More than an old car #214: Citroen Xsara

Writing these days honestly comes in a series of bursts, and also an overarching need to clear my eternal backlog. It is high time that I write about this 2001 Citroen Xsara that is unbelievably still surviving here!

First released in 1997, the Xsara (pronounced sa-ra) replaced the ZX for which it shared a similar platform. While it was only available as a 5-door hatchback, a 3-door hatchback and a wagon version were introduced later. There was a facelift in 2000, with larger almond-shaped headlights, new grille with larger logo, an improved tailgate opening mechanism and a stiffer suspension, among other things. Interestingly, Citroen collaborated with Microsoft to develop the limited-edition Xsara Auto PC. Auto PC was part of a line of PC-compatible products designed around the Microsoft Windows CE 2.0 operating system. The main innovation of the Auto PC was its use of voice recognition technology, enabling the vehicle to respond to oral commands and to talk to the user by means of a voice synthesis system. One could not help but draw parallels to in-car voice recognition systems that are common today..

The Xsara was powered by a 1361 cc TU3JP i4 engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 172 km/h with an acceleration of 14.8 seconds [0-100 km/h]. It weighed in at 1116 kg, with dimensions of 4188 x 1705 x 1405 mm and had a fuel consumption of 14.7 km/litre.

Production of the Xsara ended in 2006, after the Europe-market hatchback in 2004 and the Dongfeng-Citroen version in 2005. Truth be told, there is nothing really unique about this car: it was as bread-and-butter as it could be. However, a rally version was lined up for the World Rally Championship between 2001-2005, and scored a total of 24 victories under the hands of Sebastien Loeb and his teammates.

Xsaras were sold here in 1997 by Motorviva Minerva Pte Ltd, where it retailed at S$109,888 (S$161,741 in today's prices). Interestingly, the car was the top prize for an island-wide treasure hunt in 2001 (by then the facelifted version). This particular unit is noted to be the last one remaining, and it does not appear to be scrapped any time soon. Trying to keep an old French car in a car-unfriendly land is no mean feat, and part of me wonders what do the owners see in this vehicle that compels them to apply for the COE renewals. Hopefully, you will have the chance to see this rarity one day!

More than an old car #193: Citroen Berlingo

Having spotted cars for quite a long time, I have seen my fair share of weird and wacky vehicles. Along this vein, passenger vans are a curious oddity since they get ignored by enthusiasts and the uninitiated alike. As such, it was a pleasant surprise to know that this 2001 Citroen Berlingo Multispace still exists somehow!

First introduced in 1996, the Berlingo replaced the aging C15 van which had been produced since 1984. Along with its sister model the Peugeot Partner, the utility (van) model was launched, followed by a passenger version known as the Multispace. Interestingly, the vehicle did not have sliding doors at first. Renault had launched the Kangoo shortly in 1997, and it came with sliding doors: sales of the Kangoo was good and PSA (the holding company of Citroen and Peugeot) had to respond. 

In 1999, the Berlingo came with a sliding door on the opposite side of the steering wheel for safety reasons. New engines were introduced in 2000 and the Berlingo underwent a facelift featuring larger headlights and a front end. The Kangoo now featured sliding doors on both sides and the Berlingo followed suit, first as an option for the van but standard for the passenger Multispace. The Multispace was also available with a canvas top that could be unrolled, much like a sunroof.

The Berlingo Multispace was powered by a 1360 cc i4 engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 150 km/h with an acceleration of 17.2 seconds [0-100 km/h]: definitely not meant for hard driving. With dimensions of 4108 x 1719 x 1802 mm, it does not necessarily stand out much from the cars around it. It weighed 1125 kg and had a fuel consumption rate of 7.1 litres / 100 km.

Production of the 1st-generation Berlingo ended in 2008, although local assembly still continues today in Argentina by Stellantis of Bueno Aires: for instance, the local version of the Multispace features double rear doors (like the van version) instead of the hatch version imported from Europe. In Singapore, both van and passenger models were sold back in 1998. While Berlingos are still out and about till this day, this unit is the last 1st-generation version that still exists on the road!

Apparently, its lifespan has been extended by another 10 years so you should still be able to find this on the road. While no one may lament at its absence, the fact that the owner still holds on to it is a testament to its uniqueness in our motoring landscape and I hope you'll be able to recognise it some day!

More than an old car #161: Citroen SM

Happy new year to everyone and may you have a blessed 2021 ahead! With my first post of this year, I hope to start things on a bright note with this exquisite 1971 Citroen SM!

