That's right, the child smoker has often been overlooked by car designers.. as has the alcoholic driver who yearns for sufficient wine bottle storage ! ... Viva la Citroen.
So the kids can smoke their cigarettes, as Jay Smart would say. I can't remember when they stopped fitting rear ashtrays to cars. My Volvo has one in the console between the front seats, and another in the dash, but that"s from 1982, when most people still smoked like chimneys!
The phase 2 AX always reminded me of a miniature ZX inside. Incidentally I had a phase one AX GT with twin choke carb and to this day it is the most fun car I have owned!
Many moons ago I had a little red AX GT, it was like a supercharged rolling skate and great fun. Once I'm sure I got a dent in the bonnet through hitting a bumble bee going at about 70 mph, they were very lightly built and if mine hadn't succumbed to rust I would have kept it for a few more years as it was great fun and cost pennies to run.
I used to work with a girl who borrowed me her GT once, it was great fun to thrash around but the overwhelming memory I've got about the car was the whole door skin flexing every time I put the key in it to open or lock it.
I was a passenger in one of these when it accidentally went on two wheels. Still remember the feeling of going in slow motion as the tarmac was passing by my window.
I bought one of these with an ex girlfriend back in about 2010, £300 on eBay. We used if for years and it was dear to us, and never let us down! Only got rid of it because she got a hand-me-down car and the AX needed welding for the next MOT. Wish I'd found a way to keep it. I still keep an eye out for them today, they've become very rare. I'm 6'4 but could drive this, and indeed took it up and down the country on the regular. I found it charming. Very basic of course, nothing to it and no luxuries but that's the way I liked it. Ours had the Citroen logo on the front upside down (so the chevrons looked like v's). Back in the day when loads were around every now and again you'd see them with the upside down chevron badge. I always wondered how this happened - was there someone in the factory doing this deliberately? Was is some kind of in-joke on the production line? Was it someone's first day? Surely I can't be the only one who noticed this! Edit: ours was a 1 litre N reg Elation (4 speed), and a sibling had an AX Dimension as her first (and favourite) car. Edit 2: Ian, there was a diesel too wasn't there. I swear you could get like 80mpg in those or something. We'd easily get over 60 in ours on long runs driven sensibly! For years around when scrappage scheme was in effect and everything was about 'mpg' I always wondered why people don't just buy an old Citroen and tell the Labour government where to stick their car crushers.
How the hell did you fit in it at 6'4? I'm only 6 feet and I could not get a decent driving position where my legs weren't hitting the bottom of the wheel in my dad's one....even with the seat set right back. That annoyed me because they are a cracking little car.
@@graemew7001 I remember it wasn't the most comfortable drive (I pretty much echo Ian's sentiments with the little pedals... There were one set of running trainers I couldn't wear cuz my big feet would press the brake and accelerator at the same time (same thing happened to me in Pug 106's). My head was very near the roof (sunroof model so gave me a few extra cm's) but I could indeed drive it - legs bent and I'd need a couple of stops on long journeys to stretch. Someone I know bought a classic mini earlier this year and damn I could barely move once in it (and getting in and out was horrid too). I gave it one drive and said never again. I met a guy in a carpark when we were out in it who was 6ft who was a mini enthusiast and I asked him how the hell he drove them. He said you can get rails put in that make the seat roll right back (presumably needed rear seats removing) as he couldn't drive them normally. My AX Elation had nice seats and the sporty 3 spoke wheel (adjustable iirc, rake on left hand side, so I had it as high as poss). The seats didn't tilt however which was a shame, they could only slide.
@@the.internet You can get seat rail extenders for classic mini's but I found that you can also get a steering drop bracket and a longer steering wheel boss to alter that geometry which I found to be more comfortable. Mind at your height I'd just forget it and buy some other classic. Saying all this maybe the steering boss idea would work in an AX although I'd have lost the airbag of my dad's car to do that.
A 1.5 Diesel was an option, certainly on later ones. My aunt and uncle had an N-reg 1.5 Diesel 5-speed. It wasn't particularly quick off the line, but the torque was immense, especially as the AX is so light. They reckoned it did 65 mpg+ all the time.
When you said 'never let her down" is the same expression of saying " never left her stranded" ? I ask this because i'm spaniard speakin' and sometimes i need to readjust the slangs. Thank You
This one is in the exactly the condition I remember these as being in; dented, faded, worthless, but fully functional and fun. Brilliant, economical, throwaway transport. I had a similar Pug 106 in the late ‘90s. Great fun, and makes so much economic sense. The French sure knew how to make entertaining econoboxes. No pretensions at all, unlike Audi A1s and the like - just frugal, entertaining, basic transport. Does exactly what it says on the (very thin) tin .... .... and all the better for it. Viva PSA!
i remember a bloke i worked with called phil,he had the sporty one of these,he filled it to the top with oil,brimming out of the rocker box,what a bellend,lucky he did not start it,we drained it out and it was good too go,
Ah, the all glass tailgate. A tradition carried on with the 107/C1/Aygo. As you say, just be careful when closing them and always check for any obstructions first.
Drove both gasoline and diesel models between Spain and Portugal on 10 hr trips, back in the day. Great cars. Never a frown or a problem, and the pedals never gave me any pains either.
Excellent vid - as always - great commentary. Great driving. Great car! I like the lightweight. "They sold 2.4 million of them in 12 years." That is for an 'economy car segment', but scale-wise, it is frightening to think that VW sold 2.7 million Mk1 Tiguans between 2008 and 2016 - approx 9 years - for what is a dreaded SUV, whilst at the same time churning out millions of Golfs as well! Many thanks Ian. Good luck down-under.
My grandma had one of these as her last car, it was a 1.0 4 speed, very late one in metallic green. My uncle bought it for her brand new for basically nothing when Citroen were having one of their massive blow out sales. She resisted at first because it meant getting rid of her b reg maestro that caused nothing but grief and most visits were spent getting it started, airing up the tyres etc. She had it collected by her local garage in Shrewsbury every year for a service despite averaging about 600 miles a year. It was passed to my cousin who used it all through uni. Great little motor.
I have very fond memories of a black AX whose owner drove me around Aberystwyth in 1989-92. It was a little tight for my 6’3” size but they still make me smile.
