one of these, a DS, SM or a C6 to really appreciate how unbelievably comfortable they are. Nothing else comes close. Once you drive or are driven in one even the modern air suspensions with lasers and stuff will feel like a huge step backwards. People keep saying it's like a magic carpet ride and i always thought that was just some gimmicky saying, but it surely was not.
My grandfather purchased a Citroen C6 and i loaned it from him every single chance i got. When a friend from the states was visiting that was the car that even she had to admit was just something else, after listening to her frown upon european cars for the last week. It was a shame the 2.7 Jaguar co-developed diesel V6 was a problematic powerplant which eventually let go forcing my grandfather to spend time on the side of the road. At the age he was then it was such an unpleasant and scary experience to have an engine fail during driving that he lost trust in the car and sold it, even though an insurance paid for a used engine with less miles on it to be installed. Shame, but i have such great memories of it. It had so many weird things about it and it was okay for it to be weird. Nowadays nothing is allowed to be weird.
Ford developed, not Jaguar.
@@Low760 you're right sorry for the mistake, i think i've seen it on so many Jaguars it has hazed my memory but yea, definitely the Ford developed one. I did hear that the facelifts used a 3.0 litre variant of it which at least then was supposed to be "improved", but didn't end up looking too much into if that would have been a more reliable choice. The DW10 4-cylinder diesel or the petrol V6 is what i keep looking for if they are for sale, but they are rare cars...
I just said the same thing on another post: a modern Mercedes air suspension is not as good or reliable as what Citroën has made.
As an owner of a C5X, the Citroën Advanced Comfort Active Suspension, which combines Progressive Hydraulic Cushions with active suspension control. The vehicle adapts the suspension of each wheel to be softer or firmer depending on the conditions encountered comes very close to the original hydro-pneumatics.
I had two CX, the faster speed you go over road speed bumps the less you notice them.
I have a CX with the revolving drums, and can say that the 2 pods with the controls on work really well. You can operate them all with taking your hands off the wheel. And I prefer the non-cancelling indicators!
And the hooter that was louder the harder you pressed the button.
And the "Idiot Light of All Time Award" goes to "STOP BRAKE FAILURE".
And the dash display award goes to Mercedes for the SBC braking system. This is a brake by wire system with emergency backup. The system has a limited number of applications before a yellow service warning appears. If this is ignored, a red do not drive screen appears and the car is limited to limp in engine power.
They had that there to indicate a malfunction with the very sophisticated brake boost system. In the SM they didn't even have a physical linkage to the master cylinder; the brake system was activated by hydraulic pressure produced by a plunger in the shape of a big button mounted to the back of the pedal box.
I had an early CX and it was way more intuitive to drive than it looks. Supreme comfort let down by poor ventilation and expensive servicing. It was a joy to waft along in.
Didn't they have a weird "button" gas pedal?
@@josephgaviota No. The DS had a button brake, but the CX pedals were 'normal'.
@@PedroConejo1939 Oh, thank you for that clarification. I saw one of these when I was just a kid, before I could drive, and just remember looking at the floor and thinking it was odd.
@@josephgaviota Those Citroëns that ran the brakes from the high-pressure suspension system always had powerful brakes and a lot of people couldn't get used to them. If you knew how to use the brakes properly, it made a Citroën the wrong car to tailgate - they could out-stop _anything._ It saved my life a time or two.
Great video Adam - I like the variety. Not only do you show a lot of US stuff we Aussies never knew existed, but you also branch out into other makes like this.
When you made the comment about nobody copies Citroen, I thought you may like to know what GM (Holden) Australia did in the 80s - their designers were heavily "inspired" by Citroen.
The 1980-1985 WB Holden Statesman & Caprice luxury sedans (Australia's own Cadillac), the 1980-1983 Holden Commodore SL/E and 1984-1988 Holden Calais (both were the top-luxury spec Commodore) got a single spoke steering wheel fitted to them, that was heavily inspired by Citroen, and this was noted incessantly in the media coverage. Aussies did it right though - the whole face of the vertical spoke became the horn pad, and it was only broken up by a small badge denoting the trim level (SL/E) the Statesman wreath, or just a Holden logo, depending on the model & year.
But it didn't stop there. The 1986-1988 VL Commodore took the pods idea with "fingertip control" for the wipers and washers (both front and rear on wagons) rear demist and power antenna. The headlights followed the more common (for the era) Japanese location on the blinker stalk.
