Found this see no2

[rutter123]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/advice ... s-2k-2021/

[white exec]

Payment firewall - could you post a snip?
Sounds intriguing...

[RobC]

It’s an article about ‘affordable classics’ under £2,000.

“ In its day, the BX was widely regarded as the car that brought Citroen into the mainstream fleet market, and helped popularise diesel as a viable alternative to petrol – at one stage, it was Britain’s best-selling diesel car.

That makes a diesel BX a super-frugal choice if you’re a little strapped for cash, but don’t ignore the petrol versions either – they’re very cheap to insure, and thanks to the BX’s light weight, they punch well above their weight, the 1.4-litre in particular.

All this in a Gandini-penned body whose angular lines and coupé-esque roofline make it really quite rakish. What’s more, you get the benefit of Citroen’s famous oleopneumatic suspension system, which makes the BX one of the most comfortable ways of getting around.

And a loyal enthusiast base means not only that there’s plenty of advice out there, but that parts are affordable and relatively easy to get hold of, too.

What to pay: £800 for a going concern; £2,000 gets you one of the best

Cost to insure: £956* (Citroen BX14 TGE)

Why buy: The BX offers a flavour of the iconic DS at a fraction of the price, with comfort, fuel economy, and even a bit of French panache all at an affordable price.”



Not sure I’d agree with all of it, plus it’s illustrated with a pic of the estate- which of course was not available in the U.K. with the 1.4 engine - but nice to see the BX getting some attention.

[Dave_16v]

IMG_20211019_111916.jpg

[white exec]

Nice to get that in a major daily these days.

I used to be a regular reader of Diesel Car monthly magazine in the 80s/90s. There were two diesel engines they constantly praised: the BMW 2.5TD - and PSA's XUD, particularly in turbo form.

The BX certainly did it for Citroen, especially in the UK. Even some sales reps 'in-the-know' got to drive in exceptional comfort, and managed to get away from the usual Sierra/Cavalier choice. ZX took the XUDs as well, but rarely made it into fleet use, on account of its size. (ZX remains a hugely under-rated car, exceptionally well screwed together (almost XM solidity), and with some ground-breaking handling.)

BX planted the seeds, and Xantia took off on the back of it. So conventional and subtle was Xantia that, I guess, many drivers chose it without fully realising what was under the bonnet, or kept the car floating along. Although available with Hydractive suspension, most Xantias were not (having essentially the same suspension as BX). Fleet Xantias ran up sizeable mileages quickly (my own 1.8i auto was doing 30k+ miles each year), and were moved on long before any suspension issues arose, but family Xantias could be a different story. With many drivers essentially unaware of spheres and the like, the cars soldiered on in private ownership, until - in many cases - they literally dropped. I lost count of the number of Xantias we saw here in Spain lumping and bumping along the roads, with obviously flat or pooped spheres. The unlucky ones had their bonnets speared as the front strut-tops sheared; saw lots of those.

Xantia sold like hot cakes, and had a good innings. Today, there are few on the road (here in Spain), and breakers' yards generally crushed them on sight, because "there's no demand for spares".

Sad end to a chapter? Absolutely not - Citroen has become one of the most popular marques here, with a huge dealer network. It also has a loyal following out in rural areas, where there are hundreds (thousands?) of white C15D vans run by farmers and growers. Many of these continue to plod along, often accompanied by some alarming creaking from the rear trailing arm bearings. Some locals even get these fixed...