My uncle and aunt had a late-model N-reg AX 1.5 Diesel "Spree" special edition in metallic blue, blue interior. It had little raised-letter signs everywhere, in French. One of the best, attached to the wine bottle pocket, translated as "I do like the little pocket for the bottle of wine". Another one by the cigarette lighter said "The French smoke too much". Very characterful little car, good memories. Amazing that Citroen produced these for 12 years.
I`ll never forget the night my friend and his sister came round in their mum`s 3 month old metallic purple AX - traded in a base model silver AX 1.0e for it. We went everywhere visiting every friend. Talk about street cred going through the roof but then again non of us was older than 14 lol.
Had two of these over the years a petrol and a diesel loved both cars, even put a top box on the diesel and went to France camping as a family of 4, although a little cosy had no problems loved it.
Wonderfull little car. I was offered one last year, a 1992 5 door 11 TRE. A family member passed away and he had one of these in his garage that hadn't been driven since 1999 when he got sick and couldn't drive anymore. The car sat for 20 years with just 35.000 Km in the odometer. Changed the oil, bled the old petrol from the tank, filled it with new petrol, didn't even changed the plugs and the thing started straight away after a couple of cranks. After that I did a full service: brakes and disks all round, new brake fluid, gearbox oil, 4 new tires and it's been my daily ever since. It's now on 42.000 Km and drives like a charm. Great city car, easy to park and economical. Fun facts: the 5 door doesn't have the quarter windows and the wine bottle holders in the front doors. And the models with air conditioning (like mine) looses the glovebox, because the ac motor sits inside the area where the glovebox is. Great first car for everyone who just got their driving license as it is very cheap to own, run, insure and fix up. Good review.
I bought a 1.0 Debut back in the day and we went all over the UK on our jolly holls in it . Never let us down and was such a nice car to drive . Got passed down the family as each bunch got old enough to drive . Had it for years . one of the best cars we owned - such fun. .
Remember the „sound of quality“ in my 87 Phase 1 TRE. Build quality left room for improvements, this being the only downside. mpg was incredible for a 1.1 petrol engine. Had a 4 speed gearbox, very well to drive on motorways and narrow country roads. Still miss it...
Ah memories. We were a Citroen family growing up, Dad had BXs and Xantias. Mum had an AX 'Jasper'. Tip for anyone planning to buy this as a family car. Those speakers right near the child passenger's head are the only speakers, so your spawn will be complaining that you've got Enya on too loud again.
I had a 1993 Citroen AX Debut, 1 litre engine, 5 door and silver. It was the best car I've ever owned and I've owned lots of different cars. The handling was superb, almost as good as our classic mini, the engine, although tiny, was enough, and I travelled all over Scotland in it. A fabulous car! Now I know there will be lots of people out there who have had bad ones and had terrible incidents in them, but my ownership experience was amazing. I miss that car.👍
My better half has one and it's been her only car since it was bought new in 1994. It's been an everyday car ever since, and it just boggles the mind how reliable it's been. 25 years and it's never left its owner on the side of the road waiting for rescue. It's brilliant.
A friend of mine had an AX and it was a wonderful little runner. She lived on the North East coast at the time, but this little motor took her all over the UK every week (she was a motor scooter enthusiast and went to a lot of meet ups). She would travel regularly to Wales to see her (then) boyfriend (they since married and she lives in Wales now) and her little AX never let her down. However, it "died" in such a trvial way; in almost stationary traffic, she was rear ended by someone who braked just a smidge too late. She said she had come to a halt and the other car had almost fully stopped, going so slow that she barely felt any impact, but it was enough to damage that fragile back end and her car was a complete write-off.
Being part of the psa group basically same to a couple of peugeot 106's I once owned apart from the badges. The 1.1 graduate was nothing special but the 1.4 or was it 1.5 diesel xrd was very good and reliable and a brilliant diesel engine plus they both had zero rust compared to their Ford and Jdm counterparts at the time. Great video Ian.
This car is super cute! Tiny is better. For practicality being implemented it still has that Citroen quirkiness like the power window switches low on the doorcards and the wine bottle holders. Lol . Viva Citroen! 😘
my auntie used to have a lighter green one when i was younger i used to love it because i thought it sounded sporty but it was just the blowing exhaust! 🤣
I do remember a journey for a new years eve party from Paris to Angers with my french friends about 23 years ago. Four adult persons, over 300 km (186 miles) and an "average" heating, especially in the claustrophobic back of the car. A trip I never forget...
More Lidl tales I am afraid. Met a guy who had one the same as this about a year ago in the car park... he bought it because he wanted something simple and was well made up. Seen it a few times since. Today however proper Back to the Future - drove into the carpark as a red FIAT Coupe on an R plate was leaving and I was followed in by a white AX Echo on an L. I had a 94 AX GT - fun times.
in 2003 i bought my first car, the 1993 1.0L AX, only had 4 gears and loved it, £795. I did once drive it 200 miles up the motorway, with those 4 gears, successfully. The engine noise at 70-75mph was sensational :D not sure what the revs got to but the engine didnt blow up, and i made it the 200 miles back the day after in one piece. Superb car.
Driven mine into work today. The 1.1i - and it gives me a grin everytime I get behind the wheel. The wiper motor is currently packing up so that only adds to the fun too.
I had one of these as my first car on a P Plate. Loved it. Especially the huge "Bottle holders" in the door cards, they always ended up full of tat! This video has given me a proper trip down memory lane! Thanks Ian
Best mate at school got bought a new AX by his folks in 92 (it was K183FUM if memory serves). Debut model, in white. Had many a fun evening hooning about in either it, or my Mini Van. The AX definitely got more from its 1 litre, a lot more quietly, but the Mini Van could out handle it. Both suffered damage from a humpback bridge on the same evening too - youthful exuberance, I think it's called.
We had an AX about 25 years ago. I closed the tailgate a little over-enthusiastically one evening and ended up covered in shattered glass. We had a bit of a Citroen time owning a couple of AXs a couple of ZXs and a BX in our time.
A mate of mine bought a white lowered AX Sport, many years ago. I never drove the car, but man i loved when we hooned around in it. Such a fun little car, and the two carbs certainly delivered in the soundtrack department. Small and light, with adequate power, is a great mix..as long as you don't crash.
