During the worldwide lockdown, Citroen is expanding its Origins virtual museum: more cars, more footage, more photos, that sort of thing. Great news it is as well, what with so many incredible cars in the back catalogue.
Of course, thoughts immediately turn to icons like the 2CV and its enduring utilitarian chic, the SM and its Maserati-associated glamour (also 50 years old this year) and the inimitable DS. Spare a thought at this point of the celebration, however, for the CX, because it too deserves its share of the limelight.
Originally launched in 1974 - with the pioneering marque arguably at its pomp - the CX was everything you might have expected from an executive Citroen of the '70s: the hyrdropneumatic suspension from the DS was retained, with the CX also benefitting from great aerodynamic efficiency and the availability of a diesel engine in a Citroen for the first time. It was genuinely innovative, the CX, later becoming the first French car fitted with ABS, introducing a single windscreen wiper blade and boasting that mad interior; while it didn't find favour at the time, look how prescient a design that means the driver doesn't have to remove their hands from the wheel now looks. Very clever.
Crucially for this story, too, the CX kept a performance streak alive in big Citroens. Sure, that did continue into the later XM as well, but anything remotely fast or entertaining has been conspicuous by its absence as far as 21st century Citroen is concerned.
Anyway, let's not get bogged down in that now. Let's instead draw attention to the fact that there are currently three CX GTI 25 Turbos for sale on PistonHeads - or just about 10 per cent of the cars registered in the UK at present.
They vary in price from £9-£18k, which will look like a lot to those who remember various CX models as Sheds. Fact is though that not many of the 1.2m CXs now remain, even if a few have been known to turn up in abandoned barns - production ended nearly 30 years ago now, so opportunities will only get rarer.
The cheapest CX might be the most appealing here, a UK-registered French car with red-piped black leather and a manual gearbox. It's more of a project than the others - with faded paint and precious little paperwork - though perhaps more appealing because of it.
At £15,000, we have the PistonHeads special: a manual, right-hand drive, 1985 CX 25 GTI Turbo with the cloth interior, ever so slightly tweaked to increase power beyond 200hp. With recent brake and suspension work - the latter stays up overnight, we're told - this looks like an excellent CX. Some might say the later cars lose some of the earlier wackiness, but any kind of CX is going to feel like as bizarre as a four-wheeled Picasso - no, not that one - compared to a modern vehicle.
Finally, at the top of the budget is this right-hand drive, GTI Turbo automatic. Said to be modified and looking exceptionally well presented, it's covered just 85,000 miles in its 32 years.
Now isn't the time to go into the potential pitfalls of CX ownership, because any car more than 30 years old will need care, but instead to remind us all of the Citroen's genius and long-lasting appeal. It was Car of the Year in 1975, don't forget, demolishing the next best opponent with 229 points to 164. The second-placed contender? The original VW Golf, no less. The CX really did make significant strides forward in the mid-70s, and it deserves to be remembered - maybe one day Citroen can introduce something so groundbreaking once more.
SPECIFICATION - CITROEN CX GTI TURBO
Engine: 2,500cc, four-cyl turbo
Transmission: 5-speed manual, front-wheel drive/four-speed auto
Power (hp): 169@5,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 216@3,250rpm
MPG: 23
CO2: 242 (est)
First registered: 1985/1985/1988
Recorded mileage: 68,000/58,000/85,000
Price new: £N/A
Yours for: £9,250/£14,995/£17,950
See the original adverts here (French, LHD car), here (RHD manual) and here (RHD auto).
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