BX Musings

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Tinkley
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BX Musings

Post by Tinkley »

As I approach my 25th year of BX driving I thought back a little...

First BX I ever saw was in 1981 (yes not 82) a British Y plate charcoal grey metallic on a ferry Boulogne to Dover in September of 81. I was on a Morini 3 1/2 Sport returning from Sicily and I can remember being very taken with the style and demeanour of the car. looking back it must have been a pre production model being tested for the British market - maybe headed for Slough. I remember chatting to the ownwr and he ws fairly tight lipped at the time....

My first BX was a 14RE ex Budget Rentacar - 11 months old in Bordeaux White. Glad I had a towbar fitted because on collection and the journey home I was rear ended by a Volvo 760.. thanks for the towbar. Anyway that died in 2004 and my journey continues with my 2 Athenas.

Having covered well over 250k in BX (and on m/c's) I still find it hard to get excited my some of the modern stuff. Nearly bought a Focus but stayed true to the BX, guess its the hydraulics and comfort....

Strange really, I would quite happily jump to a truly inspirational modern vehicle with green powerplant etc. Guess electric gizmos don't do it for me. Thanks to PSA group for having the vision to employ Gandini and come up with a great design.
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Des Smith
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Re: BX Musings

Post by Des Smith »

Tinkley wrote: I was on a Morini 3 1/2 Sport returning from Sicily
I don't suppose you kept the Morini? Very pretty bikes IMHO! It would fetch a few bob these days...
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Tinkley
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Re: BX Musings

Post by Tinkley »

Thanks Des, it is (the Morini 3 1/2 Sport) sitting in my garage. It would need a lot of work, ie piston rings rusted to barrel but could be restored. It's a 1977 Borrani rim one and I added a second disc. Did over 120k on her, very good bike. Frame/engine No 10832 if you really want the detail, I have quite a few spares for her as well etc. Used to be a member of the Riders club for well over a decade.

Strangely I looked them up on the car and classic site and was amazed at the prices. I used it regularly and was commuting on it into London until the brake calipers wore out. Took Cagiva who had bought Morini over 2 years to supply them.... I gave up and bought Gilera NordWest after a while commuting in the BX.
Unlike when Morini was owned by Gabriella Morini and there was an entirely separate business supplying spares. They were excellent and prompt. BTW the brakes were Grimeca and extremely good but you needed the 2nd disc when travelling 2 up down hills. The conversion kit was standard add on from Morini.
They probably would have fitted them at the factory but for the increase in price of what was a very expensive 350 in its day.
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Re: BX Musings

Post by citronut »

i thought the first BX's in the UK were A reg 1984,and were launched in Froggy land 2 ish years earlier,

i was working at a Citroen service agents when they first came out in the UK,
it was said they were in London slightly ( months ) earlier than in the south,

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Tim Leech
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Re: BX Musings

Post by Tim Leech »

The BX was launched in France in August 82 from memmory and the UK cars were available a year later so 83 on a A, most of all now have disappeared.

NeilGP's 16TRS was a launch car hence the "RBX" reg number and is a 1983 car.
Last edited by Tim Leech on Fri Jun 07, 2013 9:45 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: BX Musings

Post by Kitch »

Something's amiss there because 1981 would be an X-plate. Y was 1982-1983, so unless it was fitted with a flux capacitor.....
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Re: BX Musings

Post by Tim Leech »

Kitch wrote:Something's amiss there because 1981 would be an X-plate. Y was 1982-1983, so unless it was fitted with a flux capacitor.....

The BX came to the UK approx Sept 83 so A reg (A reg ran from August 83- July 84) is correct. Ive never seen a "Y" plate BX.
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Re: BX Musings

Post by KevR »

Tinkley wrote:it is (the Morini 3 1/2 Sport) sitting in my garage. It would need a lot of work, ie piston rings rusted to barrel but could be restored.
And SHOULD be! I had a '77 Strada which I restored 20 odd years ago. Bought from Morini Guru Benji Straw with 8011 miles on the clock but having been in a damp shed for 15 years. Lovely bike but I made it too nice and couldn't justify keeping it... :oops:
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Re: BX Musings

Post by Kitch »

Tim Leech wrote:
Kitch wrote:Something's amiss there because 1981 would be an X-plate. Y was 1982-1983, so unless it was fitted with a flux capacitor.....