I had a new AX 5 door with the 1527 cc Diesel engine in 1996 (a special edition Elation). I loved it! A hoot to drive on A roads and held it’s own on the motorway. Covered 47,000 miles in the 3 years I had it and then had to go bigger as babies required space (bought a 306 DTurbo estate). After it had run in it averaged nearly 70 mpg and servicing it myself was easy and cheap. The 5 speed box in the 1.5D resulted in very relaxed cruising.
Drove one of these for a few years, very reliable, very basic and very cheap with a terrible stereo. Felt like a bit of tinfoil wrapped around some matchskicks but also bulletproof in its own flimsy way. Thanks for the trip back to the nineties!
I’ve had 3 AX’s, one from new in 94, a purple ‘Spree’ edition. Drove that one all over Europe with 2 children, a roof box and a woman, fab fun car! Bought both daughters Second hand AX’s too.
cynthiaVTS For me... 2x10 Peavey cab with ‘Black widow’ Kevlar speakers, Peavey MkIII amp (only 200w iirc) Yankee Fender P, with DiMarzio fitted. From Swanage to Feltham... Redhill to Bognor... mine took me everywhere 😊
I love how Steph on idriveaclassic drove an immaculate Chicago model whereas Ian got a typically HubNut example with peeling lacquer and dishevelled look. All the appropriate times right there.
The offset pedal box is indeed a pain on long journeys, a trait it shares with the 106. I think chiropractors gave Citroen a backhander with these motors.
@@rabbishekelstein9477 I can confirm. However, I still prefer an AX with only the pedal block offset than a Clio mk1 where both pedals and steering wheel are offset. True story.
Honestly, I never realised I needed a wine bottle holder in my life until I bought my AX! I mean, how often do you pop into the shops, buy a bottle and have nowhere in the car to put it... It just ends up rolling around in the foot well! Genius thinking from Citroën!
My ex's mum had a black F-reg (so phase 1) 1.4 AX. I forget the exact spec. It was the flimsiest thing ever (I remember the whole dash creaking and rattling on cornering) and used to overheat constantly. Probably didn't help that we were both 6' tall and in the 20st range, coupled with the fact that my ex had a lead right foot, lol. It used to go like absolute stink even fully loaded up. After she wrote off her MK1 Fiesta, she bought a dark blue Phase 2 (I think it was on a K-plate) for about £200. It was immaculate apart from the fact that the stereo had disappeared, but had a significant oil leak from somewhere and would always mark its territory with a big puddle (and even 20-odd years on, there's still a big oil stain on the road outside our old house in Leeds). Coupled with the fact it was a diesel, it was the furthest thing from 'green', though it did get good mileage on a run. After we broke up she replaced it with a Saxo. We almost broke the tailgate in the first one loading it up with suitcases (plus the lock never latched properly, and always needed a good firm slam). I remember chuckling at how stereotypically French the wine bottle holders were, the downside being that anything smaller than a 2-litre bottle of pop would rattle around hopelessly and end up exploding when opened... I wish women did go in for useless, nerdy facts about things. I'd be fighting them off, haha.
Fantastic video and fantastic car! I’ve owned 3 of these over the years, and my second one me and my mate did an engine swap with a saxo vts engine, being the same underneath I swapped the rear torsion bar and front suspension so discs all around and 4 stud wheel, the thing was like a little go kart with the 16v lump! Often had people double take when it went screaming to overtake them on the dual carriageways :) Keep up the good work ! Love the videos
I had an 87 AX11 TRS 5 door. Loved it! Went round corners on the door handles, yet oddly on rails. A great blend of suppleness and limpet like cornering , as you point out! My dad had a 10E, which was rather miserable by comparison. The gears in the 4 speed box were weirdly spaced, and it was somewhat gutless. Although, he could carry his wine in fine style, whereas my car was sadly bereft of such luxuries.
Don't have a car, never learned to drive but when a Vel Satis drifted by in North Staffordshire my first thought was... "What would Hub Nut make of it" Thanks for so many fabulous videos. Have a great time in NZ
My father had one of these back in the day, a very early one (UK launch was Aug 1987). I think the later AX's had the pedals less offset (even if not quite central) - the LHDs never had this problem. 👍🏼
The one problem when converting a LHD to RHD, something older British vehicles never had, if one looks closely at one there are blanking plates over the holes for LHD assembly as the need to export was important then.
@@rabbishekelstein9477 Most vehicles have slightly offset pedals, the brake and gas pedal are always right of the steering column, unless a very old vehicle with a central gas pedal. ( pre 1930's )
Brilliant video! Perhaps my favourite video of yours. My first car was an L reg AX Neon. Loved it! Got it in 2005 for £400 with about 50,000 miles and it cost £1200 to insure per year!! It was very nippy and at the same time very chilled to drive. If I had the money, I'd find a 2nd gen AX to use at the weekend.
Again thanks for the link here. I somehow used to get my left foot comfortable on long drives. I seem to remember my rear window was designed differently. I'll try and find my photos from 1988
My mate had the GT back while I had a Mini 1000. It was like a space ship. Even the rear windows were electric. They only opened about an inch but electric. Rear wiper, alloys and so on. Oh and it was a complete rocket. Brilliant little cars as long as you don't crash them.
Love the AX! My first car was a white 5-door 1.1. It drove me everywhere with minimal maintenance. Very comfortable seats. Too bad it went incontinent and blew all the fluids on the street one day. Still miss that little bugger.
Oh the AX, well done on finding one. Such a great small car, full of flaws that can be so easily be over looked. It looks so much easier on the eye than it's relative the ZX that looks like fat AX that needs a diet. The BX that looks like the mature father figure, to the AX teenage antics. Great video.
Oi, don't diss the ZX. I had a 1994 3dr Neon special edition from new - told the garage not to apply the Neon pink stripes tho, that would've spoilt the looks, with its larger and wider 14 inch wheels!Handled great through fast bends with passive rear wheel steering, and was punchy enough. Girl friend at the time bought a new AX1.0 ....both were chucked about.... Ahem.