They continued to do binnacle pods in the 1988-1993 VN and VP Commodore, adding even more to the switch banks, including headlights, instrument dimming and cruise control switches. Fortunately the traditional blinker stalk remained in place. They stopped doing the pods after the 1993 VP, reverting to dashboard controls for most things, with wipers & intermittent delay control on a new left stalk, and blinkers + cruise on the right stalk.
Ford Australia went even harder at it with the 1984 XF Falcon, and ZL/FE Fairlane & LTD models. More basic cars only had a few binnacle switches, but the Fairmont Ghia, Fairlane and LTD went all out - the entire A/C controls were mounted on the left binnacle (with the exception of the switch to turn on the motorised vents). Google those models for some images. They also featured a beautiful VFD display that's one of the best I've ever come across for style, readability, and functionality.
Citroen definitely got copied by Aussie designers.
I remember as a kid seeing Grace Jones in the Honda Elite scooter commercials here in the US
A friend had a coveted SM and a DS and although they were such fabulous and unique cars, they were unreliable money pits, every time we went for a drive it was a major gamble but they were so comfortable and small crowds used to form around the SM wherever we parked
The 2CV Citroen had several funky features from the wipers powered from the speedometer on early versions, windows that flapped up to open, inter connected springs for suspension, door locks that just rotated when locked etc etc.
Renault had different wheelbase lengths on either side due to placement of the rear suspension. The Renault 16TX had a 5 froward speed and reverse column gear leaver. three on the tree plus 2 more. Panhard PL 17 had funky windscreen wiper pattern, Never under stood why the didn't get tangled.
Hi Adam, how good to learn that you are Citroën CX fan. I came to your channel some years ago as a Cadillac Brougham 5,7 1990 driver, and I now own a CX. If you come to Europe, stop by Paris and have a CX ride! so much to tell about this car (and the Cadillac :D). I used to live in Germany and at high autobahn speed the CX is incredibly safe, I understand why it has plenty of German addicts!
i had amongst others that CX model a late one, have also 3 DS from diferent years and a GS, Dyane, Mehari, 2CV(80´s, improved interiors all white) and three AMi the diferent bodies being the three volume model, the strangest of all with a strange installed back window also the known by tracion avant like Dupond & Dupond from Tintin comic strips in Bordeux with beige interiors and drove it for 5 years as my daily car ,had also one in black , older. In 81 bought in 2nd hand a CX 2600 diesel with all extras like the luxury version with the two litle tv´s magnifying glass to numbers that rotate behind, as the GS and DS´s i own, the one you´re showing was like my diesel on top of the speaker had the radio cassette player from blaupunkt and on the speaker spot installed a equalizer and a amplifier all from pioneer ,including four big speakers in the back and in the front on the foot section, the regular gages who were very nice(regular as in other cars or the last they installed there) and at night had a lightening who made them even more modern looking, after bought a XM even more surprising, as it is today still surprising for the ones who never had seen one, have the 3.0L V6 but first bought a 2.0L anemic engine and sold it after two years was kind of a spaceship and it lift of but stoped ,didn´t went airborn, had a Visa made for rallyes with atatched original panels on top of the wheels panels , screwed to allow better tires and iron special wheels, all white, my fatherv was into citroen´s he made me caught the bug, the first DS was his the first model GT version with gages sportive regular ones with GT 2.173cc´s written on the back in golden metal, it had extra headlights(extreme far seeing ,blinding drivers that were passing by us on the reverse direction ,this from the same colour of the panels only white on top and green all around, a nice car in early 2000´s i drove it a lot, it was in our family since new, my young memories was in the back looking to the dash lightening which was very ahed for the time, this traveling to the south ,one month on the beach camping, normaly with a pine tree litle forest always with shadows like 100 meters from the beach and lot´s of european countries families there some we met each year growing up with their daughters, when i was 10 i already speaked french with perfection and with 12 years old ,english only today it´s hard for me to talk french, but i can read perfect, the C& they say in a video it was a Flop but i saw more C6´s than othjers brands cars from the same range maybe in england where the video was done , they could not exopect to be sold as the C2, the death car, and they say cars are more safe today. With a late 60´s car at all possible crashes in the modern one death assured and seen a lot of young men dead but like bits of flesh and not at more than 80km´s an hour while in a very old citroen no problem at all , a bit shoock up but nothing more a -20 for modern safety, a lie like all is said today from oficial services. i almost forget to say that had a Xantia 1.8 but sold it after 1 year of owning it but in 2019 the father of a friend of mine had a fully equiped Xantia with turbo -diesel engine and with the first alloy wheels that were nice after ,the ones released after 96 i found them very ugly ,he asked me if i wanted the car to which i replyed i had not money to buy it and he asked me "you don´t have 400€ ?" yes i replyed , and i got it and before taking it from the garage he explained me all new things like the bulbs(balls with oil and some suspenction parts were all new but i read about it and it´s like the old suspenction only at high speeds the direction gets heavier as there were complains but i never noticed nothing at that department) also several other pieces and parts had been changed before he died and it was a perfect car ,sometimes i drive it, as my daily car is a octavia sport 2.0TDi from Skoda and i change it sometimes also too keep it running as it is perfect, and like others ,three wheels running, even in turns while going up hill ,never touched the ground as older citroen cars like the GS and CX, the XM i never tried that, but also never had a flat tire
Thanks for the video. CX was a cool car. I personally would love to find an XM in good condition. Citroens were always quirky but fun.
