Citroen kept trying to recapture the glamor and stately, presidential demeanor of the classic DS in all of their subsequent large cars, up until the days of the XM, which for those familiar with the brand, was the last of the proper big Citroens. They sold many much more affordable models over the years too, and while many weren’t really that successful, the angular Marcello Gandini-designed BX was a very unique proposition in the 1980s.
It tried to bring a bit of that DS flavor, but unlike many models before it, the BX was built with a different philosophy. It continued to offer the brand’s clever hydropneumatic suspension, but if you so choose, it could be had in a noticeably stiffer setup than you’d normally expect in a Citroen, in the GTI models that shared their engines with the Peugeot 205 GTI (both the 1.6- the 1.9-liter units). That had a proper body kit, sports seats and with the bigger engine equipped proper performance too, for the day at least.
There was also an in-between GT model, which had a detuned version of the 1.9-liter petrol engine, and did away with the stiffer suspension. It came with 104 hp and a five-speed manual box for the driver to stir at will. Very few, if any, Citroen BX models were imported into the US (none officially), and since GT models are rarer in Europe as well, it’s a safe bet to say that the same applies to the US, but to an even greater extent.
That’s why this example, which is for sale in Florida looks like a nice deal for a unique European car that, you can also drive every day and turn heads in. People will look not because it’s particularly pretty, or that special in any way (compared to other older Citroen models), but it is interesting and looks to be in very good condition. The seller says in the eBay ad that it’s the only GT trim model in the whole of the US. I say that’s a big claim, but the car is still worth a look.
If you do end up buying it or something similar, don’t come running back to us when one of the car’s many complicated hydraulic and electrical systems go wrong, though… It may be cheap, but it’s definitely a specialist car, and specialist help in the US doesn’t come by cheaply…
By Andrei Nedelea
PHOTO GALLERY