Good review Ian ! I think the Citroen AX replaced the Citroen Visa back in 1986/87 ? and was a direct competitor for the Vauxhall Nova (Opel Corsa) of that era as the 3 door Nova was about that same size and had those quarter light front window design up until Vauxhall decided to do away with quarter lights on the 1992/93 nova's before the bubble shape Vauxhall Corsa was launched to replace the boxy shape Nova. Back to the Citroen AX, The oldest I have ever seen of these AX's was on an "E" plate so August 1987 to August 1988 would have been the duration of the "E" registration and this would date the AX to this time of launch here in the UK (it may have been launched more earlier in other parts of the world like France and Germany ?) but I am yet to see one of these AX's on a "D" plate ! - The newest I have seen of these AX's was on an "R" plate (August 1997 to March 1998). Did I hear you mention the Citroen XM ? - They were very nice big cars ! - Hope you get to review one along with a BX 19 GT ! as I would love to see what you think of these 2 great Citroen's and which one you prefer the most ! - Peace and happiness man ! :-) I think the Citroen XM came out in 1989 to 1998 and had a choice of lots of engines : 2.0i /2.0 Turbo (XUD derived) 2.1 and 2.5 turbo diesels and two 3.0 v6's one earlier 12 valve 3.0 v6 and one later 24 valve 3.0 v6 - I believe there was also an XM estate too !
My dad had a 2000 Citroen Saxo 1.4i SX and it also was a fun car that handles corners as a treat. I only weight 850 kg, light and comfortable like the AX. *I remembered that the offset pedal box indeed was a pain for me at least.* Learn to drive in one at the age off 14 and I often pressed two pedals in at the same time by mistake... The AX, 106 and Saxo all have this pedal problem. Also, the 1.1-litre TU engines are notorious for head gasket failure. Around 10 years ago scrapyards where full of AX's, Saxo's, 106's that had rotten sills or a blown heads. I recommend the 1.4, it has less issues and is even more fun!
I owned a late 96 p spree in amazon green. 5 years and 40,000 miles. Only issue was tailgate hinges failure. If it was breezy and was open, to much stress would shatter the glass. I drove to the windscreen replacement centre, i lined up with 2 others. those wheeltrims ended up on the runout model. the late ones also had autochoke, a 5 speed box and a steering wheel that looked like it had an airbag. but didn't. and finally, the complete rear seat unit can be taken out to turn into a van. the best basic car I ever had. in fact, the best car I ever had.
LJK Setright (among others) raved about this car. The range was upside down... The better ones were the 1.0 4-speed 3-doors. Less is less, but also more. The massive quarter-lights were VERY French. They allowed room for a huge door pocket for a bottle of wine. Very French. The smaller motors ran on very, very narrow tyres. And it handled and held the road delightfully. Weighing nothing helped. I seem to recall the fuel tank was plastic. It really was one of the last of the low mass cars. A proper AX has manual windows. The interior was spacious enough, but hills were fun if carrying four adults. Nonetheless, a gem.
There’s a full-size ashtray at the front for the adults. The tiny one at the rear must be for the children, then. Well thought out, Citroen! 👌😁
That's right, the child smoker has often been overlooked by car designers.. as has the alcoholic driver who yearns for sufficient wine bottle storage ! ... Viva la Citroen.
Gauloises et pastis 😆
You can fit champagne bottles in the doors and cigars in the ashtrays. Under a microscope, the AX was a limousine.
So the kids can smoke their cigarettes, as Jay Smart would say. I can't remember when they stopped fitting rear ashtrays to cars. My Volvo has one in the console between the front seats, and another in the dash, but that"s from 1982, when most people still smoked like chimneys!
Richard Edwards both my 2005 Jaguar XJ and 2002 Audi A6 have rear ashtrays, one in each doorcard respectively.
Everyone should see the amazing video of the guy doing the Nurburgring with a Diesel AX that's done almost 700k kilometers. It's here on CZcams.
czcams.com/video/mBFjHjm0O5M/video.html made me seasick though
Dull fact: The Citroen AX wiper mechanism was also used on the series 1 Lotus Elise.
I love facts like this 👍
Didn’t Lotus use Citroen Cx door mirrors on the esprit?
Lotus Esprit S4 has Mk3 Vauxhall Cavalier door handles.
The mk1 Elise had Vauxhall Astra indicator and wiper stalks as well
Range Rover had Morris Marina door handles (Or was it the other way around?)
Well that clinches it I need an ax. I'm constantly spilling my wine all over me while driving!
Epic lacquer peel, awsome.
Best thing Ive read on the internet in ages!
The phase 2 AX always reminded me of a miniature ZX inside. Incidentally I had a phase one AX GT with twin choke carb and to this day it is the most fun car I have owned!
She certainly has 'patina' . I quite like the AX, they were everywhere in the early '90's.
Many moons ago I had a little red AX GT, it was like a supercharged rolling skate and great fun. Once I'm sure I got a dent in the bonnet through hitting a bumble bee going at about 70 mph, they were very lightly built and if mine hadn't succumbed to rust I would have kept it for a few more years as it was great fun and cost pennies to run.
Ha, ha, ha @ Bumblebee.
I used to work with a girl who borrowed me her GT once, it was great fun to thrash around but the overwhelming memory I've got about the car was the whole door skin flexing every time I put the key in it to open or lock it.
I had a grey AX GT great fun little car definitely wouldn't be classed as "safe" today .. did actually write mine off lol
Ax g.t was an underrated fun little car to chuck about...ncap safety rating??0
I had a ax gt mk2 K 92 and the engine over heated so I had a 106 gti engine fitted and it went very well had 125 mph out of it once very scary haha
I use the 1.0l as a daily driver, great car fast enough and fun to drive despite only having 44 hp.
OldEngine weighs less than a full wine bottle, doesnt it?
@@martijnkosters9024 Needs to be tied down in high winds.
I was a passenger in one of these when it accidentally went on two wheels. Still remember the feeling of going in slow motion as the tarmac was passing by my window.
I bought one of these with an ex girlfriend back in about 2010, £300 on eBay. We used if for years and it was dear to us, and never let us down! Only got rid of it because she got a hand-me-down car and the AX needed welding for the next MOT. Wish I'd found a way to keep it. I still keep an eye out for them today, they've become very rare.
