My family used to a CX and I belive two BXes during the times past. None of them worked flawlessly for more than a year or two. I was very little, so I might misremember, but the hydraulic suspension bellows went bad really often, making the car undrivable and very expensive to repair. All of them eventually suffered this and there were scrapyards full of ten in the early 2000s. But they did look awesome.
Speed sensitive servo steering with 2 turns lock to lock. Not power assisted - fully hydraulic, only with a mechanical backup.
High pressure hydraulic brakes - again, not power assisted, but power actuated.
Auto-speed rain-sensing wipers.
?
Other cars had swiveling headlights, but not enough to call it commonplace. I'm sure there were more, but the only other car I can think of that was produced in somewhat significant numbers is another Citroën; the DS.
The 1929 Duesenbergs had headlights that turned with the steering wheel. They weren't the first at that, just the first with sealed beams that turned. There were several in the 1910s that had it as well.
They were rain sensing, which was pretty unusual in 1970.
It didn't actually have a separate rain sensor. Instead it measured the resistance on the wiper blades, which is lower the more water is on the windscreen, and adjusted the speed accordingly.
It’s impressive how long they kept the C5 in production for. I definitely consider it the last real Citroen. I see a C6 around locally and it still looks amazing.
That Ami microcar thing has some strong Citroen-of-old vibes. The way they just use the same panel for the front and the back ends, and the same door on both sides so one opens the wrong way. That is exactly the sort of shit they used to love pulling.
It did until Stellantis started rebadging it as Opel and Fiat, which ruined the unique nature. Also I’ve sat in one and really didn’t like it inside, I would much rather have a Twizy.
I saw one when I worked at citroen. It's one of the few car masterpieces that I've seen in real life. Opron, the designer, isn't respected enough with his designs
No, the rest of it was pretty bad too. The brakes, the suspension, those moving headlights, a plethora of electrical issues, all things that plague these cars.
True . A friend of mine was working for s Citroen dealer ..I remember him cursing the sm for his time consuming design. Takes hours to change spark plugs.. worst the model with Maserati engine
You’re confusing “any old car” with premium old cars. A 87 Corolla (well a Lexus) could have features like abs and TCS and heated seats and all this jazz that we’ve currently got, so it sounds good yeah? But comparing that to like a Bentley S1 or other high end luxury cars from post war innovations like the air suspensions of the 40s and the AC of the 60s is totally different, when you paid for the luxury back then, you got it. Of course we know these days that you get a super car and you spend just as much on maintenance but I’m saying my opinion based on the high end vehicles that still exist at British auction houses and still drive today with all their equipment working like a Peugeot 402 eclipse (and that’s from the 30s)
It's sibling, the BX. was a great car, but let down but the orb that did steering brakes and was a rare and expensive thing to locate. I ended up scrapping mine.
Vybo@reddit
My family used to a CX and I belive two BXes during the times past. None of them worked flawlessly for more than a year or two. I was very little, so I might misremember, but the hydraulic suspension bellows went bad really often, making the car undrivable and very expensive to repair. All of them eventually suffered this and there were scrapyards full of ten in the early 2000s. But they did look awesome.
buffilosoljah42o@reddit
Cool features, but are they showing off windshield wipers?
DMala@reddit
A lot of what they showed there was commonplace 50 years ago. Even the pivoting headlight was a thing on the 1949 Tucker.
The only thing shown there that is pretty unique to Citroen is the hydraulic suspension.
SoftCosmicRusk@reddit
What other car in 1970 (or even 1976) had:
Speed sensitive servo steering with 2 turns lock to lock. Not power assisted - fully hydraulic, only with a mechanical backup.
High pressure hydraulic brakes - again, not power assisted, but power actuated.
Auto-speed rain-sensing wipers.
?
Other cars had swiveling headlights, but not enough to call it commonplace. I'm sure there were more, but the only other car I can think of that was produced in somewhat significant numbers is another Citroën; the DS.
ApteryxAustralis@reddit
The DS might be even more of an oddity given that many of them had a semi-automatic transmission.
SoftCosmicRusk@reddit
Yep. They didn't have the DIRAVI steering though.
ApteryxAustralis@reddit
That’s a fair point!
Between the SM, the DS, the M35 concept, the 2CV… I don’t think there’s a single Citroen of that era that lacks character.
SoftCosmicRusk@reddit
Michelin-era Citroën is possibly the greatest car manufacturer ever in my opinion.
drakitomon@reddit
The 1929 Duesenbergs had headlights that turned with the steering wheel. They weren't the first at that, just the first with sealed beams that turned. There were several in the 1910s that had it as well.
bacondesign@reddit
Hydropneumatic. Which was then used by Rolls and Mercedes too, bought from Citroen.
Appropriate-Lime8053@reddit
Mercedes took hydraulics to the extreme I'm the Pullman. Hydraulic everything.
ponyboy3@reddit
Disaster
Willing_Big194@reddit
"Common"
mentions tucker
SoftCosmicRusk@reddit
They were rain sensing, which was pretty unusual in 1970.
It didn't actually have a separate rain sensor. Instead it measured the resistance on the wiper blades, which is lower the more water is on the windscreen, and adjusted the speed accordingly.
1mAfraidofAmericans@reddit
They were the first automatic windscreen wipers, as far as I know
righthandofdog@reddit
A parking brake. And cigarette lighter
UKMatt2000@reddit
Back when Citroen cars weren't just a shared platform with a badge slapped on. They look Ok now but they're far from inventive.
