Which brings us back to this beautiful blue example sitting inside one of Shanghai’s Citroen dealerships. Visible from the street, it occupied a prime corner of the showroom floor, and had several gawkers the day I was there. A display screen gave information and videos on the history of the car, but I was too busy inspecting every square inch of the car to pay much attention.
Many times now I have mentioned in this blog the lack of old cars in Shanghai. There just doesn’t seem to be the same degree of nostalgia for old cars that exists in many other parts of the world. There is no shortage of shiny modern sports cars and SUVs all over Shanghai, but seeing a classic car is rare. So when I do see one, it catches my attention. Luckily, the most recent one was a true collectible, and worthy of close inspection. The Citroen CX was a revolutionary luxury car that was the follow-up to the legendary Citroen DS. The DS became known as the ‘Presidential’ car in France, and its long, low, design with exaggerated curves and intricate detailing is known the world over. It was a hard car to follow, and the CX had its work cut out for it, but it managed to carve a well-deserved place in the automotive history books with its own unique and imposing design. Both the DS and the CX (along with the smaller CX little brother, the GS) featured revolutionary hydraulic systems that could be used to raise and lower the car. In low position the car was a smooth cruiser that soaked up bumps and rough pavement like nothing else. In middle position getting in and out was easier, and the car was suited to rainy and snowy roads. In high position, the car could be driven through muddy fields and over potholes and sidewalks and deep snowdrifts if need be. It really was a versatile system, and had a load-leveling feature that kept the rear end at the same height as the front, no matter what the load. This high-tech (for the day!) hydraulic circuit was also responsible for the braking and power steering systems, courtesy of the famous green ‘LHM’ mineral-oil fluid running through its veins. A massive leak or hydraulic pump failure meant your car was disabled, but thankfully, the hydraulics in the Citroen CX proved to be rugged and reliable. Which brings us back to this beautiful blue example sitting inside one of Shanghai’s Citroen dealerships. Visible from the street, it occupied a prime corner of the showroom floor, and had several gawkers the day I was there. A display screen gave information and videos on the history of the car, but I was too busy inspecting every square inch of the car to pay much attention. There may not be many cars like this roaming the streets and roads and highways of China, but I am glad that there is at least one pristine example on display as a testament to the history of the automobile. China’s car culture is young, but I hope that they can discover and enjoy classic cars like this beautiful Citroen CX! Sometimes being out of your element is a good thing.
6 Comments
richmond2000
1/31/2015 07:19:19 pm
I would imagine older cars would be RARE in Shanghai as I thought that car ownership is a NEW thing making the older cars IMPORTED as old cars
Reply
Paul Simmons
2/2/2015 03:33:27 pm
Yes, really seems like that's the case, richmond2000. I wonder if, as time goes on, the Chinese will start to have an appreciation for old cars, or if they will stay focused on new models.
Reply
2/6/2015 02:39:36 am
I'm curious if this is a common sight; does Citroen often have classic cars in their showrooms? Anyone have any pictures to share of old Citroen hardware in modern showrooms anywhere else in the world?
Reply
Toby R
3/22/2015 09:29:13 am
2 major mistakes in this article:
Reply
Paul
3/22/2015 03:01:51 pm
You're absolutely right about the air-cooled engine mistake, thanks for pointing that out.
Reply
1/15/2016 01:24:23 am
It managed to carve a well-deserved place in the automotive history books with its own unique and imposing design.
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWelcome! My name is Paul, and I am an old-fashioned, low-pressure, low-buck car fan with lots of automotive stories to tell! Archives
February 2020
|