I'm 6'4 but could drive this, and indeed took it up and down the country on the regular. I found it charming. Very basic of course, nothing to it and no luxuries but that's the way I liked it.
Ours had the Citroen logo on the front upside down (so the chevrons looked like v's). Back in the day when loads were around every now and again you'd see them with the upside down chevron badge. I always wondered how this happened - was there someone in the factory doing this deliberately? Was is some kind of in-joke on the production line? Was it someone's first day? Surely I can't be the only one who noticed this!
Edit: ours was a 1 litre N reg Elation (4 speed), and a sibling had an AX Dimension as her first (and favourite) car.
Edit 2: Ian, there was a diesel too wasn't there. I swear you could get like 80mpg in those or something. We'd easily get over 60 in ours on long runs driven sensibly! For years around when scrappage scheme was in effect and everything was about 'mpg' I always wondered why people don't just buy an old Citroen and tell the Labour government where to stick their car crushers.
I saw a picasso thing on a new plate with upside down chevrons on the tailgate this week! Its still happening.
How the hell did you fit in it at 6'4? I'm only 6 feet and I could not get a decent driving position where my legs weren't hitting the bottom of the wheel in my dad's one....even with the seat set right back. That annoyed me because they are a cracking little car.
@@graemew7001 I remember it wasn't the most comfortable drive (I pretty much echo Ian's sentiments with the little pedals... There were one set of running trainers I couldn't wear cuz my big feet would press the brake and accelerator at the same time (same thing happened to me in Pug 106's). My head was very near the roof (sunroof model so gave me a few extra cm's) but I could indeed drive it - legs bent and I'd need a couple of stops on long journeys to stretch.
Someone I know bought a classic mini earlier this year and damn I could barely move once in it (and getting in and out was horrid too). I gave it one drive and said never again. I met a guy in a carpark when we were out in it who was 6ft who was a mini enthusiast and I asked him how the hell he drove them. He said you can get rails put in that make the seat roll right back (presumably needed rear seats removing) as he couldn't drive them normally.
My AX Elation had nice seats and the sporty 3 spoke wheel (adjustable iirc, rake on left hand side, so I had it as high as poss). The seats didn't tilt however which was a shame, they could only slide.
@@the.internet You can get seat rail extenders for classic mini's but I found that you can also get a steering drop bracket and a longer steering wheel boss to alter that geometry which I found to be more comfortable. Mind at your height I'd just forget it and buy some other classic. Saying all this maybe the steering boss idea would work in an AX although I'd have lost the airbag of my dad's car to do that.
A 1.5 Diesel was an option, certainly on later ones. My aunt and uncle had an N-reg 1.5 Diesel 5-speed. It wasn't particularly quick off the line, but the torque was immense, especially as the AX is so light. They reckoned it did 65 mpg+ all the time.
I remember my late sister had a purple one never let her down good memories cheers hubs 👍
Are you Fred West ?
When you said 'never let her down" is the same expression of saying " never left her stranded" ? I ask this because i'm spaniard speakin' and sometimes i need to readjust the slangs. Thank You
@@scottwalker8152 much thanks!
Happy memories are made on Hub Nut.
I passed my test in my dad's 1.4 diesel! Great car!!! Go to the moon and back on one tank!!!!
This one is in the exactly the condition I remember these as being in; dented, faded, worthless, but fully functional and fun. Brilliant, economical, throwaway transport.
I had a similar Pug 106 in the late ‘90s. Great fun, and makes so much economic sense. The French sure knew how to make entertaining econoboxes. No pretensions at all, unlike Audi A1s and the like - just frugal, entertaining, basic transport. Does exactly what it says on the (very thin) tin ....
.... and all the better for it.
Viva PSA!
Funny how the "throwaway" cars last the longest!
Nice map of the Crimea on the bonnet.
i remember a bloke i worked with called phil,he had the sporty one of these,he filled it to the top with oil,brimming out of the rocker box,what a bellend,lucky he did not start it,we drained it out and it was good too go,
love them i had a citroen ax gti back in the 90s cost me £10 with a blown head gasket put eggs and rad seal in it lasted me 3 years good old days
McGyver you!
With all that wine you'll be carrying the little car will sound like a milkfloat pulling into the street.
My first car was an AX 1.1 "Memphis" 91 pre-facelift
Had a sticker that read "Shitroën"
I loved my AX.... I've had 3 of them over the years!
I always liked old citroens , we had a 84 BX 1.4 a gold one , as a kid I thought the suspension was incredibly cool
It's so hard to find a new car that short which look like a real car and not like a toy shopping cart! I love it! Big trunk too!
Ah, the all glass tailgate. A tradition carried on with the 107/C1/Aygo. As you say, just be careful when closing them and always check for any obstructions first.
Drove both gasoline and diesel models between Spain and Portugal on 10 hr trips, back in the day.
Great cars. Never a frown or a problem, and the pedals never gave me any pains either.
Excellent vid - as always - great commentary. Great driving. Great car! I like the lightweight. "They sold 2.4 million of them in 12 years." That is for an 'economy car segment', but scale-wise, it is frightening to think that VW sold 2.7 million Mk1 Tiguans between 2008 and 2016 - approx 9 years - for what is a dreaded SUV, whilst at the same time churning out millions of Golfs as well! Many thanks Ian. Good luck down-under.
There are nearly half again as many people on the world as there was in 1987.
My grandma had one of these as her last car, it was a 1.0 4 speed, very late one in metallic green. My uncle bought it for her brand new for basically nothing when Citroen were having one of their massive blow out sales. She resisted at first because it meant getting rid of her b reg maestro that caused nothing but grief and most visits were spent getting it started, airing up the tyres etc. She had it collected by her local garage in Shrewsbury every year for a service despite averaging about 600 miles a year. It was passed to my cousin who used it all through uni. Great little motor.
I have very fond memories of a black AX whose owner drove me around Aberystwyth in 1989-92. It was a little tight for my 6’3” size but they still make me smile.
My mate had the the GT version. Roughly 90hp and 700 kg! It was really quick & fun for it's time and wiped the floor with my 106 xsi.
