The Citroen CX 25 Prestige

To many, the CX is the ultimate Citroen. It was introduced in 1974 as a replacement for the legendary DS, so not an easy task to begin with. But the CX fitted in quite well.

In those years, the Citroens were unlike anything else on the roads. They were the cars for individuals, people who dared to be different. Think of the DS, SM and GS, all very unique designs.

It would appear the company is once again on the same path. The current line of Citroens, like C4 and C6, once again features unique styling and innovative technology.

The Prestige model was the top of the notch, the car for presidents and kings. The CX clientele included French president Mitterand, as well as some more notorious rulers: Erich Honecker of East Germany and Nicaraguan dictator Somoza. The French president Chirac had used a CX Prestige until very recently, although the production stopped way back in 1989. This probably speaks for itself about the appeal of the Prestige.

This picture shows my Prestige on a glorious day, posing at the base of a snow-capped mountain called Stol.

My CX is equipped with the 2500cc petrol engine, providing 136 bhp. These engines are well known for their rugged design and reliability. They will run for at least 300.000 km, 400.000 km is also easily achieved and 500.000+ km is not uncommon with good maintenance and proper use.

This might sound weird to many owners, but I think fuel efficiency is not so bad for a car of this range. My car uses 10 - 11 l/100 km, but I mostly drive on open roads, with very little stop-and-go traffic. That's what these cars were designed for anyway: they are truly comfortable highway and motorway cruisers.

My CX has been converted from automatic to manual transmission by former owners. Not a bad move, I think, because the automatic transmission wasn't really geared for the best fuel efficiency.

The mountain in the background of this early-morning picture is Triglav, the highest peak in the Julian Alps.

I bought this CX in September 2000 with 150.000 km on the clock. It was in a very good overall condition, although there were some minor things to fix. I have regassed all the hydraulic spheres and the radiator also needed flushing and cleaning. I also bought a new set of tires. The new tires and the regassed spheres have restored the "magic carpet ride", so characteristic for old hydraulic Citroens.
High-spec versions of the CX use fairly special metric TRX tires, only manufactured by a couple of companies. They cost at least twice as much as ordinary tires, but I think they are a worthy investment anyway. Some owners have converted to ordinary 14" wheels and cheaper tires, but I prefer to keep the TRX.

Another early-morning picture with Stol as the backdrop.

Individuality is not only apparent on the outside! The driver faces a very unusual dashboard, nothing looks the same as in other cars. All controls are positioned in a very special and also very logical manner. After driving a CX, people often wish other cars would use the same layout of control switches.

It's got black leather interior and the level of comfort is especially high for passengers sitting in the back seat. This is where Prestige is different from an ordinary CX: it's 30 cm longer, overall length is close to 5m, and all this space provides exceptional legroom for passengers sitting in the back.

This photo shows my CX and two other Citroens I own: the GSX and the Dyane.