The series 1 BX still had a very similar instrument console. My first car was a BX14E.
Great cars! I've owned several years ago and loved them. The ride is really magical. You either love or hate the Diravi steering, and I loved it.
Really intriguing automobile. Thank you, Adam!
I personally like these even more than the DS.
Very similar but even more crazy: the Citroën GSA dashboard.
Big speaker in the center, but where's the radio?
I dig that single spoke wheel, even though it looks like you'd hit your hands on the turn signal pods.
The radio is between the seats.
I have had several CXs over the years. The main thing about those controls (which you didn't fully state) was that all those controls could be operated with your finger tips without taking your hand off the wheel. Indeed, with the very direct DIRAVI steering you could not just let go of the wheel while going around a bend or it would self-center rapidly giving you a big jerk.
Very nice video, thank you. Interesting also: besides being elegant and stylish the CX engine was bullet proof, very reliable. It was more or less the same engine over the years. The suspension needed some effort
As a kid I had a few enjoyable days being driven around in one of the early models. It certainly left an impression on me and I recall noting how you could turn the wheel with just one finger. I also noticed the brake pedal which was lower than the clutch and accelerator and the brakes were both powerful and sensitive. The seats were comfortable and the ride was amazing. What a wonderful and unique car and I feel so lucky that I had that experience back when these cars were still new.
Such cool cars, I've always liked Citroen's and there used to be quite a few running around the Seattle area when I was a kid in the 70's/80's, mostly DS's and a few 2CV's. Those CX's are very nice looking cars.
A Grace Jones garage in every driveway!
And Robert Smith at every birthday party!
Nice looking car!
This was the 'space' car in 1974, with Detroit putting instruments in little fake wood grain silver trimmed boxes all over the dash ...there was _this_ ! People purchased the first gen for the ball dash ash tray alone.
The lighted dash at night is something to behold, although let down to some degree by the quality of the plastics.
I'm a Citroenaphile from way back and the new drive is in my banner.
Very unique!!! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the great video. I think Peugeot blocked V6 engines in the Citroens, as that would interfere with their market potential. Peugeot and Citroen did not merge out of love for each other....and the legacy Peugeot was in control.
Ian McCollum from Forgotten weapons said it best " The French copy no one, and no one copies the French".
Yeah I made the comment before the video was done DUH!
Aussie Citroen addict here. Over 52 years and 17 Citroens my favorites were in order:
1) 1978 CX 2400 EFI Prestige 5 speed with leather
2) 1982 2CV6 Charleston
3) 1972 DS21 EFI Pallas 5 speed with leather.
4) 1974 GS 1220 Club manual
The CX was my favorite...
The fingertip power return DIRAVI speed sensitive steering.
Finger tip control including the BEST blinker swich ever.. on finger extended on and off - when you wanted it... not in roundabouts.
Ah - that 123 inch wheel base with hydropneumatic height adjustable self levelling suspension.
Maybe the only car ever to have the body mounted on rubber blocks on two 'longerons' to further.
What about the single wiper
Nice of you te feature non US cars as well. From Citroen the GS might be more interesting in design. it has the same sort of overal look and interior, but it has air cooled boxer engine. Also the CX Turbo's had super nice rims as you can see in the video. Two "T" 's are incorporated into the rim in the turbo versions.
7:14 Having driven, and owned a 1st generation BX, with the PRN-pods, I almost immediately found the non-self-cancelling turn signal switch being a positive trait.
My fave car. Family had a CX 20 (exactly these colors @6:40 :) and a CX 24 Pallas (double weber), both with the old cylidrical gauges. Such a comfortable cruiser. Had a few 24-hour trips in it.