My uncle and aunt had a late-model N-reg AX 1.5 Diesel "Spree" special edition in metallic blue, blue interior. It had little raised-letter signs everywhere, in French. One of the best, attached to the wine bottle pocket, translated as "I do like the little pocket for the bottle of wine". Another one by the cigarette lighter said "The French smoke too much". Very characterful little car, good memories. Amazing that Citroen produced these for 12 years.
Best one I had was a 1.4 diesel , drove it none stop to Switzerland , brilliant fun never missed a beat .
I once owned a white 1 litre AX, loved it, economical and short journey and easy parking par excellence
I`ll never forget the night my friend and his sister came round in their mum`s 3 month old metallic purple AX - traded in a base model silver AX 1.0e for it. We went everywhere visiting every friend. Talk about street cred going through the roof but then again non of us was older than 14 lol.
Had two of these over the years a petrol and a diesel loved both cars, even put a top box on the diesel and went to France camping as a family of 4, although a little cosy had no problems loved it.
I mentioned yesterday about the Tercel being thirsty . Not so with the A,X. fuel economy was great .
I drove its sister the Peugeot 106 with the same 1.1 engine, indeed it was very frugal. :)
Wonderfull little car. I was offered one last year, a 1992 5 door 11 TRE. A family member passed away and he had one of these in his garage that hadn't been driven since 1999 when he got sick and couldn't drive anymore. The car sat for 20 years with just 35.000 Km in the odometer. Changed the oil, bled the old petrol from the tank, filled it with new petrol, didn't even changed the plugs and the thing started straight away after a couple of cranks. After that I did a full service: brakes and disks all round, new brake fluid, gearbox oil, 4 new tires and it's been my daily ever since. It's now on 42.000 Km and drives like a charm. Great city car, easy to park and economical.
Fun facts: the 5 door doesn't have the quarter windows and the wine bottle holders in the front doors. And the models with air conditioning (like mine) looses the glovebox, because the ac motor sits inside the area where the glovebox is.
Great first car for everyone who just got their driving license as it is very cheap to own, run, insure and fix up.
Good review.
I bought a 1.0 Debut back in the day and we went all over the UK on our jolly holls in it . Never let us down and was such a nice car to drive . Got passed down the family as each bunch got old enough to drive . Had it for years . one of the best cars we owned - such fun. .
Remember the „sound of quality“ in my 87 Phase 1 TRE. Build quality left room for improvements, this being the only downside. mpg was incredible for a 1.1 petrol engine. Had a 4 speed gearbox, very well to drive on motorways and narrow country roads. Still miss it...
Ah memories.
We were a Citroen family growing up, Dad had BXs and Xantias. Mum had an AX 'Jasper'.
Tip for anyone planning to buy this as a family car. Those speakers right near the child passenger's head are the only speakers, so your spawn will be complaining that you've got Enya on too loud again.
Impressive lacquer peel on the bonnet! Nice AX! From a time when cars had distinct characters.
I had a 1993 Citroen AX Debut, 1 litre engine, 5 door and silver. It was the best car I've ever owned and I've owned lots of different cars. The handling was superb, almost as good as our classic mini, the engine, although tiny, was enough, and I travelled all over Scotland in it. A fabulous car! Now I know there will be lots of people out there who have had bad ones and had terrible incidents in them, but my ownership experience was amazing. I miss that car.👍
My better half has one and it's been her only car since it was bought new in 1994. It's been an everyday car ever since, and it just boggles the mind how reliable it's been. 25 years and it's never left its owner on the side of the road waiting for rescue. It's brilliant.
A friend of mine had an AX and it was a wonderful little runner. She lived on the North East coast at the time, but this little motor took her all over the UK every week (she was a motor scooter enthusiast and went to a lot of meet ups). She would travel regularly to Wales to see her (then) boyfriend (they since married and she lives in Wales now) and her little AX never let her down. However, it "died" in such a trvial way; in almost stationary traffic, she was rear ended by someone who braked just a smidge too late. She said she had come to a halt and the other car had almost fully stopped, going so slow that she barely felt any impact, but it was enough to damage that fragile back end and her car was a complete write-off.
Being part of the psa group basically same to a couple of peugeot 106's I once owned apart from the badges.
The 1.1 graduate was nothing special but the 1.4 or was it 1.5 diesel xrd was very good and reliable and a brilliant diesel engine plus they both had zero rust compared to their Ford and Jdm counterparts at the time.
Great video Ian.
2 Year's on and after a year of ownership she's still going strong. A lot tidier now too 👍
This car is super cute! Tiny is better. For practicality being implemented it still has that Citroen quirkiness like the power window switches low on the doorcards and the wine bottle holders. Lol . Viva Citroen! 😘
my auntie used to have a lighter green one when i was younger i used to love it because i thought it sounded sporty but it was just the blowing exhaust! 🤣
I had a five-door 1.4 AX TZX. It had a great power to weight ratio. Really good up the Addingham bypass.
Lovely little motor, the lacquer peel just sets it off haha. Loved the AX GT version too what a great car!
I had a 1.4D - Drove it to south east Poland near the Ukrainian border. Fantastic little car - simple, very economical and a joy to drive
Ian, you are the only person to drive in sandles, thank God.
I do remember a journey for a new years eve party from Paris to Angers with my french friends about 23 years ago. Four adult persons, over 300 km (186 miles) and an "average" heating, especially in the claustrophobic back of the car. A trip I never forget...
AX's always been very fun to drive, I once drove a 14 TGS and surprised me for the performances.
Yes, driving this car on these countryside roads is just brilliant. Very alive and fun for a 1.1 liter car.
Lovely little car. And with some really practical touches.
More Lidl tales I am afraid. Met a guy who had one the same as this about a year ago in the car park... he bought it because he wanted something simple and was well made up. Seen it a few times since.
Today however proper Back to the Future - drove into the carpark as a red FIAT Coupe on an R plate was leaving and I was followed in by a white AX Echo on an L.
I had a 94 AX GT - fun times.
One of the best cars ive ever had, simple, reliable, fast, economical, roomy, tough and practical....all the car you need
in 2003 i bought my first car, the 1993 1.0L AX, only had 4 gears and loved it, £795. I did once drive it 200 miles up the motorway, with those 4 gears, successfully. The engine noise at 70-75mph was sensational :D not sure what the revs got to but the engine didnt blow up, and i made it the 200 miles back the day after in one piece. Superb car.