The BX came to the UK approx Sept 83 so A reg (A reg ran from August 83- July 84) is correct. Ive never seen a "Y" plate BX.
Yup, we had a six-digit plated A-reg 16TRS with no PAS which was registered '83 and believed to be one of the first into the country.
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Re: BX Musings

Post by Way2go »

Tim Leech wrote:The BX was launched in France in August 82 from memmory and the UK cars were available a year later so 83 on a A, most of all now have disappeared.

NeilGP's 16TRS was a launch car hence the "RBX" reg number and is a 1983 car.
As you probably know yourself though, the cars can be on the road for a few years beforehand as development models albeit with slight cosmetic changes.

I was very involved with Ford at their Dunton Research Plant & saw the Mondeo pre-launch during the preceding couple of years in the plant, on the test track and also on the road. Citroen surely won't be any exception to this practice either but these cars will never meet the 2nd hand market, they will be destroyed upon the official launch of the finished product.
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Tinkley
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Re: BX Musings

Post by Tinkley »

It might be a bit odd but that first BX I saw had to be '81 because I did not use a ferry again until '85 again and that was going to Amsterdam in a coach! I was going back to start a course at Epsom School of Art and Design which I did from Sept81 to July 82 then went to Leicester Poly 82-85.
At Leicester we used to see 'Opel' and other 'test' vehicles being run around the Rutland area quite regularly, more than once a year - not models on sale. GM and others getting in road miles. It is also possible that I did not pay too much attention to the No plate - more impressed by car. The driver was English but it is possible it had say Dutch plates or something incredibly similar to UK plates. Either way I stand by the fact I saw a BX in 81. I also remember not seeing them on the road for a long time afterwards. I was more a motorcyclist and not a car owner at the time, but as a soon to be Design student would have noticed anything visually interseting.

In those distant days they would leave the stern doors open on the ferry when the sea was millpond like.

Somewhere I still have photos of the Morini outside Taormina on the way back from Mt Etna. First bumped into a certain Mr Straw in '79, in the south of France when he had just rammed his Morini into the back of a BMW m/c (at least I think it was a Beemer) anyway he had a very sorry looking front wheel. By complete chance we were staying on the same campsite. Benji will confirm this... along with his fitting of normal rollers in the crankcase instead of the C3 clearance type (correct ones). I believe he may still be working for Piaggio. Great shame about Phil Smith's early death too.

Still the old Morini might see better days again, unlike the BX you could extract the engine in 20 minutes!
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Re: BX Musings

Post by Defender110 »

There was nothing to stop a customer buying a BX in France registered on UK plates for personal import and I'm sure there would have been many Citroen enthusiasts who certainly at least considered it to get the latest Citroen without waiting for the UK launch date.
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Re: BX Musings

Post by KevR »

Tinkley wrote: Still the old Morini might see better days again, unlike the BX you could extract the engine in 20 minutes!
Benji did just that when he was racing in the 6-hour endurance at Snetterton once. Blew up his engine, and borrowed one from a customer's bike in the car park - she'd only turned up to watch the race on her brand new Sport which she was still running in. He blew that one up as well!

Just found a few shots of mine from just before I sold it (for 1500 quid in 1992!)

Image

Image

Image
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Re: BX Musings

Post by Tinkley »

That is a very pretty Strada. I got one of those dual seats and it was much better on long trips as it was more comfortable + with the rack you could get loads on it (ie guitar case). I must try and find some pics of the old Sport. BTW your one must be slightly later as it has the alloy wheels. Mine was new in April '77, I was the first and only owner.
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Re: BX Musings

Post by citsncycles »

I wonder if Citroen were still in the habit of trial building models for the UK before the official launch in the 80's? They built 3 RHD H vans at intervals from the late 50's through to the mid 60's to test over here before deciding not to put them into production for this country.
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