Citroën CX

The Citroën CX is an automobile produced by the French automaker Citroën from 1974 to 1991. Citroën sold nearly 1.2 million CXs during its 16 years of production. The CX was voted European Car of the Year in 1975.

It is considered by some enthusiasts as the last "real Citroën" before Peugeot took control of the company in 1974. "Real Citroën" refers to the trademark avant garde technical and design innovation, prized by marque loyalists.

Available models were a four-door fastback, a break (estate), and a long-wheelbase model built on the break chassis. The CX employed Citroën's unique hydropneumatic self-leveling suspension system.

History

The CX was initially a huge sales success in Europe, producing a little over 132,000 units in 1978. It accrued new customers beyond the loyal Citroën DS customer base and brought the technology of the advanced, but somewhat impractical Citroën SM to the masses. Unlike its principal competitors, the CX did not have world-wide distribution — the cost of development and improvements had to be met from a geographically small sales base.

It is hard to mistake the CX for any other vehicle. Robert Opron penned the dramatic flowing lines and sharp Kamm tail of the CX, which resembles a larger version of the 1970 Citroën GS. The CX also bears a resemblance to a 1967 design study by Pininfarina for the BMC called the 1800 berlina aerodynamica, yet both Citroën and Pininfarina deny any contacts during this period. However, it is also clear that the CX design is a clear evolution from the DS designed by the team headed by Gillet. Hence, the CX followed the legacy left by the very famous DS in proposing the sleekest design on the market for an executive car which were all going for very clumsy square shapes. Its aerodynamic is still one of the best ever produced on a car. This allowed the use of smaller engines to obtain the same speeds as other executive sedans which would need much larger engines.

This car featured one of the most modern designs of its time. The car combined the unique hydro-pneumatic integral self-leveling suspension, speed-adjustable DIRAVI power steering (first introduced on the Citroen SM), and a unique interior design that did away with steering column stalks, allowing the driver to reach all controls with his or her hands on the steering wheel. The British magazine "Car" described the sensation of driving a CX as hovering over road irregularities, much like a ship traversing above the ocean floor.