Autocar BX mystery!

Dollywobbler · Post by **Dollywobbler** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 10:19 pm

We've been discussing this road test on Autoshite. Check out the picture of the centre console bottom left...

Post by **Tim Leech** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 10:24 pm

They have mixed up the photos between a 19RD and a 16TRS auto it seems!

Dollywobbler · Post by **Dollywobbler** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 10:31 pm

Exactly. But why has the auto got the manual gear layout just below the selector?!

Post by **Tim Leech** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 10:38 pm

Dollywobbler wrote:Exactly. But why has the auto got the manual gear layout just below the selector?!

Haha Typical Citroen, ive bought a used auto like that once....

Dollywobbler · Post by **Dollywobbler** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 10:46 pm

It's got me curious though. What SHOULD a BX auto have there?

Post by **Tim Leech** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 10:47 pm

Dollywobbler wrote:It's got me curious though. What SHOULD a BX auto have there?

Nothing, it should have the cut out but thats all.

Dollywobbler · Post by **Dollywobbler** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 10:51 pm

They probably employed a bloke to remove the sticker. Maybe it was his day off.

Vanny · Post by **Vanny** » Fri Sep 02, 2011 5:08 pm

Or, and quite likely, it is a tool test car which later became a 'press' car in which some components would have been put together without the production line having sufficient experience to know exactly, and perfectly how things should go together, and hence the rear window switches being in the wrong places.

Even now this is not uncommon practise, a lot of cars on Top Gear are pre production 'press' cars which in my experience differ from the final sales model, some times a little, sometimes a hell of a lot!

Kitch · Post by **Kitch** » Fri Sep 02, 2011 7:51 pm

Vanny wrote:Or, and quite likely, it is a tool test car which later became a \'press\' car in which some components would have been put together without the production line having sufficient experience to know exactly, and perfectly how things should go together, and hence the rear window switches being in the wrong places.

Even now this is not uncommon practise, a lot of cars on Top Gear are pre production \'press\' cars which in my experience differ from the final sales model, some times a little, sometimes a hell of a lot!

Or the front window switches

Post by **Tim Leech** » Fri Sep 02, 2011 8:21 pm

Indeed, Mk1 Window switches were located in the centre console too as per the photo.

Vanny · Post by **Vanny** » Fri Sep 02, 2011 8:47 pm

ah, the things you learn. Funny, i've stripped three Mk1's and never really noticed that subtle difference. That would explain 8 holes, 4 windows, 4 heated seats.

Kitch · Post by **Kitch** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 12:03 am

And aircon. One of my mk1\'s had the aircon switch down there too. Think I took a pic of it.

pmh · Post by **pmh** » Mon Sep 05, 2011 3:59 pm

I was surprised to see the date (1986) and the price of £8000. I bought a Volvo 240GL Estate in April 1986 and IIRC that cost me about £8300. OK the ride was not so refined, not so economical, but a lot of car for the money. It was cheaper than a Vauxhall Cavalier estate at the time.

That car is probably the only reason that I am still in one piece, since my wife managed to demolish a lamp standard and close the A1 Southbound at about 01.00 one saturday night in about 2003. The base of the lamp standard got back as far as the bulkhead, but we both walked away with belt burns only.

citsncycles · Post by **citsncycles** » Mon Sep 05, 2011 7:45 pm

The relative costs are probably down to the age of the design. In 1986 the BX was still quite a new design, and Citroen would have been wanting to recoup the development costs. The Volvo on the other hand had been in production at least 10 years (15 if you count the 140 it was developed from) and they were probably already working on the 740 that would be launched a few years later. Quite often cars at that stage of their production life were sold quite cheaply in order to keep the sales going.