Down on the Amsterdam Street – Two Citroën CX:s

Antti Kautonen

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brown_cx_1

Not long after the previous Citroën sighting of the LNA, we stumbled upon one of many beater Citroën CX:s with chrome bumpers running around the city. Yeah, where up here in the north you’d only really see beat-to-hell Xantias, in Amsterdam it’s ridiculously easy to see a CX still doing service despite a few knocks in the body. Nowadays, CX:s are mostly feared and revered and no-one dares leave them in anything than passable condition; in Amsterdam, they’re just old cars to their owners and nothing major.

This brown one naturally made it to BCAS almost immediately, but I also shot a silver one on my trip.

browncx_1

brown_cx_2

The CX has been reversed into from many directions, and a lot of the panels are mismatched. Judging by the looks, it also hasn’t been washed by anything else than rainwater for a good while. It’s probably kissed a street pole a couple of times in its past.

silver_cx

In addition, here’s the silver one. It’s marginally tidier, but in no way a show car – just a runabout with still the street cred few cars can match. It also proudly displays the softest-looking rear spoiler ever, and the convex rear screen. It’s magnificent.

[Images: Copyright 2013 Hooniverse/Antti Kautonen]

About

Antti Kautonen

Antti Kautonen

The resident Finn of Hooniverse. Owns old Peugeots and whatnot, writes long thinkpieces on unloved cars. These two facts might be related.

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14 responses to “Down on the Amsterdam Street – Two Citroën CX:s”

  1. POLAЯ Avatar
    POLAЯ

    Ah, what's prettier than a French car with a mild case of vitiligo and a harelip.

    Reply
  2. BlackIce_GTS Avatar
    BlackIce_GTS

    So, if you drive up to a low parking barrier or sidewalk or something, and park by driving in until your front tires hit it (as is common practice now), then is there anything that prevents the car laying down on the curb with it's delicate underparts when you turn it off and the suspension deflates?
    Well, it's old, so the answer is probably just "don't do that, idiot". If Citroen still made lowriders they'd probably have 'oil pan crunch prevention radar'.
    This person doesn't seem like a very delicate parkist, so maybe the undercarriage is designed for this eventuality.

    Reply
    1. MVEilenstein Avatar
      MVEilenstein

      I don't think anyone in Amsterdam is a delicate parkist.

      Reply
      1. danleym Avatar
        danleym

        My introduction to European parking habits was in Paris, watching a generic 15 year old crap can push a new BMW 5 series out of the way (and into another car) so that the crap can could fit in at the end of the block.
        So yeah, if that goes for the rest of the continent, there's no delicate parking.

        Reply
        1. MVEilenstein Avatar
          MVEilenstein

          Somehow, it just seems to work for them. Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

          Reply
        2. duurtlang_ Avatar
          duurtlang_

          That's not exemplary for the continent. I witnessed the same thing when I was in Paris, I was shocked, and I've got a Dutch passport. It's exemplary for inner(read: medieval) city parking by the locals. The vast population of both France and the Netherlands doesn't live in such a centuries old limited space environment.

          Reply
  3. Bret Dodson Avatar
    Bret Dodson

    Ooh! The black rubber spoiler bedecked CX is vraiment magnifique!
    Moar Euro DOTS!

    Reply
  4. owl Avatar
    owl

    The brown car is quite an early CX – certainly pre 1980 – and I would guess at 77/78: so, delicate parking for 35 years. Well worth saving IMHO even as a basic model.
    The silver car is a (comparatively) rare series 1 Limousine – the long wheelbase saloon built off the Break chassis. Only sold in England as a top of the range Prestige here its in bargain bucket Reflex form – no door trims or extra brightwork and plain wheel discs. Looks like an early mid 80s car by the door mirrors. The spoiler is off the series 1 CX Turbo which I think came out in 84. Citroen had a habit of fitting whatever bits of kit either happened to be coming down the line at the lime or which were kicking round surplus in the stores – my CX had completely the wrong sort of upholtery in it but I guess that was because they had overordered one sort and didn't build that many of the model it was supposed to be fitted in. Back in the day you didn't get 10 different interior options you got what you were given take it or leave it – or in the case of Citroen what they had bothered to fit. And I mean bothered.
    On the other hand perhaps the Dutch market Limousine had a Turbo spoiler to brighten it up before the Series 2 came in? Anyone in, in Holland today?

    Reply
  5. owl Avatar
    owl

    Oh by the way Antti. many thanks for the shots – well spotted that man

    Reply
  6. duurtlang_ Avatar
    duurtlang_

    These cars aren't 'just' old cars, even in their current condition. The brown one (2.0 gasoline, 4-1975!) was imported into the Netherlands in 2000. The silver one (a 25 turbo diesel, LWB 'limousine', from 2-1984) in 2006. I checked the plates. Plain old CXs have been demolished a long time ago. These cars have been imported by enthusiasts or road tax dodgers (25+ years = exempt), probably from France. Too bad they haven't been kept in a nice condition, but even now they must be owned by some kind of mild enthusiast. They're not your plain Jane Citroën Xantia, you don't own a CX if you don't love it. The extra hassle to keep that rust prone base model from 1975 with mediocre at best reliability going is something you don't go trough if you just want cheap transportation.

    Reply
    1. owl Avatar
      owl

      Blimey! Thanks for that Duurtlang.
      To put that in perspective the UK DVLA record only 2 1975 CXs left. I know one of them which is show standard, the other is off the road.
      That car really needs to be saved.
      BTW I though Dutch plates were completely random but apparently not…I do so love this place

      Reply
  7. C³-Cool Cadillac Cat Avatar
    C³-Cool Cadillac Cat

    I know this is somewhat anti-hoon, but I'm curious about the W124, probably a sedan, in the first pic…

    Reply
    1. dculberson Avatar
      dculberson

      No car is anti-hoon, especially a W124.

      Reply
  8. Rover 1 Avatar
    Rover 1

    No W124 is ever anti-hoon.Indeed they can be very pro-hoon!

    Reply