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To many, the CX is the ultimate Citroen. It was introduced in 1974 as a replacement for the legendary DS, so not an easy task to begin with at all! But the CX fitted in quite well.
In those years, the Citroens were unlike anything else on the roads. They were the cars for individuals, people who dared to be different. Think of the DS, SM and GS, all very unique designs. Since catering for individuality would not always provide high sales figures, this company philosophy has lead to bancrupt and the Citroen company was taken over by Peugeot. Nowadays Citroen is a very successful enterprise, but this also means that most of the former individuality and style has been lost. Citroens of today, Xsara and Xantia, are just like any other cars. The same can be said for the new C5. These new cars are easy to own and can certainly provide for all motoring needs. But some of us do miss a touch of uniqueness.
The Prestige model was the top of the notch, the car for presidents and kings. The CX clientele included French president Mitterand, as well as some more notorious rulers: Erich Honecker of East Germany and Nicaraguan dictator Somoza. I think I heard somewhere the French president Chirac still uses a CX Prestige, although the production stopped way back in 1989. This probably speaks for itself about the appeal of the Prestige.
This picture shows my Prestige on a glorious day, posing at the base of a snow-capped mountain called Stol.
The engine in my CX is the 2500cc OHV one, providing 136 bhp. These engines are well known for their rugged design and reliability. They will run for at least 300.000 km, 400.000 km is also easily achieved and 500.000+ km is not uncommon with good maintenance and proper use.
This might sound weird to many owners, but I think fuel efficiency is not so bad for a car of this range. My car uses 10 - 11 l/100 km, but I mostly drive on open roads, with very little stop-and-go traffic. That's what these cars were designed for anyway: they are truly great highway and motorway cruisers.
My CX has been converted from automatic to manual transmission by former owners. Not a bad move, I think, because the automatic transmission wasn't really geared for the best fuel efficiency.
The mountain in the background of this early-morning picture is Triglav, the highest peak in the Julian Alps.
I bought this CX in September 2000 with 150.000 km on the clock. It was in a very good overall condition, although there were some minor things to fix. I have regassed all the hydraulic spheres and the radiator also needed flushing and cleaning. I also bought a new set of tires. The new tires and the regassed spheres have restored the "magic carpet ride", so characteristic for old hydraulic Citroens.
The CX uses fairly special metric TRX tires, only manufactured by a couple of companies. They cost at least twice as much as ordinary tires, but I think they are a worthy investment anyway. Some owners have converted to ordinary 14" wheels and cheaper tires, but I prefer to keep the TRX.
Another early-morning picture with Stol as the backdrop.
Individuality is not only apparent on the outside! The driver faces a very unusual dashboard, nothing looks the same as in other cars. All controls are positioned in a very special and also very logical manner. After driving a CX, people usually wish other cars would use the same layout of control switches...
I've got black leather interior inside and the level of comfort is especially high for passengers sitting in the back seat. This is where Prestige is different from an ordinary CX: it's 30 cm longer, overall length is close to 5m, and all this space provides exceptional legroom for passengers sitting in the back.
This photo shows my CX and two other Citroens I own: the GSX and the Dyane. And I'm shaking hands with Meggy, my collie.
Introduction | A few pictures | Maintenance | Home Page