Citroen CX
The tiny engine compartment only allowed
four-cylinder engines, so the CX wasn't exactly a sprinter. However,
its advanced aerodynamics and long-legged nature made it an excellent
top-speed cruiser for devouring the Continent. The traditional Citroen
floaty ride came courtesy of a self-leveling hydro-pneumatic suspension
which made for an excellent ride/handling compromise. 
Today's
Car Lust could not be more different than yesterday's; while the Dodge
Charger is a blunt object of a muscle car, the Citroen CX is a smooth,
slick, sophisticated tourer with a particularly Gallic spin on the
curiously bulbous hunchbacked shape that is such a Car Lust favorite.
When
it debuted in the mid-1970s, the CX, like the SM and DS before it, was
a ground-breaking vehicle. Hugely technologically advanced, with
fantastic aerodynamics for the time and with a funky and futuristic
interior (check out the single-spoke steering wheel!), it thoroughly
modernized the typical French quirkiness into an extremely compelling
tourer.
Combine that with the practicality of the four-door wagon body --Chris H.
and--my
favorite part, of course--its distinctive streamlined hunkered-down
hunchbacked shape, and you have a car I have lusted after for the past
two decades.
Thanks to Wikipedia for the images. Below is--in
the glorious spirit of Citroen--a truly bizarre CX commercial,
featuring the always frightening Grace Jones.
pops on January 27, 2008 at 04:24 PM
This has got to be the ugliest car in history. I can't imagine anyone being proud to be seen in this car. I have to admit I have never driven one, but I don't think I would ever want to be seen in one either!!
The only reason I can think of that might cause folks to buy one would be that it had some fantastic performance attributes. I don't think that is the case because when I see them in movies, it appears they are nearly at their cornering limits when still at slow speeds.
Help!! What is the value of this ugly car????
Chris Hafner on January 29, 2008 at 11:28 PM
pops: "This has got to be the ugliest car in history."
Blasphemer!
mochi mochi on February 02, 2008 at 11:10 AM
While it may be an acquired taste and is certainly not geared towards mainstream US tastes, The Citroen CX is a rare beauty. For the record the ugliest car in history is the Aztek.
Ralph L on February 02, 2008 at 02:22 PM
Nominations for ugliest car? The later, monochromatic Azteks were borderline quirky-cute.
My car collector friend bought a Citreon SM about 20 years ago, thinking it was a sporty car (We were 11 when it came out to raves, and the impression lasted). Frightening boat to drive faster than 10 mph, but it did have a slow hydraulic leek that didn't help. The brake was a button on the floor. The single spoke wheel was befitting a carnival ride. He resold it in a hurry and probably a loss.
Ralph L on February 02, 2008 at 02:24 PM
I mean "leak". The leeks didn't help the smell either.
SCOTT H on April 02, 2008 at 12:09 PM
My Uncle had an earlier 4 door Citroen when I was very young. I remember even at that age being unable to get past its odd appearance. He traded it in the late 60's for a beautiful Mercedes 280 SEL.
Michael S on June 03, 2008 at 12:49 AM
I own a citroen and while not the most reliable of cars at least its not boring or bland
Yepster on August 26, 2008 at 01:36 PM
Pops; you have absolutely no idea of beauty... this car is considered one of the most specially designed cars in Europe. Citroën is known for its special design and futuristic technical innovations. Maybe you just need to get used to special European design that is considered the 'hottest design' nowadays. Just take a longer look at the Citroën DS and the Citroën CX as described, open your yourself to difference and take a second look. It's so easy to react only based on what you've been presented so far by American manufacturers. Chris Hafner knows beauty!
eoers on September 20, 2008 at 01:39 AM
I own a 26 year old Citroen Cx Break, it is a one of the coolest car ever, earning me admiring glances all the time. My dream is to buy an SM one day, which is an excellent sports car, so if your friend had a problem with it, the reason must have been a technical issue.