I love it. the BX too had great interior.
That’s the weirdest interior….I freaking love it though!
OMG! What Fun! Thanks Adam! Wheeee! Matti
The Mk1 Citroën BX interior was also quite... odd. My folks had one back in the day.
I had two mk1 BX's - a 19RD and later an early 19GT, both amazing cars in their own ways. My Dad had a 19RD estate and then a 19DTR, both mk2's. I kind of preferred my older models, but loved them all! The XU(D) engine's were great and as tough as anything.
Awesome car! Very space age. Thanks for posting. 👍
The small markings on the bottom of the speedo drum are the braking distances from that speed to full stop.
The Grace Jones advert is my all time favorite weird auto advertisement! The original speedometer reminds me of my ‘68 Toronado. My best friend in high school had a Peugeot 504 which had a great ride, but was much more conservative than any Citroën.
From memory, I think that some Buicks in the 1920s had a similar style speedometer with the numbers printed on a rotating barrel.
We must be related somehow, Adam. I love peculiar cars and Citroens most of all!
Oh Adam, I could listen to you speaking French all day..
The one spoke deep dish steering wheel and the non self cancelling indicator are just a small part of the safety package of this very advanced car. The one spoke deep dish steering wheel was intended to reduce head injury in case of a collission, the hard structural elements being further away from the head of the driver. This is also the reason for the rather strange dashboard shape (as far away from the front seat passengers as possible and made out of soft material). The non self cancelling indicator makes the car more visible when overtaking particularly on the two 3 lane route nationale roads, warning oncoming drivers with the continually flashing indicator. If you drive in France this "style" of continuing to indicate while overtaking is fairly common still.
The '80s were certainly a time for odd/futuristic instrument clusters and interiors, I'm sure I remember a friend's parent's car having a weird mechanical bargraph type of speedo where a red bar got longer, the faster you went, and where a "trip computer" was considered the very cutting edge of technology.
We had a Renault 5, later called LeCar. It didn't have the suspension tech of this Citroen, but it had a wonderful ride. So does our Saab 9-5. It just glides over Michigan roads.
I love older Citroen cars. Full of character, especially the 2cv!
I own one of these vehicles. A light blue state wagon. I love it. It has an opening hatch. Full suspension. And a trailer hitch. It is from the early 80s. It is made by matchbox.
That interior is great. I wish more companies had the balls to be different.
Adam, your pronunciation of Citroën is flawless, you must have French blood. 😉
However, I'm confused about 2 things you said in the 2nd minute: FWD cars are notoriously front heavy, yet you said that they moved the engine as far forward as they could, AND tilted it even farther forward. Am I getting that right? Also, 16 elastic links connecting the body to the axle? Please tell me what I'm getting wrong.
(P.S. I think you have shown us a Mopar with the turn signal switch on the left side of the instrument cluster, but I don't remember about canceling...)
Loved these Citroens. I always thought GM , Chevrolet, got the inspiration for the Corsica/Beretta wiper and light control pods from these vehicles.
Have yet to ride in or even drive a Cx. Have driven a DS and they were unsurpassed even by a Silver Shadow for overall comfort.
BTW the Cx was sold in US market too as CXA CX. There is even Motorweek video available.
i had a great laugh with your video, specifically with your narrative about the rotating balls for speedo and tacho. All the while looking with my mouth agape at that super huge fail of an idea or the implementation of it. An idea, where you will never be able to rev match to downshift, neither will you ever know you exact speed, like EVER LOL. I mean WHO would think of stuffing two BALLS IN LIQUID behind the dashboard for crying out loud? who, other than the FRENCH? hahahah, keep the videos coming they are great!
TheGSA also had a funky digital looking, but completely analog dash. The early BX also had very funky jet like dash and controls.
Dont forget the horn button has two stage, first mild tone, second an compressor horn.
The CX door mirrors lived on, TVR used them, Jaguar and Aston Martin too.
60's Mercedes has a vertical rotating drum speedo that had different colored bands showing what gear should be used. The coloring placement was different between the 4 and 6 cylinder engines.
I am far from a fan of French cars but the CX dashboard controls were exceptionally easy to work on the switch gear fitted together like Lego bricks very easy to replace switches or instruments even if you had never worked on one before
I remember the 80’s Isuzu Impulse having pods like that.