The SM was first conceived back in 1961 as the 'Project S', a sports-oriented model of the DS. Over the years, it became an entirely new model. Citroen purchased Maserati in 1968 with the intention to harness its engines to make a high-performance car, and the result appeared in 1970 at the Geneva Motor Show. The origin of its name is not entirely clear: it could either stand for Systeme Maserati/Série Maserati or even Sa Majesté (Her Majesty in French).

The car featured many innovative features, such as the hydro-pneumatic self-levelling suspension, self-swivelling lights that turned along with the steering wheel and a new type of variable assist power steering known as DIRAVI (Direction à rappel asservi), which has become commonplace in cars today. This enabled the steering to feel constant at any speed and enabled a maximum area of tyre contact with the road at all times. Furthermore, the SM was also very aerodynamic with a low drag coefficient of 0.26, and no expense was spared in the interior design too.

While it was produced exclusively in a two-door fastback coupe style, there were conversions such as a 4-door convertible (SM présidentielle) and a 4-door sedan (SM Opéra). The main export market for the SM was the US, and due to regulations, US-spec cars had 4 round exposed headlights compared to the 6 square enclosed headlights in Euro-spec ones. Over its lifetime, 2 types of engines were produced (2.7 litre and 3 litre): the small engine size was due to French puissance fiscale taxation, which made large-engined cars hard to sell. The SM was powered by a uniquely-shaped 2670 cc 90° V6 engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 220 km/h with an acceleration of 8.9 seconds [0-100 km/h]. It was 4893 mm long and weighed 1450 kg, with a fuel consumption of 15.7 litres / 100 km.

Production of the SM ended in 1975 with only 12,190 units made, of which 7,133 were the early manual versions. While it was revolutionary for its time, maintaining it was very tedious as it required both a Citroen specialist for the car body and a Maserati specialist for the engine. Coupled with the 1973 oil crisis, sales levels were lower than expected. Furthermore, Peugeot (which owned a stake in Citroen) proceeded to sell Maserati, spelling the end of the SM. The SM made many appearances in popular culture and had famous owners such as Leonid Brezhnev and the Cheech & Chong duo.

None were made in RHD and hence no units were sold here, although there were RHD conversions done in Australia. This unit, in AC088 Meije White, still sports original UK plates and was on display since it cannot be registered here. The SM is one that continues to take the breath away, with its beautiful proportions and sleek design. While it is a shame that you can't see them on the road, I hope that this has been informative for you. Maybe you will get to see it one day!

More than an old car #100: Citroen HY

Many of you would be familiar with the concept of food trucks, as they are a staple in almost every large-scale carnival in Singapore. Sometimes if you are lucky, you can see the renowned VW Kombi too. Let me introduce you to this 1970 Citroen HY Van, a food truck that you would not see before!

The Citroen HY, also known as the Type H/H Van, was a panel van made starting from 1947. Pierre Franchiset, who was working in the body development department, is credited for coming up with this innovative design. Its name is derived from it being the 8th project that Citroen worked on, and eventually decided to produce it. Taking cues from its Traction Avant range of cars, it featured a uni-body design and had its engine pushed all the way in front, a feature that was unique compared to vans of that time. Furthermore, the wheels had independent suspensions, enabling it to take more weight than expected.

As with the 2CV, the HY was designed to be durable yet cheap for the masses. For example, the windshield was made in 1 complete piece as it was cheaper to do so, and the distinctive corrugated body work was inspired from the Junkers Ju bomber planes: the ribs added strength without adding weight, even to the point that a horse could be loaded into one! Its remarkable height of 1820 mm also enabled one to stand inside the van, which proved useful if one wanted to load/unload goods. Most HY vans were powered by a 1911 cc 4-cylinder engine, which allowed it to reach a top speed of 78 km/h. It was 4270 mm long and weighed around 1500 kg.

Production ended in 1981 with 473,289 made, remarkably over a long period of time. This unit is a post-1969 facelift model due to the squarish rear fenders, compared with circular ones before that. HY vans have entered cult status just like the VW Kombi, and it is very common to see them being converted to food trucks selling all kinds of "hipster" foods. However, none made it to Singapore originally, since practically all of them were in left-hand drive.

This unit, with its engine removed, was imported from Sweden and has found a new life becoming a coffee van. I believe most of you would not be familiar with this since none existed here previously, despite it being well-known in Europe. It's pretty unique to see something not so common, and do check this out if you have the time!

More than an old car #49: Citroen 2CV

Based on my observations so far, old French cars don't seem to be very popular here for some reason. Are they supposedly less reliable than their German/British counterparts? This 1981 Citroen 2CV Charleston begs to differ--for a car with a 40-year lifespan, it is surprisingly as sturdy as most classics today!