Driven mine into work today. The 1.1i - and it gives me a grin everytime I get behind the wheel. The wiper motor is currently packing up so that only adds to the fun too.
I had one of these as my first car on a P Plate. Loved it. Especially the huge "Bottle holders" in the door cards, they always ended up full of tat! This video has given me a proper trip down memory lane! Thanks Ian
I think it's still sat in P&T Moore's breakers yard in Leominster 🤣
Seeing that nice summer weather, watching this in mid winter.
Best mate at school got bought a new AX by his folks in 92 (it was K183FUM if memory serves). Debut model, in white. Had many a fun evening hooning about in either it, or my Mini Van. The AX definitely got more from its 1 litre, a lot more quietly, but the Mini Van could out handle it.
Both suffered damage from a humpback bridge on the same evening too - youthful exuberance, I think it's called.
We had an AX about 25 years ago. I closed the tailgate a little over-enthusiastically one evening and ended up covered in shattered glass. We had a bit of a Citroen time owning a couple of AXs a couple of ZXs and a BX in our time.
A mate of mine bought a white lowered AX Sport, many years ago. I never drove the car, but man i loved when we hooned around in it. Such a fun little car, and the two carbs certainly delivered in the soundtrack department. Small and light, with adequate power, is a great mix..as long as you don't crash.
I had a new AX 5 door with the 1527 cc Diesel engine in 1996 (a special edition Elation). I loved it! A hoot to drive on A roads and held it’s own on the motorway. Covered 47,000 miles in the 3 years I had it and then had to go bigger as babies required space (bought a 306 DTurbo estate). After it had run in it averaged nearly 70 mpg and servicing it myself was easy and cheap. The 5 speed box in the 1.5D resulted in very relaxed cruising.
Drove one of these for a few years, very reliable, very basic and very cheap with a terrible stereo. Felt like a bit of tinfoil wrapped around some matchskicks but also bulletproof in its own flimsy way. Thanks for the trip back to the nineties!
I’ve had 3 AX’s, one from new in 94, a purple ‘Spree’ edition. Drove that one all over Europe with 2 children, a roof box and a woman, fab fun car! Bought both daughters Second hand AX’s too.
Brought back memories, the last car my Mum and Dad had was an AX, nice to see one on the road again been a long time.
I loved my AX so much, used to lug my 4x10 bass rig all over the country and nearly never let me down..
cynthiaVTS
For me...
2x10 Peavey cab with ‘Black widow’ Kevlar speakers, Peavey MkIII amp (only 200w iirc) Yankee Fender P, with DiMarzio fitted.
From Swanage to Feltham... Redhill to Bognor... mine took me everywhere 😊
Yet another I wanted at 18, my friend had the gt version, loved it.
I love how Steph on idriveaclassic drove an immaculate Chicago model whereas Ian got a typically HubNut example with peeling lacquer and dishevelled look. All the appropriate times right there.
Great video.👍My father had a red AX 1.1TRE 3 doors phase 1,1990, in good conditions, 250 000km, zero problems.
The first car i ever owned!!! At 17 years old the excitement was unparalelled! Happy memories! 😊
The offset pedal box is indeed a pain on long journeys, a trait it shares with the 106.
I think chiropractors gave Citroen a backhander with these motors.
Probably perfectly aligned in the LHD models.
A girl friend of mine always drove with no shoes on I have done the same has more feel with the pedals P.S I dont wear high heels te he
Emyr Derfel I can assure you it's not...
@@rabbishekelstein9477 I can confirm. However, I still prefer an AX with only the pedal block offset than a Clio mk1 where both pedals and steering wheel are offset. True story.
Honestly, I never realised I needed a wine bottle holder in my life until I bought my AX! I mean, how often do you pop into the shops, buy a bottle and have nowhere in the car to put it... It just ends up rolling around in the foot well! Genius thinking from Citroën!
Thank you for the lovely video! I'm considering buying one of these (if im lucky) so your input helped me a lot!
My ex's mum had a black F-reg (so phase 1) 1.4 AX. I forget the exact spec. It was the flimsiest thing ever (I remember the whole dash creaking and rattling on cornering) and used to overheat constantly. Probably didn't help that we were both 6' tall and in the 20st range, coupled with the fact that my ex had a lead right foot, lol. It used to go like absolute stink even fully loaded up.
After she wrote off her MK1 Fiesta, she bought a dark blue Phase 2 (I think it was on a K-plate) for about £200. It was immaculate apart from the fact that the stereo had disappeared, but had a significant oil leak from somewhere and would always mark its territory with a big puddle (and even 20-odd years on, there's still a big oil stain on the road outside our old house in Leeds). Coupled with the fact it was a diesel, it was the furthest thing from 'green', though it did get good mileage on a run. After we broke up she replaced it with a Saxo.
We almost broke the tailgate in the first one loading it up with suitcases (plus the lock never latched properly, and always needed a good firm slam). I remember chuckling at how stereotypically French the wine bottle holders were, the downside being that anything smaller than a 2-litre bottle of pop would rattle around hopelessly and end up exploding when opened...
I wish women did go in for useless, nerdy facts about things. I'd be fighting them off, haha.
Fantastic video and fantastic car! I’ve owned 3 of these over the years, and my second one me and my mate did an engine swap with a saxo vts engine, being the same underneath I swapped the rear torsion bar and front suspension so discs all around and 4 stud wheel, the thing was like a little go kart with the 16v lump! Often had people double take when it went screaming to overtake them on the dual carriageways :)
Keep up the good work ! Love the videos
A bonnet that fits in the HubNut tradition, very nice car. And yes, Colin is right, less weight, more fun.
I had an 87 AX11 TRS 5 door. Loved it! Went round corners on the door handles, yet oddly on rails. A great blend of suppleness and limpet like cornering , as you point out! My dad had a 10E, which was rather miserable by comparison. The gears in the 4 speed box were weirdly spaced, and it was somewhat gutless. Although, he could carry his wine in fine style, whereas my car was sadly bereft of such luxuries.