Molested-Cholo-5305@reddit
At least they kept the hydropneumatic suspension until the C5
Left-Cap-6046@reddit
Why did they stop using it ?
Molested-Cholo-5305@reddit
PSA group PSA group'ing
UKMatt2000@reddit
It’s impressive how long they kept the C5 in production for. I definitely consider it the last real Citroen. I see a C6 around locally and it still looks amazing.
EnormousMycoprotein@reddit
That Ami microcar thing has some strong Citroen-of-old vibes. The way they just use the same panel for the front and the back ends, and the same door on both sides so one opens the wrong way. That is exactly the sort of shit they used to love pulling.
UKMatt2000@reddit
It did until Stellantis started rebadging it as Opel and Fiat, which ruined the unique nature. Also I’ve sat in one and really didn’t like it inside, I would much rather have a Twizy.
EnormousMycoprotein@reddit
I hadn't heard about the opel / fiat re-badge, that's a shame.
donGaboz@reddit
I saw one when I worked at citroen. It's one of the few car masterpieces that I've seen in real life. Opron, the designer, isn't respected enough with his designs
interacter@reddit
I saw one of these recently looking sorry for itself - great to see what it should have looked like...!
HarveySpevacuum@reddit
I always liked Citroen for making some of the most revolutionary, albeit close to ridiculous, cars in history.
Excellent-String-953@reddit
They are the Corvair (U.S. aircraft manufacturer) of the car world.
Fake-Podcast-Ad@reddit
Quintessentially French
Orzhov_Syndicalist@reddit
“No one copies the French, and the French copy no one”
Beemer_me_up_Scotty@reddit
When I think of a 50 year old car I think 1940-50 but it is 1976 to be a 50 year old car.
airfryerfuntime@reddit
And keeping that stuff working is a full time job with an SM. Cool cars, but maintenance nightmares.
ufanders@reddit
My father was always working on the DS and SM. I hope guys like him write down their learnings so we can keep these epic sleds on the road.
ImaginedUtopia@reddit
Mostly because of the Maserati engine.
airfryerfuntime@reddit
No, the rest of it was pretty bad too. The brakes, the suspension, those moving headlights, a plethora of electrical issues, all things that plague these cars.
ImaginedUtopia@reddit
No, hydropneuamtics are solid.
mike7257@reddit
True . A friend of mine was working for s Citroen dealer ..I remember him cursing the sm for his time consuming design. Takes hours to change spark plugs.. worst the model with Maserati engine
DirtyDoucher1991@reddit
Buncha shit begging to break.
ImaginedUtopia@reddit
That describes all cars.
SkywolfNINE@reddit
Ehhhhhhhh, stuff was built better back then too so not everything would break. Today tho you know everything would break
ebolafever@reddit
Fucking what? Lol you haven't driven old cars.
SkywolfNINE@reddit
You’re confusing “any old car” with premium old cars. A 87 Corolla (well a Lexus) could have features like abs and TCS and heated seats and all this jazz that we’ve currently got, so it sounds good yeah? But comparing that to like a Bentley S1 or other high end luxury cars from post war innovations like the air suspensions of the 40s and the AC of the 60s is totally different, when you paid for the luxury back then, you got it. Of course we know these days that you get a super car and you spend just as much on maintenance but I’m saying my opinion based on the high end vehicles that still exist at British auction houses and still drive today with all their equipment working like a Peugeot 402 eclipse (and that’s from the 30s)
phalanxs@reddit
Mate the SM was notoriously unreliable, even by the standards of italian-engined contemporary cars
General-Stress-3572@reddit
how do you DARE disrepect Sa Majesté Citroën‽
harigejan@reddit
I'm in love
BlangBlangBlang@reddit
Blinkers? ITS GOT BLINKERS?!
rlnrlnrln@reddit
Well, I'm still not convinced German cars have them...
anchor4444@reddit
I like the horn.
chvguitar@reddit
Remembers me of the Tartan Prancer
Dee_Jay_Roomba@reddit
The Honda of Albania
neanderthalensis@reddit
Still no cup holders
RadRimmer9000@reddit
Besides the weird steering wheel and ride adjustment, all cars come with wipers and blinkers.
PTSD1701@reddit
There wouldn't be a place for it in the US market; those drivers aren't smart enough to operate that car.
Bit_part_demon@reddit
We're really not, sadly
Irons_MT@reddit
When Citroën made good stuff before becoming another brand of Stellantis slop.
Such-Law926@reddit
Gimmick ≠ feature
RicVic@reddit
Gorgeous! Far too complicated, but gorgeous nonetheless
speedtvespa@reddit
It's sibling, the BX. was a great car, but let down but the orb that did steering brakes and was a rare and expensive thing to locate. I ended up scrapping mine.
likesloudlight@reddit
It's a Citroën, totally on brand.
moose_antenna@reddit
All this and still to have a PRV V6
OldWrangler9033@reddit
ONly thing about the cars not like are things the Mechanical bitches about trying fix.
pearsosx@reddit
Weird?! Try: awesome! Revolutionary!
Incon-thievable@reddit
Quirks and features galore! Doug would be happy
Appropriate-Lime8053@reddit
Would.
Hinloopen@reddit
That is now a 70 year old car.