I think there is a German car test where the CX was placed against a Mercedes Benz and a big Fiat. It won all segments. These were not bad cars, but if something broke, you had to pay more than your fair share of labor cost. Quite complicated cars to work on.
I drove a million kilometers in cx,s. Stepping behind the wheel is like putting on your favorite jacket. Its more then just a car.
Despite loving the DS and particularly the SM, I could never embrace the CX. The exterior styling seemed more than a bit lazy, with the windshield and front door glass fitting together as if they were from two different cars.
A rotating drum as the speedo we have in the 1958 Edsel.
But the special feature about the CX's gauges are real lenses insted of simple screens above.
I have had a 2009 Citroen C5, that was the last Citroen with that hydropneumatic.
Sadly it was miles away from that cushy ride of the CX.
But it also still has some quirks:
The needles in the gauges point from outer to the center.
The driver airbag doesn't spin with the steering wheel.
Inverted konkave rear window.
Door pocket lights, activated by motion sensor.
Aluminium hood.
Center media screen (7") pointed to the passenger.
Active tilting main headlamps (if HID),
And even a massage-front seat.
(But only 4 gears...)
The CX was supposed to receive a flat 6 engine. That's why the bonnet line is so low.
The old 4 cylinder (dating back to the 30's) could only fit under that bonnet line if heavely tilted to the front...
Citroen has always been an innovator; I can not say the same for Peugeot... The 2CV, DS, CX, etc all have been influential and 'noticeable'... in a quirky way.
Oh, so stylish, simple and practical is "Bizarre" these days?
And non-self-cancelling indicators were a huge benefit! Your brain takes two uses of them to make turning them off a subconscious action. The big advantage is that you only need to put them on once. With normal self-cancelling indicators, they turn off when you move into a turn-lane so you have to turn them on again, which REALLY annoys me. I'm sure this is why people turn from the centre of the road, rather than from turn-lanes. Also, they're light to operate because there is no super-strong detente for the self-cancelling.
Many European cars always had stalk-operated horns so the lack of stalks or horn-button wasn't a disadvantage. The only disadvantage of the single-spoke steering wheel was when air-bags were starting to become available and, later, mandatory. Later C4 and C5 models had a fixed hub so that the driver could have a full-size rectangular airbag, like the passenger's, instead of the smaller round airbag on everyone else's steering wheels.
The Series 1 speedometer and tachometer were very easy to read. They had big numerals that were clear day and night, plus the whole cluster was compact and fitted neatly into the "Lunule". Oh, and they were rotating cylinders, not balls. The whole thing was very practical and easy.
The "bulge" on the right-side of the hood was on all CX models, not just Turbos. It was the ventilation intake and the bulge caused a slight high-pressure area there, because the pressure in front of the windscreen was too low. Ventilation was the Achilles heel of the CX - they were always hot, with all that glass. I suspect this styling feature, also on the SM, came from the BMC Pininfarina "Aerodynamica" prototype.
2:41 There is an advantage to having a wheel that self-centers, even when the car is standing still. That could keep a driver from inadvertently whacking the car in the next space, thinking the wheel was straight, when it was really turned 360 degrees. Of course, it could complicate parking on a hill if one wants the wheels turned toward the curb.
The horn is a two way thing. If you push it gentle it makes a rather nice sound but if you push it hard you'll get a very loud and harsh sound.
06:42 No , no. The stalk and contols design have nothing to do with the single spoke steering wheel, absolutely nothing. This is being said in a lot of video however is not true. Both are just choices to go with. The 1990 XM had also a single spoke steeing wheel but conventional stalks.
CX had back in the day the fastest turbo diesel in a production car.
For a diesel, it was an absolute beast back then 😮
One of the most notable eccentricities of the early CX dashboards, was the speedometer.
Unlike in every other car where the numberd are fixed and the needle moves as the car goes faster; in early CX's the needle itself is fixed....and it's the numbers that move! - rather like how old fashioned weight scales work!
It's actually a genius idea, even though it's also bonkers because it's so unnerving for drivers to experience; as they've not seen anything like it in any other car.
It's no surprise that on later CX models, Citröen replaced this with a conventional speedometer. But that was just one of many quirks and oddities about the CX - a luxury car that refused to play by conventional rules.
It was a car for eccentric people, and those who just simply wanted to stand out and didn't mind doing so.
I have a 88 CX Turbo 2 and I wish it had the earlier dashboard and cluster. The GS also had the rolling drum speedometer
Despite preferring the mk1 BX, I would rather a mk2 CX over the mk1, oddly! Loved the interior.