French bliss

CITROËN 2CV, SM AND BX

MATTHEW HAYWARD

WHEN I WAS IN high school, my form tutor would regularly turn up in a Citroën 2CV It was the butt of many jokes – teenagers can be very cruel – but I was nerdy enough to understand that the big 007 stickers and fake bulletholes down each side made his car a very rare special edition

Having pretty much destroyed a 1:18 Solido model of the 2CV you see here while re-enacting the car chase from For Your Eyes Only as a kid, I knew exactly what it was. Just as I appreciate the significance of the yellow 2CV standing in front of me today.

It’s scuffed, battered and full of actual bulletholes, plus – when you look closer – a rollcage. That’s right, this is one of the stunt cars built for the film, and I’ve just been handed the key by Denis Huille – resident expert at the Citroën Conservatoire. The location might be in a particularly underwhelming suburb of Paris, and the weather is more suited to North Wales, but it’s nothing that could dampen my enthusiasm for this car.

It’s my first time at the Conservatoire, Citroën’s vast private collection of pretty much everything it has ever built. It’s nirvana for a Citroëniste like me (I’ve owned several; there’s currently a Xantia Activa on the fleet, plus my third BX 16v), and they’ve pulled out a selection of cars for assembled journalists to drive. As well as the Bond 2CV, there’s a Traction Avant, Mehari, 2CV ‘Spot’, SM and even a BX. My inner Bond fan had me jumping straight into the 2CV. When I said I’d been handed the key, that was of course in the metaphorical sense, as there’s actually a convoluted sequence of hidden knobs and switches to fire up the engine. It sounds a little grumpy, and considerably more menacing than any 2CV I’ve ever heard. Apparently, in an effort to appease legendary stunt driver Rémy Julienne, the standard two-cylinder was swapped for a much more powerful Citroën GS flat-four.

Clockwise, from facing page This 2CV starred in the Bond caper For Your Eyes Only, treated to flat-four GS power – still not enough to outrun the gunmen; it then joined a fleet of classic Citroëns at the Conservatoire

It’s certainly sprightly, and it rattles through second, third and into fourth gear with an ease that feels unnatural in a 2CV The extra weight of the engine is noticeable when you pitch it into a corner, but seeing off a bunch of Peugeot 504s in the Spanish countryside would certainly be feasible with one of these It’s an absolute hoot to drive, but the best thing about it is the condition It hasn’t been restored, merely preserved exactly as it would have been when driven off the film set.

Next, it’s time to tick another one off the bucket list: the fabulously avant-garde SM. Not only was the SM powered by a Maserati V6 but it was among the most technologically advanced cars of its time This gorgeous brown example is one of the later fuel-injected EFI models, and it has the ultra-rare and expensive resin wheels, too. You sink into the sculpted caramel-coloured velour seats and it feels like a true piece of exotica. Fire up the engine, which emits more of a gruff off-beat thrum than expected, and it takes a few seconds for the hydraulics to wake up, something that makes it seem like a living, breathing entity.

The DS’s hydraulic suspension was supplemented by wonderful powered DIRAVI steering (Direction à Rappel Asservi, literally meaning ‘steering with controlled return’), which gives you an incredibly quick rack yet self-centres to a degree that takes some getting used to. The steering is also hooked into the headlights, which turn as you move the wheel. It all feels so alien, yet at the same time so natural and modern. The hydraulic brakes are sharp, too, but when you tune into it and treat everything with a light touch, it all just clicks.

Our test route, which worked well for the 2CV, suddenly feels constricting. This is a car that really wants to travel long distances at high speed on fast, flowing roads. It’s everything that a flagship Citroën should be: stylish, extremely capable, easy to drive, and – above all else –comfortable.

Finally, back down to earth with the BX. This was the car that saved Citroën, with more than two million built between 1982 and 1994. It was styled by Marcello Gandini but was considerably more conventional under the skin than previous Citroëns – which helped to satisfy Peugeot’s understandably cautious accountants. It kept enough Citroën DNA in the mix to encourage those loyal to the brand, not least the Hydropneumatic suspension and quirky yet logical instrumentaion – while the slogan ‘Loves driving, hates garages ’ promised reliability The BX’s big advantage, however, was the fact that it was very light Incredibly, most weighed below 1000kg, with the most basic versions in the low-800kg range Take that, Lotus

I should own up now and confess: this is one of my favourite cars of all time Having owned four of them, I’d say it’s what really got me interested in cars in the first place It’s my first time driving a Mk1 model, of which this example is an incredibly rare ‘Digit’ edition. It features an entirely digital dashboard and trip computer, with the full-on Citroën dashboard complete with fingertip controls and rocker switches for everything.

Under the bonnet of this car is a mildly sporting carburetted 1.9-litre engine, close in relation to the one found under the bonnet of the 205 GTI It feels torquey, but also willing to rev freely Although reasonably long in its throw as with all BXs, the gearchange in this example is tight and feels very positive There’s plenty of body roll, but the chassis is responsive and light on its feet – which I still find incredible, especially in combination with its limousine levels of comfort Like the SM, the BX has strong hydraulic brakes A delicate foot is required but they really do give you confidence, especially in combination with the anti-dive geometry, which keeps the car level however hard you use them.

Ultimately the BX is an extremely likeable machine, and

Clockwise, from far left SM features manual gearbox, Maserati V6 and other-worldly styling; BX was a breath of fresh air amid the Escorts and Golfs of the 1980s one that must have seemed like such a revelation when it was introduced 40 years ago. Just like everything I’ve driven today, it’s not only a pioneer of clever technology but also a car with real soul. I know they’re not everybody’s cup of tea, but the world would be such a boring place without Citroëns.