Citroen was established in 1919 by the French industrialist Andre-Gustave Citroen. Mr Citroen made the decision to enter the automotive industry after making armaments during World War 1. He was an innovative marketer, by using the Eiffel Tower as the world's largest advertising sign. It was owned by Michelin [of tyres and Michelin Star fame] until 1974, where it remains under the ownership of the Groupe PSA conglomerate until today. The chevron logo that you see today was inspired by a chevron-shaped gear used in milling, which Mr Citroen saw on a trip to Lodz, Poland.

The 2CV [French for "deux-cheaveux vapeur" or "two steam horses" in English] was conceived as a solution to help motorise the farmers who were still using horses in the 1930s. The criteria at that time included being able to transport 50 kg of goods at a speed of 50 km/h, and to be able to transport eggs across a field without breaking them. Prototypes known as the TPV [Toute Petite Voutre/Very Small Car] appeared back in 1937 after being developed in secrecy. Due to the war, the release of the 2CV was delayed until 1948.

The design of the car changed throughout the years, such as the canvas roof and the rear quarter window. When it was first unveiled, it was ridiculed by many and it became fodder for comedians. Appearance was not a factor and thus it earned the nickname of "tin snail", among others. However, many people loved it and opinions started to change. The main attraction was its unique suspension system, which allowed the car to go over almost all kinds of terrain and ensured the weight remained balanced. Furthermore, it was highly affordable: the price was US$650 in 1948, about half that of a VW Beetle.

The Charleston was a special edition model which was only available in 3 colour schemes, including this Delage red and black combination. Its 602 cc flat-twin engine, which was more common in motorcycles, was highly reliable and enabled the car to reach a top speed of 115 km/h. Its acceleration however was a glacial 35 seconds [0-100km/h]--I believe many of us could easily outrun one! The Charleston was 3.83 m long and weighed 560 kg. With reference to its light weight, its body was a thin sheet of metal and fabric was used to cover the top. This was ingenious as it allowed the car to carry long items, and also a solution to the lack of steel after the war.

Production ended in 1990 with 3,867,932 sedan versions made. I have seen 2 other units here, although there may be more. This specimen still sports an original number plate and looks pretty well-maintained. A 2CV was featured in the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only and taxi drivers in Madagascar are still using them on the roads! Given how celebrated the 2CV is worldwide, I am surprised that there are so few of them here compared to the Beetle! It seems that there is some sort of hidden prejudice against French cars? You could recognise it immediately by its humpback profile, do look out for this timeless French icon!

More than an old car #17: Citroen DS

The French are well-known for being graceful and this is certainly true of this 1971 Citroen DS D20 Super. The DS has become a beloved French icon and it has many followers worldwide: Pope John XIII, cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, actress Rosamund Pike [Gone Girl] to even the late president Charles de Gaulle, who survived an assassination attempt in it in 1962. It was also popular with taxi drivers as it was spacious, and it has appeared in more than 2000 film and TV shows such as Back to the Future 2 and The Mentalist.

The DS name comes from Déesse [French for 'goddess'] and it was the replacement for the popular Traction Avant, first produced in 1934. When it was first released in 1955, France was still recovering from the effects of World War 2 and this was seen as a symbol of ingenuity. There were many rave reviews about the car: people fell in love with its futuristic styling all the way to the superior hydraulics system. Citroen received 80,000 orders during the first 10 days, which remains a record. 
When production stopped in 1975, more than 1.4 million had been made.

The success of the DS cemented Citroen's status as an automotive innovator. An example was the hydraulic suspension system, which enabled the car to have a constant 'ride height' even over uneven terrain--many people have described riding in the DS as a 'magic carpet ride'. It was initially offered with the hydralique/Citromatic semi-automatic transmission [a combination of the manual transmission when changing gears, and the automated process of gear switching]. Later, a four and five-speed manual transmission was introduced along with a 3-speed automatic transmission. The DS D20 in the picture was powered by a 1985cc six-cylinder engine, enabling it to reach a top speed of 169 km/h and an acceleration of 14.2 seconds [0-100 km/h]. It is a large executive car: it was 4.87 m long and weighed 1300 kg.

The specimen here is currently the only one registered in Singapore and according to a blog I read, the owner had bought it in 1999 when it appeared on an advertisement. It still had its original number plate at that time, and the fact that it is not red-and yellow suggests the effort by him to keep it on our roads. I had no idea that one of the 'most beautiful cars of all time' actually existed here and I hope the owner continues to maintain it for future generations to see!