Citroen XM.

Combwork

Super Member
Hi,

Pictures of my V6 Citroen XM, basking quietly on the backroads on a winters afternoon in Scotland. 16 feet from front to back* with a transverse V6 squeezed in to a terribly small space under the bonnet. TOTL in 1994, they did not sell well but when properly set up (the hydraulic suspension has its own little quirks) they're fast and handle nicely. Total sales in the UK of this model with the full leather interior.............. 28.

Sorry if I've ballsed this up; I tried to post a while ago but the photo size was way too big. Fingers crossed it will be right this time........... Jim.

xmphoto2so2.jpg


xmphotoja8.jpg



*A mere compact by US sizes, but big for us. Anything larger needs a speaking tube between driver and passengers.
 
Personally? I think it's very handsome. Over here it'd be a real head-turner.
Thumbs up. :thmbsp:
Tom
 
Sorry but it's still made in France right?

It might turn heads but not with much approval.

NOW show me an Austin American wagon or a real Cooper MINI all hopped up now those would turn heads.
 
Arguments gentlemen?

Mark W. said:
Sorry but it's still made in France right? It might turn heads but not with much approval. NOW show me an Austin American wagon or a real Cooper MINI all hopped up now those would turn heads.

Yes, I have to admit it was made in France, but not everything French was bad. Didn't they have something to do with that great lump of ironwork cluttering up the approach to New York harbor. To disapprove of something, first you have to recognize it and with all due respect :D how many people do you know who've ever seen a Citroen XM, let alone driven one? You're not exactly comparing like with like with Issigonni's finest either; Mini Cooper's do indeed turn heads; people wondering where the delicate smells of overheating engines and frying brakes are coming from.

The XM truly was ground breaking; Citroen developed then pushed their hydro active suspension system to the limits. Very high pressure hydraulics that reacted so fast that on a tight S bend, the suspension on whichever wheels were on the outside of the curve instantly stiffened just enough so that the car cornered dead level. Unfortunately, like many a car maker before them (GM, anyone?) they tried to cut costs. In Citroen's case, they subcontracted the horribly complicated wiring loom to a third party manufacturer who, without telling anyone, tried to reduce costs by using thinner wire than specified. Series 1 cars were plagued by electrical faults; by the time these were rectified and the series 2 launched, the cars had a poor reputation which they just couldn't shake off. This wasn't helped by the simple fact that a lot of garage mechanics do not understand hydraulic suspension. Take off one of those Innocent looking pressure spheres while it's still pumped up, and the best you can hope for is nothing's in the way when it takes off towards the other end of the workshop. Yet in essence it's so much simpler and SAFER than dealing with sprung suspension.:thmbsp:

And a Happy New Year to you too.................. Jim.
 
Always lusted after a Cx Pallas...an' a Deaux Cheveaux ! <grin> I guess I'd maybe part w/my '69 Lincoln if someone offered me a Goddess in trade...
 
Combwork said:
Didn't they have something to do with that great lump of ironwork cluttering up the approach to New York harbor.
:lmao: LOLOLOLOLOLOL
Very good!
Tom
 
I've owned two Peugeots in my time, both '70s models, variants of the 504. An automatic "saloon" and a stickshift Familiale (wagon).

They were about average in terms of reliability, which meant that they were far beyond American cars in those days, but offered a level of seating comfort and ride quality that was without equal back then and which even today would give any luxury car a run for the money.

Too bad they reacted to rust like an Alka Seltzer tablet in the rain.
 
Tin worm.

Aage said:
I've owned two Peugeots in my time, both '70s models, variants of the 504. An automatic "saloon" and a stickshift Familiale (wagon).

They were about average in terms of reliability, which meant that they were far beyond American cars in those days, but offered a level of seating comfort and ride quality that was without equal back then and which even today would give any luxury car a run for the money.

Too bad they reacted to rust like an Alka Seltzer tablet in the rain.


Rust was a real problem with a lot of 1980's/90's cars also. They just didn't have effective rust proofing and in a way, that makes the XM story even worse. Citroen sorted this out by galvanising the entire chassis and then topcoating it, but it was too late. The model had a reputation for unreliability and it stuck............ Jim.
 
Nice car, Jim. Always wanted a DS, just for something different. And Sandy's right, the Cx Pallas is a nice machine too.
 
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