Don't have a car, never learned to drive but when a Vel Satis drifted by in North Staffordshire my first thought was... "What would Hub Nut make of it" Thanks for so many fabulous videos. Have a great time in NZ
Great video Ian as ever
My father had one of these back in the day, a very early one (UK launch was Aug 1987). I think the later AX's had the pedals less offset (even if not quite central) - the LHDs never had this problem. 👍🏼
The one problem when converting a LHD to RHD, something older British vehicles never had, if one looks closely at one there are blanking plates over the holes for LHD assembly as the need to export was important then.
MGBetts1 LHD cars still have offset pedals
@@rabbishekelstein9477 Most vehicles have slightly offset pedals, the brake and gas pedal are always right of the steering column, unless a very old vehicle with a central gas pedal. ( pre 1930's )
Brilliant video! Perhaps my favourite video of yours. My first car was an L reg AX Neon. Loved it! Got it in 2005 for £400 with about 50,000 miles and it cost £1200 to insure per year!! It was very nippy and at the same time very chilled to drive. If I had the money, I'd find a 2nd gen AX to use at the weekend.
Again thanks for the link here. I somehow used to get my left foot comfortable on long drives. I seem to remember my rear window was designed differently. I'll try and find my photos from 1988
My mate had the GT back while I had a Mini 1000. It was like a space ship. Even the rear windows were electric. They only opened about an inch but electric. Rear wiper, alloys and so on. Oh and it was a complete rocket.
Brilliant little cars as long as you don't crash them.
Love the AX! My first car was a white 5-door 1.1. It drove me everywhere with minimal maintenance. Very comfortable seats. Too bad it went incontinent and blew all the fluids on the street one day. Still miss that little bugger.
I wanted one not many left these days sadly good video hub !!!!!
Oh the AX, well done on finding one. Such a great small car, full of flaws that can be so easily be over looked. It looks so much easier on the eye than it's relative the ZX that looks like fat AX that needs a diet. The BX that looks like the mature father figure, to the AX teenage antics. Great video.
Oi, don't diss the ZX. I had a 1994 3dr Neon special edition from new - told the garage not to apply the Neon pink stripes tho, that would've spoilt the looks, with its larger and wider 14 inch wheels!Handled great through fast bends with passive rear wheel steering, and was punchy enough. Girl friend at the time bought a new AX1.0 ....both were chucked about.... Ahem.
Oh, you gotta love all of 'em. The AX definitely is the cutest of the lot though, yes.
Beauty is relative, but to me the ZX is one really beautiful car, especially in a sporty configuration and metallic blue color.
I'm sure Practical Classics magazine did an economy run in a diesel version and got over 75mpg.
Trailing arms and torsion bars at the rear gives brilliant boot space! 👍👍
Glad you explained that bit at the end, I did wonder!
Good review Ian !
I think the Citroen AX replaced the Citroen Visa back in 1986/87 ? and was a direct competitor for the Vauxhall Nova (Opel Corsa) of that era as the 3 door Nova was about that same size and had those quarter light front window design up until Vauxhall decided to do away with quarter lights on the 1992/93 nova's before the bubble shape Vauxhall Corsa was launched to replace the boxy shape Nova.
Back to the Citroen AX, The oldest I have ever seen of these AX's was on an "E" plate so August 1987 to August 1988 would have been the duration of the "E" registration and this would date the AX to this time of launch here in the UK (it may have been launched more earlier in other parts of the world like France and Germany ?) but I am yet to see one of these AX's on a "D" plate ! - The newest I have seen of these AX's was on an "R" plate (August 1997 to March 1998).
Did I hear you mention the Citroen XM ? - They were very nice big cars ! - Hope you get to review one along with a BX 19 GT ! as I would love to see what you think of these 2 great Citroen's and which one you prefer the most ! - Peace and happiness man ! :-)
I think the Citroen XM came out in 1989 to 1998 and had a choice of lots of engines : 2.0i /2.0 Turbo (XUD derived) 2.1 and 2.5 turbo diesels and two 3.0 v6's one earlier 12 valve 3.0 v6 and one later 24 valve 3.0 v6 - I believe there was also an XM estate too !
No triangle of doom. No triangle!
Semicircle of despair I would say.
Crescent of Dismay?
My dad had a 2000 Citroen Saxo 1.4i SX and it also was a fun car that handles corners as a treat. I only weight 850 kg, light and comfortable like the AX. *I remembered that the offset pedal box indeed was a pain for me at least.* Learn to drive in one at the age off 14 and I often pressed two pedals in at the same time by mistake... The AX, 106 and Saxo all have this pedal problem. Also, the 1.1-litre TU engines are notorious for head gasket failure. Around 10 years ago scrapyards where full of AX's, Saxo's, 106's that had rotten sills or a blown heads. I recommend the 1.4, it has less issues and is even more fun!
I owned a late 96 p spree in amazon green. 5 years and 40,000 miles. Only issue was tailgate hinges failure. If it was breezy and was open, to much stress would shatter the glass. I drove to the windscreen replacement centre, i lined up with 2 others.
those wheeltrims ended up on the runout model. the late ones also had autochoke, a 5 speed box and a steering wheel that looked like it had an airbag. but didn't. and finally, the complete rear seat unit can be taken out to turn into a van. the best basic car I ever had. in fact, the best car I ever had.
Lovely! First car I ever drove in total illegality before I had my licence on small country roads... Except it was the mighty 1.0 with 45hp.
I had a 91 AX TGE. Honestly the best car i have driven. Miss it to this day
Drove it once. Absolutely loved it
LJK Setright (among others) raved about this car. The range was upside down... The better ones were the 1.0 4-speed 3-doors. Less is less, but also more.
The massive quarter-lights were VERY French. They allowed room for a huge door pocket for a bottle of wine. Very French.
The smaller motors ran on very, very narrow tyres. And it handled and held the road delightfully. Weighing nothing helped.
I seem to recall the fuel tank was plastic. It really was one of the last of the low mass cars.
A proper AX has manual windows. The interior was spacious enough, but hills were fun if carrying four adults.
Nonetheless, a gem.
Another Great Video By Mr Hubnut :)
I remember the AX GTI being nicknamed the flexi flyer! Cracking little car, and would be great on fuel being so light, too.