BETTER PARTS40 years Goddess 2.0
Cologne, 25 August 2014
In 1969 it was decided: Charming and inexpensive at the same time, so he should be the Citroen DS successor. Then the more economical and less ostentatious CX was presented on August 26, 1974, which was now 40 years ago. From this point on the model of the upper middle class was packed with all the technical possibilities of the French car manufacturer.
Born in the wind tunnel of the Seventy
The designed under the guidance of chief designer Robert Opron body of the Citroën CX-oriented only slightly on the previous model DS. Only the reduced track width of the rear axle and the long hatchback still reminded of the " divine " ancestors. The godfather and namesake was the CX not of a religious nature, but simply the wind tunnel. CX, which is the French term for the drag coefficient, which with a value of 0.39 was surprisingly good for the mid-seventies when the new upper middle class cars.
The time ahead
Also technically the CX had a lot to offer for those times. So he decreed under Andrem a transverse mounted drive unit, hydropneumatic suspension, independent suspension, disc brakes on the front and rear wheels and later of a dependent of the travel speed power steering. No wonder that the true idiosyncratic in design, but technically his time traveling far ahead of CX was voted in 1975 "Car of the Year". But technological progress came at a price: In the same year, Citroen was acquired by Peugeot.
Motor range of combi and sedan
Driven by the success of the sedan brought the French in 1975 an estate version of the CX on the market. The break had a delay of 25 inches wheelbase and could be equipped with a third row of seats. When you drive continued to rely on the proven two engine variants: So also took the break for the time being, the gasoline engine with 2.0 and 2.2 liter displacement and 102 respectively 112 hp propulsion. An electric injection was added to the range of engines from 1977, the new technology increased the power to 128 hp, helped to a top speed of 190 km / h and lowered simultaneously consumption. Optionally, the CX could be ordered with diesel engines. The time still slow, but loud diesels of the DS 's successor made at the beginning only 66 hp. When the engine was revised in 1978, he came to 75 hp. That was enough for 156 km / h in the tip. Sounds little, but in 1978 was enough for the title: "Fastest cars with diesel engines ". 1985, for the same title already 195 km / h necessary that managed the CX with a turbocharger as attachment.
The facelift in 1985
A turbo on the diesel engine was not the only new feature for 1985 facelift Although the CX powerful and efficient, was in splendor and prestige was saved intensive. Suddenly were the bumpers made of plastic, the roll speedos were replaced by standardized circular instruments and the lines were again smoothed discreetly. Nevertheless, nearly 1.2 million sold mid-size vehicles ( 111,049 copies in Germany ), which Citroën today can only dream of. But today also German TV commissioners would like once Horst Schimanski take no more French by Duisburg and Erich Honecker has descended a long time from his French state coach.
The myth that never wanted to be a
The year is 1991, the CX was still produced as a station wagon variant, but the successor XM was already two years at the dealership. So the era of the wind tunnel DS after 17 years of production came to an end and Roland Barthes ( French philosopher was at that time already 10 years passed away ) could not as once write about the DS of a "manifestly fallen from heaven " automobile and to order " myth of everyday life" make. That this did not happen, seems to collectors and enthusiasts but to seem irrelevant today. Now, 23 years after the end of the production well preserved CX models are traded for over 20,000 euro. A steep price for those born in the wind tunnel myth of the early oil crisis, produced inexpensively and with plastic applications who wanted to be a myth never, but still one was . (ml)