Jason Carpp on December 01, 2008 at 07:38 AM
I've always loved Citroens. Sure they're unusual. Sure they're ugly, but it's not always a bad thing. I'd love to have a Citroen CX. I'd love to have a DS/ID. Awesome vehicles.
CJinSD on May 11, 2009 at 12:31 AM
European design is where the modern emperor gets his new clothes.
alan on July 16, 2009 at 06:29 PM
pops:
I am delighted by your reaction. I won't try to convince you of the cars beauty because we all have different tastes. The fact that you had a reaction is unique because much of what is pumped out of factories today drive by you with virtual anonymity. Can you count how many Fords, Chevys, Hondas, Toyotas drove past you today? Probably not.
If you saw one CX on the road you would remember it.
CJinSD,
What is European design and where does it come from? Unfortunatly in the USA, European cars more often than not means German. Don't get me wrong I do like Germanic design, but there is much out there that remains beyond the radar of we Americans due to our idiotic importation laws.
rob pryor on October 17, 2009 at 11:12 AM
This car is in my opinion an unusual beauty, and it needs time and good taste to appreciate it. I once owned a gti turbo 2 and not only did it look good, was superbly comfortable it also blew the socks off little twerps in hot hatchbacks. Shame the build quality and fittings were so poor.
Aleks Ristic, Toronto on December 20, 2009 at 01:12 PM
I liked the profile and rear-end styling - sine out of my favourite 100 cars at least 80 are a liftback or fastback body type.
Nice to see the lines comming back in modernized form with the new Prius & Insight.
Only ever knew one person in europe who owned one. They weren't particularly good cars - typical European over-reach - although I guess people thought it no worse than most of its competition at the time and it did enjoy a very long run ... I think one Dutch company made them under license into the mid 1990's.
joar on December 03, 2010 at 05:00 AM
The CX has always been a bit of a controversial car - and that's one reason I love it. Other cars from the same year and aiming for the same market segment were extremely boring, look at the Ford Granada, Mercedes W123, BMW E12/28 and so on...
To me, as a Norwegian, it's really strange to read all the comments from Americans - your perspective on car design is....strange... ;-)
Anyway, I love the CX and have been so lucky as to get hold of a near perfect example of the top of the range of the second generation: The GTI Turbo. It's got very good performance (170hp pulling 1400 kilos) combined with fantastically comfortable ride and what I consider great retro-futuristic styling. It looks like nothing else on the road, and every time I drive it feels truly special.
Here's a picture I snapped on my way home from buying it this summer:
http://cx.zapto.org/albums/Joar-rundgren-sin-Turbo1-2/P8222047.sized.jpg
These cars have a bad reputation for rust and reliability in general, but this is only partly justified. Overall the quality is not worse than what was average at the time - however they can be tricky to service and repair if you don't have experience, and earlier examples (pre '82) can rust badly if living in the wrong climate and not being very well cared for.
Perry on April 30, 2011 at 07:30 AM
The facelift corrected many of this car's problems: a plasticky,retro-futurist interior and an engine lacking in power. The base models' motors were supplanted by an aluminum, OHC Peugeot/Renault "Douvrin" 4-cyl, while the larger displacement Citroen OHV engines got a well thought out turbo/intercooler. 0-60 was achieved in less than 8 seconds, which was legitimately fast back then (and remains so today, in my opinion).
Some of Citroen's technology compromised the driving experience; namely, the high-pressure hydraulic brakes and the power steering. Notice I did not say power assisted; the only mechanical link btw the steering wheel and front wheels was an emergency back up; turning the steering wheel activated hydraulics which would turn the front wheels. The system made tons of noise and the steering ratio was insanely quick at fewer than 2 turns lock-to-lock if I remember correctly. These systems combined meant that novices were regularly applying too much steering lock and over applying the brakes, which were operated not by a pedal, but by a "button" which had no travel and was pressure sensitive.
With judicious application of the brakes and gentle operation of the steering (think jetliners), the car's excellent handling characteristics would reveal themselves, with no body lean and very high levels of grip coupled with a completely flat and undisturbed ride. It's the sort of car a passenger could write letters in during a trip.